Ski jumping stars praise mixed team debut at Beijing 2022
Slovenia were crowned the first champions in the event with Nika Kriznar and Ursa Bogataj, as well as Robert Johansson and Stefan Kraft, enjoying the spirit of the new spectator-friendly event.
Ski Jumping
The Olympic debut of mixed team ski jumping at Beijing 2022 was packed full of drama, emotion and a spirit of togetherness.
Teams were composed of two men and two women, jumping from the normal hill of the impressive National Ski Jumping Centre in Zhangjiakou on Monday (8 February).
In the end, the event’s first Olympic gold medal went to pre-final favourites Slovenia, who comfortably boasted the strongest female talent on show.
The event’s introduction means that women have the opportunity to win two ski jumping gold medals at a Winter Olympics for the first time.
"It's something special because it's unique and everyone in the team has to do really great jumps," newly-crowned Olympic gold medallist Nika Kriznar told Olympics.com after. “And I'm so happy to have this competition."
Ursa Bogataj and Nika Kriznar keen for large hill
Kriznar’s teammate Ursa Bogataj, who also won the women’s normal hill individual title, echoed that sentiment, adding that it was exciting to take on the biggest names in the sport.
“I think girls really like to jump with boys,” said Bogataj. “It's amazing how they were always kind of role models for us, and I'm happy every time when I see Kamil Stoch or Peter Prevc or anyone else competing with me.”
After adding team gold to her individual bronze, Kriznar said more changes could be made to the ski jumping programme at future Winter Olympics to further promote gender equality.
“Mixed team is very important for the development of women’s ski jumping. But I hope the next Olympics we can also do the big hill.” - Mixed team gold medallist Nika Kriznar
Not everything went to plan with medal hopes Norway and Japan both disqualified for equipment infractions.
Robert Johansson, who won men's team gold with Norway at PyeongChang 2018, still felt the excitement of the new event.
He said, "It's really cool that we are able to compete, the two boys and two girls in the same competition like they do in biathlon. So it's a nice community competition for us to participate in, and it's also great for the youth to make the sport even bigger."
“The extra pressure is kind of a good feeling because that means something for everyone. Today, it was about taking the chance to try something new and to enjoy the moment together.” - Robert Johansson to Olympics.com
Stefan Kraft is one of the greatest ski jumpers of all time, having won three individual titles at World Championships and multiple World Cup series crowns.
The Austrian believes that the new mixed team format’s strength is its unpredictability, which in turn makes for an enjoyable spectacle for viewers.
“I think it's always going to be a really close battle and you never know who will win with the women's and men's groups,” the Austrian said. “I think it's really exciting to watch at home and here in the stadium because anything can happen.
“Jumping with the ladies is a lot of fun and they are always getting better and better every year. They all have a really high level."
"I can only see this competition getting bigger." - Stefan Kraft to Olympics.com