Shock gold for Ammann

An ecstatic Ammann is congratulated by his team-mates Keystone

Young Swiss ski jumper Simon Ammann won the country's first gold medal at this year's Winter Olympics with a stunning performance in the final of the normal hill event.

The 20-year-old student from St Gallen outjumped hot favourites Sven Hannewald and Adam Malysz to secure the first shock victory of the Salt Lake City Games.

Competing at the highest World Cup jumping arena in the world, the young Swiss outsoared all his rivals to win Sunday’s final with a combined tally of 269 points.

“For me a medal was a dream. It’s unbelievable. I have won it, I have done it,” an ecstatic Ammann told journalists at the Utah Olympic Park.

“I used my skill today but I was as nervous as I have ever been,” he later added.

Stars outshone

Hannewald, who in January became the first man ever to win all four legs of the prestigious Four Hills tournament, had to settle for the Olympic silver with a combined score of 267.5, while Malysz took bronze with 263 points.

Ammann’s gold medal is the first ever by a Swiss athlete in Olympic ski jumping history and one which was wholly unexpected, despite recent impressive performances by the young athlete.

At the Four Hills, Ammann recorded the best ever results by a Swiss jumper, leaping to sixth place overall in the German-Austrian event.

Comeback from injury

Just one week after finishing the Four Hills, though, Ammann suffered a nasty crash in training which could have ended his career, let alone his Olympic aspirations.

But luckily for him, and Switzerland, Ammann was able to shrug off the concussion, whiplash and facial injuries sustained in that fall.

“I was not so surprised that I jumped well,” insisted Ammann after completing his remarkable comeback on the world’s biggest sporting stage, “but I never thought I would win. The break from jumping was not that bad for me because it gave me time to recharge my batteries.”

by Mark Ledsom with agencies