Ski jumping at the 1928 Winter Olympics

The men's ski jumping at the 1928 Winter Olympics took place at the 70-meter (230 ft) Olympiaschanze in St. Moritz, Switzerland, on 18 February. Thirty-eight competitors from thirteen nations competed, with the event being won by Norway's Alf Andersen ahead of countryman Sigmund Ruud and Czechoslovakia's Rudolf Burkert.[1]

Men's ski jumping
at the II Olympic Winter Games
VenueOlympiaschanze
Dates18 February
Competitors38 from 13 nations
Winning points19.208
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s) Alf Andersen  Norway
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Sigmund Ruud  Norway
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Rudolf Burkert  Czechoslovakia
← 1924
1932 →

Norway sent a strong contingent with four jumpers able to win the event, including reigning Olympic and world champion Jacob Tullin Thams. Andersen had won all eight Norwegian qualification events. World record holder Nels Nelsen from Canada was not permitted to participate due to financial problems. Japan participated in an international ski jumping competition for the first time, also becoming the first Asian country to do so. After the first jump, three Norwegians were in the lead. A 40-minute discussion erupted regarding the speed, with Central European jumpers wanting it increased. This was complied with by the jury, resulting in falls by several favorites, including the most vocal speed increase proponents, Gérard Vuilleumier and Bruno Trojani. Andersen and Ruud won by reducing their speed on the in-run.

Venue

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Olympiaschanze during the 1928 Winter Olympics

The event took place at Olympiaschanze, located in the neighborhood of St. Moritz Bad. The town's first ski jumping hill, Julierschanze, opened in 1895. However, it was not large enough for the Olympic tournaments, forcing the town to build a larger venue. Construction started in 1926 and the venue in inaugurated on 20 January 1927. Olympiaschanze had a size of 70 meters (230 ft)[2] and a crowd of 8,000 people attended the event.[3] The venue had also hosted the Nordic combined event and would later be used for the 1948 Winter Olympics.[2]

Background

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Norway sent a strong delegation with four participants able to win the event. Jacob Tullin Thams had won the 1924 Winter Olympics event and has also won the 1926 World Championships, making him reigning Olympic and world champion. The rest of the delegation consisted Alf Andersen, Sigmund Ruud—the oldest of the Ruud brothers—and Hans Kleppen.[3] Andersen had won all eight Norwegian qualifications for the Olympics.[4] Other favorites were Rudolf Burkert,[3] who had won and the ski jumping part of the Nordic combined event,[5] and the host nation's Gérard Vuilleumier. Asia participated for the first time in an international tournament, represented by Japan's Motohiko Ban.[3]

Canada had originally planned to send two ski jumpers, Nels Nelsen and Melbourne McKenzie. Nelsen held world record for the longest ski jump. However, lack of funding meant that they planned for work for their fare on a freighter. These plans were stopped by officials from the British delegation, who organized the Canadian team and who felt working for their fare was inappropriate and not fitting for the team, and Nelsen never competed in any Winter Olympics.[6]

Race

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Reigning Olympic and world champion Jacob Tullin Thams

The jury consisted of Østgaard of Norway, Jilek of Czechoslovakia and Straumann of Switzerland.[7] Because of ice on the in-run, a reduced speed was used during the first round.[3] Andersen jumped 60.0 meters, by far the longest jump. Lengthwise, Ruud and Vuilleumier were in joint second place with 57.5 meters, while Burket was in fourth with 57.0 meters. Thams, Kleppen and Poland's Bronisław Czech all jumped 56.5 meters, but both Kleppen and Czech fell.[7] In terms of points, the three Norwegians Andersen, Ruud and Thams were in the lead, ahead of Burket and Vuilleumier.[3]

In the break, a number of Central Europeans, including Vuilleumier and Bruno Trojani, asked for top speed. This was protested by the Scandinavian and United States jumpers, and a 40-minute discussion broke out.[3] At one point, one of the facilitators at the in-run received a telephone call confirming top speed. The facilitator was skeptical, and chose to call back to the judges, who could confirm that they had not given such a go-ahead. In the end, the judges chose to allow higher speeds, with a compromise of 5.0 meters more distance. However, the facilitator only moved the rope 4.5 meters. This made the Swiss furious, and they used their knives to cut the rope. They then accused the participants who were opposed to full speed of being cowards.[8]

Andersen and Ruud skied down the in-run in a standing position to reduce their speed, and had the two longest standing jumps.[8] The event is regarded as the international break-through for Ruud.[4] Thams gave full speed and landed at 73.0 meters, but fell and ended on a 28th place.[3] Had he stood, it would have been a new world record.[9] The wounds were serious enough that he had to be taken to hospital. Afterwards he stated: "I at least showed those guys that we are not cowards".[8] Also Vuillemiuer and Trojani became subject to the higher speeds, both falling and ending with a 30th and 32nd place, respectively.[3] Ban had the shortest jump in both rounds, fell in the first round, and ended last.[7]

Results

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The following is a list of all participants, noting their rank, country, the length in the first and second round, and the judge score for each of the three judges, as well as the final score. (F) denotes a fall.[7]

Results
Rank Ski jumper Length 1 Length 2 Judge 1 Judge 2 Judge 3 Score
1   Alf Andersen (NOR) 60.0 64.0 19.250 19.375 19.000 19.208
2   Sigmund Ruud (NOR) 57.5 62.5 18.125 18.875 18.625 18.542
3   Rudolf Burkert (TCH) 57.0 59.5 17.562 18.312 17.937 17.937
4   Axel-Herman Nilsson (SWE) 53.5 60.0 16.937 16.875 16.937 16.937
5   Sven-Olof Lundgren (SWE) 48.0 59.0 16.750 16.875 16.500 16.708
6   Rolf Monsen (USA) 53.0 59.5 16.437 16.937 16.687 16.687
7   Sepp Mühlbauer (SUI) 52.0 58.0 16.500 16.375 16.750 16.541
8   Ernst Feuz (SUI) 52.5 58.5 16.500 16.250 16.625 16.458
9   Martin Neuner (GER) 50.0 57.0 16.500 16.375 16.000 16.291
10   Bertil Carlsson (SWE) 51.5 61.0 16.062 16.437 16.062 16.187
11   Erich Recknagel (GER) 48.5 62.0 15.812 15.687 16.562 16.020
12   Paavo Nuotio (FIN) 50.0 56.0 15.625 15.750 16.125 15.833
13   Vitale Venzi (ITA) 50.0 59.0 15.750 15.375 16.125 15.750
14   Charles Proctor (USA) 49.0 56.0 15.125 16.125 15.500 15.583
15   Willy Möhwald (TCH) 46.0 59.0 15.250 15.750 15.500 15.500
16   Gerald Dupuis (CAN) 49.0 51.0 15.375 15.500 15.625 15.500
17   Franz Thannheimer (GER) 46.5 53.5 15.250 15.375 15.375 15.333
18   Anders Haugen (USA) 51.0 53.0 14.875 15.500 15.500 15.291
19   Alois Kratzer (GER) 49.5 54.0 14.437 14.687 14.437 14.853
20   Josef Bím (TCH) 49.5 51.0 14.687 14.812 14.437 14.728
21   Karl Wondrak (TCH) 48.5 49.0 14.312 14.687 14.437 14.478
22   Esko Järvinen (FIN) 45.0 47.5 13.937 14.437 13.562 13.978
23   Stanisław Gąsienica Sieczka (POL) 41.0 58.0 14.000 13.375 14.374 13.917
24   Klébert Balmat (FRA) 44.0 54.0 13.375 14.750 13.375 13.833
25   Aleksander Rozmus (POL) 41.0 53.0 12.875 13.375 13.250 13.166
26   Martial Payot (FRA) 40.5 47.0 12.562 13.062 12.437 12.678
27   Andrzej Krzeptowski (POL) 41.5 46.5 12.437 12.937 12.437 12.604
28   Jacob Tullin Thams (NOR) 56.5 (F) 73.0 11.187 13.687 12.812 12.562
29   Harald Bosio (AUT) 36.5 52.0 12.312 11.812 12.062 12.062
30   Gérard Vuilleumier (SUI) 57.5 (F) 62.0 11.687 11.562 12.812 12.020
31   Sven Eriksson (SWE) 52.0 (F) 62.5 11.125 12.000 11.375 11.500
32   Bruno Trojani (SUI) 48.5 (F) 63.0 9.562 11.385 11.437 10.782
33   Luigi Bernasconi (ITA) 46.5 (F) 59.0 10.312 10.312 9.437 10.020
34   Luciano Zampatti (ITA) (F) 48.0 49.5 10.687 8.187 10.187 9.687
35   Joseph Maffioli (FRA) 35.0 40.0 8.125 7.875 8.375 8.125
36   Hans Kleppen (NOR) (F) 56.5 (F) 64.5 4.500 4.500 7.500 6.500
37   Bronisław Czech (POL) (F) 56.5 (F) 62.5 5.000 7.000 7.000 6.333
38   Motohiko Ban (JPN) (F) 34.0 39.0 4.000 3.750 4.250 4.000

Participating nations

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A total of 38 ski jumpers from 13 nations competed in the event:[7]

References

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  1. ^ "Ski Jumping at the 1928 Sankt Moritz Winter Games". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Olympiaschanze". Ski Jumping Hill Archive. 31 May 2011. Archived from the original on 16 October 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Ski Jumping at the 1928 Sankt Moritz Winter Games: Men's Normal Hill, Individual". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 20 May 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
  4. ^ a b Thoresen 2007, p. 53
  5. ^ "Nordic Combined at the 1928 Sankt Moritz Winter Games:Men's Individual Ski Jumping, Normal Hill". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
  6. ^ Scott 2005, p. 32
  7. ^ a b c d e Swiss Olympic Association (1928). "Résultats de concours des IImes Jeux Olympiques d'hiver" (PDF) (in French). p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 December 2010. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
  8. ^ a b c Thoresen 2007, p. 52
  9. ^ Thoresen 2007, p. 51
Bibliography