History was made and there were plenty of tears at the inaugural mixed-team ski jumping final, but they weren’t tears of joy from elated medal winners.
Five female ski jumpers were disqualified after officials ruled their jumpsuits didn’t comply with the rules.
The jumpers who were disqualified were Sara Takanashi of Japan, Daniela Iraschko-Stolz of Austria, Katharina Althaus of Germany, Anna Odine Stroem of Norway and Silje Opseth also of Norway.
The problem with the jumpsuits is they were too large, which was ruled to give them an unfair advantage when they were in the air.
Not surprisingly, the reaction from the jumpers and their respective teams was one of outrage and utter disbelief.
“The sport of ski jumping has experienced one of its darker days,” said Clas Brede Braathen, Norway’s team manager for ski jumping according to Reuters.
“We just pulled the crap card. That is how you destroy nations, development and the entire sport,” echoed Althaus, who won silver in the women’s individual normal hill competition earlier this week. German sports director Horst Huttel called the whole thing “a parody, but I’m not laughing.”
Takanashi’s coach said he was told her suit was too big around the thighs, even though it was the same suit she wore Saturday for the women’s normal hill event, Japan’s NHK reported. Opseth also wore the same suit from earlier events. She told Norwegian media her suit wasn’t different, but it was measured differently.
International Ski Federation (FIS) official Aga Baczkowska defended the suit inspection, saying it followed all the rules and it’s the responsibility of each country’s team to make sure the clothes and equipment meet all compliance standards.
“The jumping suit must in all places and parts be tight-fitting to the athlete’s body,” said Baczkowska.
The event did continue as scheduled and it was the Slovenian team of Nika Kriznar and Ursa Bogataj winning the gold. It was the second medal for both of them in Beijing. Bogataj also won gold in the women’s individual normal hill, while Kriznar took the bronze.
The Russian Olympic Committee and Canada rounded out the podium, the first time either nation has been on the podium in a mixed-team event.
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