Large Hill, Individual, Men1

The Norwegian team for the ski jumping event consisted of two jumping specialists, Narve Bonna and Jacob Tullin Thams, and the two great allrounders, Einar Landvik (considered as Norway’s best style jumper) and the triple gold medallist Thorleif Haug. Haug was not considered to be among the four best of Norway’s ski jumpers, but his place on the team was given in honour of his great allround abilities as a skier.

The only serious contender against the Norwegian supremacy was considered to be the Norwegian-born US jumper Anders Haugen, known for his long and daring jumps but also for his rugged style and unstable landings.

In the first round Thams with start number 3 took the lead with a jump of 49 m, ahead of Bonna (47,5) and Haugen (49), Haug lying 4th with 44 m with superb style marks. In the second round Thams produced another 49 m jump with better style points than in his first. Haugen made the longest jump in the competition, 50 m, but was again penalized with low style points for his landing. Haug made 44,5 with even better style marks than in first round. Bonna was the last of the favorites to jump, and he equaled Thams 49 m but was not able to beat his countryman Thams in the total points. Another clean medal sweep for the Norwegians, gold to Thams, silver to Bonna and bronze to Haug, Haugen given 4th place and the 4th Norwegian Landvik in 5th.

After the conclusion of the event, some jumpers made an exhibition for the enthusiastic audience, jumping with top speed. Thoralf Strømstad, silver medallist in both in the 50 km and in Nordic Combined, made 57,5 m, the longest jump so far in the history of ski jumping. His mark was equaled later in the exhibition by Thams and Bonna.

Almost 40 years later, the aforementioned Strømstad contacted Norwegian ski historian Jacob Vaage, claiming that the points from the ski jumping event for Thorleif Haug had been miscalculated, and that his final points should be behind Haugen’s. Vaage checked the case and had to agree with the 77-year-old Strømstad. In 1974 IOC decided to award the bronze medal to Haugen, at that time an elderly gentleman of 86. He was invited to Norway, and at a nice ceremony Haug’s bronze medal from 1924 was handed over to Haugen by Haug’s youngest daughter. Thorleif Haug himself died already in December 1934 from pneumonia at the age of 40. But Haugen was pleased to meet some of his Norwegian competitors from 1924: Narve Bonna, Einar Landvik and not to mention Thoralf Strømstad, the man responsible for justice being made after 40 years.