Tears flowed without restraint at the Beijing 2022 Winter Games. Tears of joy for Eileen Gu, the Chinese star of the Games, crowned in big air on Tuesday February 8 after attempting, and succeeding, a jump never before performed in a major competition . Tears of distress the day before at the ski jumping hill, during the mixed team event, contested for the first time at the Winter Games.
The reason ? A point in the International Ski Federation (FIS) regulations applied to the letter by competition officials. It led to the disqualification of five jumpers, members of four national teams. The Japanese Sara Takanashi, the Austrian Daniela Iraschko-Stolz, the German Katharina Althaus, and two Norwegians, Anna Odine Stroem and Silje Opseth, will not appear on the list of winners for this first Olympic event. They were removed from the lists.
In question, their jump combinations. They were considered too big by Beijing Games officials. The FIS regulations impose dimensions in relation to the size of the jumpers, men and women. Clothing that is too loose is considered likely to give the athlete an advantage during the flight phase.
Intended to contribute to the promotion of ski jumping, and to respect the parity requirements imposed by the IOC, this first edition of a mixed competition – two men and two women – turned into a war of words.
After the announcement of her disqualification, Katharina Althaus did not hold back her criticism to the media: “ We were looking forward to this Olympic competition. But the FIS destroyed everything with this decision. She even destroyed women's ski jumping. This is how we destroy nations, development and the entire sport"
Silje Opseth, one of the two disqualified Norwegians, admitted not understanding the jury's decision. She explained that she wore the same suit two days earlier for the qualifying event. The officials did not make the slightest comment to him. “ I don't know what to say, I'm really shaken, she confided after the final, quoted by Reuters. I'm sorry I was disqualified"
Same incomprehension in the Japanese camp. Sara Takanashi's coach explained to the channel NHK that officials felt that the jumpsuit was too wide at the thighs. But she used the same one in qualifying.
At the International Ski Federation (FIS), the response is very formal. One of its representatives, Aga Baczkowska, explained to the Norwegian channel NRK that it was up to each team to ensure that their combinations complied with the regulations. “ The jump suit must be adjusted to the athlete's body over its entire length“, she clarified.
A position defended by the Canadian Ski Federation, through the voice of one of its officials: “ Disqualifications can exist in our sport. For this to happen at the Olympics just shows that the judges take the rules strictly and rigorously. »
Without a doubt. But the German camp does not share this version of the affair. For Horst Huttel, the sports director, the Beijing Games competition was a “ parody". " But a parody that doesn't make me laugh at all"
Final result: Gold medal for Slovenia, silver for the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), bronze for Canada. The countries affected by the disqualifications remained away from the podium.
