DECONSTRUCTING THE GAMES JUMPING: Six seconds to perfection There’s a method to the madness of flying up to 150 metres in the air, on nothing but a pair of . Canwest News Service writer Rob Vanstone explains: Learning to fly has been part of the Winter Olympics since the Games’ inception in 1924.The sport featured one hill,the normal hill,for all Olympics from 1924 to 1960.The large hill was added in 1964.There is also a team event,in addition to individual competition on both hills. Here’s a look at how the sport works: 4.FLIGHT A typical 1.THE PREP 3.TAKEOFF flight lasts 5.LANDING The ski jumper takes off four to six begins while simultaneously seconds. At landing,the at the top of the in leaping forward and skis should be run,or ramp.Skiers upward.Most jumpers no further than reach the top of the a ski-width apart 2.INRUN position their skis in a tower,also known as large V (as opposed to (in the the scaffold,via eleva- The ski jumper parallel to one another, position),with tor.There are multiple descends down as was the custom knees bent and starting gates.Officials the ramp at a speed well into the 1980s) one ski slightly determine,with the approaching 95 km/h. to gain additional lift ahead of the help of a trial round, The goal is to gain speed and distance. other.Jumpers which gate will be used while maintaining control. are judged for competition.The The jumper makes the descent according goals are to keep the in a crouch,with shins angled to distance speed within a narrow far forward,the chest com- and technical range while maximiz- pressed against the thighs, precision. ing the jumpers’dis- and arms back and held close tance and safety. to the body.The takeoff slopes downward at about 35 degrees.

SMART FACTS THE ATHLETES MEDAL FAVOURITES 1.THE K POINT A lean physique is optimal for ski jumpers. The goal is to have explosive power in the legs, ,Switzerland This is the “par”distance,the spot at without an abundance of bulk in the upper body. which points are added for every metre The fine line for ski jumpers is to build muscle The good:In 2002,Ammann became only the second person to win the jumper flies beyond K,or deducted in the legs without becoming bulky.Heavier individual gold medals in the normal and large hill events at the same for landing shy of the K.Judges also athletes focus on endurance exercises with designs Olympics — matching the 1988 feat by ’s Matti Nykanen. award points for technique. on weight control.Lighter jumpers will concentrate The bad: Finished seventh on the large hill and tied for 38th on the 2.GOING THE DISTANCE on toning and strength. normal hill at Turin in 2006.

At Whistler,skiers can achieve distances , approaching 150 metres from the large hill and in excess of 100 metres from The good:Finished first overall in the World Cup standings in 2009 the normal hill. with 2,083 points,297 more than second-place Ammann. The bad:At 19,Schlierenzauer lacks Olympic seasoning.Who knows 3.EURO CRAZE how he’ll handle the pressure in Whistler? The sport is immensely popular in Europe,attracting crowds of 80,000 to 100,000,along with prime-time TV audiences.Top jumpers have an annual ,Austria income approaching $1 million,once The good:Finished third overall in the World Cup standings in 2009, endorsements and prize money are when he reached the top echelon for the first time. considered. The bad:Loitzl is known more for consistency than for blowing 4.THE GENDER BARRIER everyone away,so his upside may be limited. Ski jumping is one of a minority of that excludes athletes of one gender.Female jumpers appealed to the International Olympic Committee for inclusion in the 2010 Games,but their attempts were THE VENUE unsuccessful.The IOC contends there aren’t enough women in ski jumping, can accommodate 12,000 spectators for ski jumping.The complex,which opened on Nov. and not enough world championships 22,2008,also will be used for ,cross-country and (which combines cross-country were held in the leadup to the Games. skiing and ski jumping).It’s the first facility in Olympic history to include all three Nordic sport stadiums in one site. The ski-jumping community countered

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FOR MORE ON THE 2010 WINTER GO TO VANCOUVERSUN.COM/2010 GRAPHICS:BY ROGER WATANABE AND MAGGIE WONG/ SUN SKI JUMPING SCHEDULE

» Day 1 » Day 8 » Day 11 Friday, Feb. 12 Friday, Feb. 19 Monday, Feb. 22 Men’s individual Men’s individual *Men’s team large hill Whistler Sliding Centre normal hill large hill 10-11:55 a.m. 10-11:05 a.m. 10-11:05 a.m. The jumps were supposed to be built for summer use * Indicates medal event in addition to winter use, » Day 2 » Day 9 but were scaled back Saturday, Feb. 13 Saturday, Feb. 20 for winter-use only. Men’s individual Men’s individual normal hill large hill *9:45-11:25 a.m. *11:30-1:10 p.m. 201099