20 years ago, he was a hero, Eddie the…

Exactly. Olympics spirit has long been lost…There should be games for us amatours as well. I dont want to boach, but with rifle shooting, the olympic limit has been around 580 points from 600, and I have managed to score that in couple of olympiads now. But the change to win a place in the game-plane…:( 🙁

When I first saw Eddie compete I wondered what is this guy doing. But after the event he was interviewed and he actually made a lot of sense. The olympics are supposed to be amature events but it is actually a trillion dollar business where real amatures can’t compete because it is all about drugs and expensive equipment and training 24 hours a day 52 weeks a year.
The olympics has nothing to do with “the peoples games” anymore… it is all just about elite athletes with the best drugs and the best ways of concealing drug use.

Brings back memories of “Eric the eel”
http://thatscricket.oneindia.in/olympics/2000/news/09/21/210900eric.html

Was he “world class”, maybe not, but “world famous” – definitley

To my mind Eddie was what the olympics should be all about – taking part being more important than winning etc. He knew he stood no chance of winning, Britain knew he stood no chance, heck, the whole world knew he stood no chance, but he still took part anyway, and is probably more widley remembered better than whomever won the event.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want Britain to be a land off no-hope “also rans” (though some might argue thats pretty much what we’ve become), but sport is all too often dominated by cash these days, where the richest can buy the means to win, and everyone else gets trampled in the rush.

Eddie the Eagle and the Jamaican Bobsleigh team (as per the film “Cool Runnings” ) – true olympian competitors one and all.

Paul F

isent eddie participating into veterans World cup games held in this year? Our own legend…well one of them, Matti Nykänen is preparing for the games and I belive that name of Edwards was mentioned when speaking of other participants.

But its shame that UK doesen’t master the skiing sports. But then again that has to have lot to do of the aviability of good ski jumping hills. Sweden, despite adequatly snowed northern country sucks in Skijumping (compared to its neighbours) simply becouse the lack of good hills.

I believe he was last seen ski jumping in Sweden during a heavy blizzard, he overshot the landing zone, covered and blinded by snow, ending up on a nearby railway line where sadly he was hit by a passing train…:rolleyes: