Eddie 'the Eagle' Edwards

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Michael Edwards (born 5 December 1963), better known as Eddie 'the Eagle' Edwards, was the first competitor to represent the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team in Olympic Ski jumping.

The King of the Ski Jump

Edwards was born in Cheltenham, England, and was working as a plasterer when he qualified, as the sole British applicant, for the 1988 Winter Olympics ski-jumping competition. He had previously represented Great Britain at the 1987 World Championships, and was ranked 55th in the world.

Edwards was handicapped by his weight being more than 9 kg  heavier than the next heaviest competitor - and by his lack of financial support for training - he was totally self-funded - and so he finished last in both the 70 m and 90 m events. Another problem was that he was very farsighted, requiring him to wear his glasses at all times, even though when skiing they fogged to such an extent that he could not see. He also said he was scared of heights.

However, his lack of success endeared him to people all across the globe. The worse he did, the more popular he became. He subsequently became a media celebrity and appeared on talk-shows around the world. The press nicknamed him "Mr. Magoo", and one Italian journalist called him a "ski dropper".

Widespread Media Attention

The widespread attention that Eddie received in Calgary turned into a large embarrassment for the ski jumping establishment. Many athletes and officials felt that he was 'making a mockery' of the sport. Shortly after the Olympics finished, the entry requirements were greatly toughened, making it next to impossible for anyone to follow his example.

Despite not being the best in the world, at the time of his Olympic entry, Eddie was the best ski jumper in Great Britain.

Edwards subsequently released a book called 'On the piste'  and much later a song called "Fly Eddie Fly" that reached the Top 50 in the UK. He also recorded a song in Finnish, titled "Mun nimeni on Eetu" ("Eagle's my name"), though he does not speak Finnish. Eddie's less-than-perfect pronunciation added to its appeal. Later, he recorded another Finnish-language song: "Eddien Siivellä" ("On Eddie's Wing").

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