Ammann takes 1st gold medal of Vancouver Olympics
Switzerland's Simon Ammann celebrates winning the gold medal during the ski jumping normal hill competition at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. (Feb. 13, 2010) Credit: AP
WHISTLER, British Columbia (AP) — Swiss ski jumper Simon Ammann is the first gold medal winner of the Vancouver Olympics.
Ammann secured his third Olympic title by winning the normal hill event Saturday after putting down the longest jumps in both rounds.
Polish veteran Adam Malysz took silver and Austrian 20-year-old Gregor Schlierenzauer bounced back from a disappointing first jump to earn bronze in his Olympic debut.
Ammann held a commanding lead after the first round after a 105-meter effort, then soared 108 meters with his second jump for a total score of 276.5 points.
Malysz had 269.5, and Schlierenzauer finished with 268.
Ammann swept both individual events at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, where Malysz was second in the large hill.
