Bizarre Scenes in Wisla: Had to Jump Again, It Could Have Ended Badly

During Friday's qualifications for Saturday's ski jumping competition in Wisla, a very dangerous situation occurred. American athlete Casey Larson was forced to make his jump a second time due to an incident that happened during his first attempt. While going down the takeoff ramp, he collided with a blower that had not been hidden away in time. Maintaining the proper position during the approach is crucial when taking jumps, so this situation could have ended very badly for Larson.

Casey Larson's earlier attempt reached a distance of 117.5 meters, placing him ultimately in 41st position. He may ultimately feel satisfied to have had the opportunity to compete that Saturday. It was a frightening moment during the qualifications, where he hit his leg against the blower that was not removed on time. This was alarming enough as it could have thrown him off balance and destabilized his approach position, potentially leading to a very dangerous fall.

Fortunately, Larson was unharmed and managed to perform his jump again, achieving a distance of 113 meters, which allowed him to advance to the main competition as the only American participant. His compatriots, Kevin Bickner and Andrew Urlaub, did not qualify, and the star of the team, Tate Franz, was disqualified. Earlier, during practice, Jason Colby suffered a fall, resulting in a collarbone fracture which will sideline him for several weeks.

This weekend's competition did not go as hoped for the Polish jumpers and the fans gathered at the Adam Małysz ski jump. The highest-ranked among our representatives was Paweł Wąsek, who finished in 11th place, confirming that he can currently be labeled as the leader of our team. It was particularly disappointing for three Polish veterans: Kamil Stoch, Maciej Kot, and Piotr Żyła, who failed to qualify for the second round, finishing 33rd, 34th, and 35th, respectively. For our three-time Olympic champion, this marked his worst performance in his career regarding starts in Wisla.