Ski Jumping

Jumping off hills on skis was pioneered by Norwegian Sondre Norheim in the 19th century, and had developed into a full sport by the 20th century. It has been contested in the Olympic Winter Games since the start in 1924. Originally dominated by participants from Norway, the top competitors now also hail from Finland and Central Europe. Two athletes, Simon Ammann and Matti Nykänen, have won four gold medals in the sport.

Three events are currently contested at the Olympics, all for men. Since 2009, women also compete in World Championships, but despite legal action to have the event included for the Vancouver Games, a women’s event is not yet on the Olympic Program. There are two types of hills used, a normal hill and a large hill. The exact size of the hills, most commonly measured by the distance of the calculation point (or K-point), has gradually increased. In 1924, the normal hill K-point was still at 71 m; in 2010 it was at 95 m, while the large hill was at 125 m.