(2022 Getty Images)
Slovenia's Ursa Bogataj held her nerve in a thrilling ski jumping Normal Hill competition to be crowned the Beijing 2022 Olympic champion.
The 26-year-old was in second place prior to her final jump as Germany's Katharina Althaus led the standings. However, a breathtaking final leap saw the Slovenian move into the lead on 239 points, with Althaus unable to match her and settling for the silver medal (236.8 points).
It was double joy for Slovenia on the day, as Bogataj's compatriot Nika Kriznar completed the podium, with Japanese ski jumping legend Takanashi Sara finishing just outside the medal positions in fourth.
With nothing less than the Olympic title on the line and just one athlete left to jump, Bogataj knew it would take a thrilling comeback to win. But with the pressure on, the Slovenian delivered, flying 100 metres through the sky at the Zhangjiakou National Ski Jumping Centre to claim a maiden Olympic gold.
Even after her stunning second jump, Bogataj faced a nervous wait to see what first-round leader Althaus could produce. However, the German fell just short and failed to wrestle victory from her Slovenian rival.
Following her win, Bogataj spoke about the surprise she felt at winning Olympic gold. "I didn't expect it," she exclaimed. "The last Olympic Games were a little bit of a nightmare for me but today I couldn't believe how well it went," she said, before adding: "It was two good jumps and it was enough. Maybe today I was lucky, pressure was high. I still can't believe it. I had injuries in the past and a little bit of hard times, and maybe the hard work paid off."
Silver medallist Althaus was also left overjoyed with her second-place finish, saying: "It's so great for me. I'm very happy about my silver medal, I made very good jumps.
"I dedicate this medal to all my team members, my friends and family, my boyfriend. Without them, I wouldn't stand here."
At the end of the day, the moment belonged to Bogataj who becomes the first ski jumping champion of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.