Knicknamed "The Eagle" by tens of adoring fans, Edwards became a cult hero in and around Cheltanham during his much anticipated Olympic episode in 1988. Eddie was 20lbs heaver than the nearest competitor, giving him quite a disadvantage. In addition, he was very short-sighted, so always had to wear thick glasses which consistently fogged up, making it hard to see the end of the runway.
The sole British ski jumping entrant in the Calgary Olympics, his Olympic performance in 1988 was everything short of spectacular. He finished in last place in both the 70m and 90m ski jumping contests, losing to the likes of Matti Nykaenan, Matjaz Debelak, and Pavel Ploc.
Edwards was every bit a competitor. When asked what he thought of the mockery he was making of the sport, he had this to say: "Ski officials didn't like all the attention; they said I was making a mockery of the sport. I wasn't. I couldn't be more serious."
Dejected, Edwards did what every respectable loser does and began a music career. He had a #2 hit in Finland and commanded fees of up to $3,000 per gig. Edwards ultimately got back on track, training (but never qualifying) for another Olympics. This despite being a svelte 5'8" and 185lbs for his final attempt in 1998 for Nagano.
The main limiting factor for him was the so-called "Eddie 'the Eagle' Rule." This was written in reaction to his 1988 performance, which stated a ski jumper must place in the top 30% in a series of international competitions in order to eligible for Olympic competition. To this day, Edwards resents that rule. "I resent that rule," he was heard saying.
When asked what he wanted to do after his ski jumping and music careers have petered out, Edwards replied, "I want to be a stuntman, in movies."
Here's to you, Eddie The Eagle, for grabbing the scalding iron of pain and showing the world that you mean business. You truly are the world's stuntman.
1 comment:
Great work Frank.
Eddie is a real American hero, who happens to be British.
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