WHISTLER OLYMPIC PARK, Canada—U.S. Vice President Joe Biden was in attendance for what might be the least acknowledged sport in the U.S. Olympic program.
But his presence there likely came as little comfort to the U.S. ski jumping team, none of whom made it to the second round of competition on Saturday.
Their brief few seconds of Olympic competition ended with the entire team landing in the bottom ten.
“The last two days haven’t been my best two jumps but it’s alright, it happens. Still having fun, so that’s key,” said Anders Johnson as he exited the field after his jump.
Despite his poor finish, Johnson said the fleeting experience of being a part of the Olympics is “awesome.”
“It’s a great experience. So far these Olympics have run really well, really smooth, and we’re all having a good time.”
In the U.S., ski jumping is a relatively obscure sport and receives minimal funding from the U.S. government.
The poor showing of the U.S. and Canada, who both did not qualify for Olympic competition after the trial jumps, had much to do with the lack of funding for the sport, he said.
“The people who have more money to experiment with equipment, and testing and training camps, and put into sports development and stuff like that are the ones where you are going to see results,” said Johnson.
“When you work on such small budgets, it’s really hard to break through. And it’s a sport where one or two meters makes a huge difference.”
Johnson finished 49th out of 50 competitors.
But his presence there likely came as little comfort to the U.S. ski jumping team, none of whom made it to the second round of competition on Saturday.
Their brief few seconds of Olympic competition ended with the entire team landing in the bottom ten.
“The last two days haven’t been my best two jumps but it’s alright, it happens. Still having fun, so that’s key,” said Anders Johnson as he exited the field after his jump.
Despite his poor finish, Johnson said the fleeting experience of being a part of the Olympics is “awesome.”
“It’s a great experience. So far these Olympics have run really well, really smooth, and we’re all having a good time.”
In the U.S., ski jumping is a relatively obscure sport and receives minimal funding from the U.S. government.
The poor showing of the U.S. and Canada, who both did not qualify for Olympic competition after the trial jumps, had much to do with the lack of funding for the sport, he said.
“The people who have more money to experiment with equipment, and testing and training camps, and put into sports development and stuff like that are the ones where you are going to see results,” said Johnson.
“When you work on such small budgets, it’s really hard to break through. And it’s a sport where one or two meters makes a huge difference.”
Johnson finished 49th out of 50 competitors.
Peter Frenette, the youngest member of the U.S. Olympic team, made his world debut at Whistler that morning, having gotten to the Olympics with no World Cup experience.
Doubting he would make it to the second round immediately after finishing his jump, the 17-year-old was nonetheless happy about his experience.
“It’s definitely pretty exciting and wasn’t expected this year. It’s pretty cool,” said Frenette.
“It’s just a starting point. So hopefully I’ll keep building on this from the Olympics and get better.”
Frenette tied with teammate Nicholas Alexander for 41st place.
Alexander was the third American to jump and was showing his disappointment as he exited the field.
“I just sort of chocked on that jump. I had an amazing jump before, I was in third or fourth in the trial rounds. Just got to keep my head together. The focus is really on Sochi, so I am not too worried about today, but it would be nice to have another good jump,” said Alexander.
Another reporter asked what it was like to have an Olympic experience that is over in just a matter of seconds.
“It’s a weird feeling, like you said, it’s there and then it’s gone. I thought I had it and then boom, gone.”
“My big focus is not here, it’s Sochi, so let’s move on.”
Alexander, who has sacrificed pursuing his other flight path, being a pilot, currently washes dishes in his hometown of Lebanon, New Hampshire to fund his ski jumping dreams.
With a dream come and gone in moments, he said looking to the future and remembering his successes has been key.
“What keeps me going is the fact that I know I can have good jumps. I know I can do it, I just did it the jump before and it’s the passion to keep jumping further, that’s what keeps me going.”
Simon Ammann of Switzerland took gold in ski jumping while Adam Malysz of Poland claimed silver. Gregor Schlierenzauer of Austria will go home with the bronze.
