Up-and-coming ski jumping athletes faze out veterans Johansson and Geiger

Germany's Karl Geiger jumps during the Ski Jumping Men's Large Hill official training

Germany's Karl Geiger jumps during the Ski Jumping Men's Large Hill official training

Although the ski jumping competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics is in the middle of its program, events that concluded caught fans with some shocking final results.

Athletes who have previously been extremely successful in the World Cup rankings and were expected to perform well at the 2022 Games now prioritize the last two events to win medals; the upcoming large hill and team competitions. 

Favorites including Karl Geiger of Germany, and Norway’s Marius Lundvik and Robert Johansson, have not been able to find their spot on the podium. They missed out on top place finishes in both the men’s normal hill and mixed team events. 

Japan’s Sara Takanashi was among the top ski jumpers, but fell short of victory in the women’s normal hill. She came into the 2022 Games as the bronze medalist from PyeongChang and searched for a golden upgrade. She finished right outside the podium in fourth with a combined score of 224.1. 

While the top contenders often fell short of huge jumps with flawless technique, their finish off the podium allowed for up-and-coming jumpers to leave their mark on the Olympic stage. Canada’s mixed team thrived in the final despite varying levels of Olympic experience. Coming to her second Winter Olympics, Ursa Bogataj of Slovenia grabbed gold for the first time. She did a complete 180 from when she finished last in the event at the 2018 Games in PyeongChang.

SEE MORE: For ski jumper Ursa Bogataj, first major win is Olympic gold

World Champions like Ryoyu Kobayashi did exactly what they were expected to do. In a huge jump off the ramp, Kobayashi won gold in the men’s normal hill with a sizable lead. He conjured a total of 275.0 total points.

SEE MORE: Kobayashi flies to Japan’s 1st normal hill gold in 50 years

Some of the biggest names in ski jumping will look for redemption in the men’s large hill competition. The qualification round begins on Feb. 11 at 4:45 a.m. E.T. and finals take place on Feb. 12 at 5:00 a.m. E.T.

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