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Eyesight
The article says he is short sighted. I always presummed he was long sighted - looking at his glasses suggests as such. Can anyone clarify this?
77.100.142.47 23:20, 9 August 2007 (UTC)WWD
Qualified in Australia?
The Eagle who dared to dream Claims in the "Fact File" that:
- He shocked officials in 1988 by qualifying for the event simply because no other Brit applied and because he recorded a 77 metre jump, small by Olympic standards, in Australia.
Is anyone able to verify this, and if so, at which resort the jump was? Andjam 03:16, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
Didn't he change the jump style?
I vaguely remember these facts:
a) he didn't always jump the shortest distances b) he had a unique jump style that involved having his skis apart, apparently giving him extra lift... but he ended up with atrocious style marks partly because of that. c) at the next winter olympics all the competitors had adopted this skis-apart style... because it gave them longer distances...
Can anyone verify these? Did Eddie change the sport? WolfKeeper 02:07, 2 February 2006 (UTC)
No, I don't think he did. See:
http://www.javaperformancetuning.com/newsletter014.shtml
It was Matti Nykanen that changed the rules.WolfKeeper 02:19, 2 February 2006 (UTC)
- It was neither Eddie nor Matti Nykänen, it was Jan Boklöv. JdeJ 09:59, 8 August 2007 (UTC)
The Best Of British?
Is it correct to say that despite not being the best in the world, at the time of his Olympic entry, Eddie was the best ski jumper in Great Britain? If so, then it should be recorded. DavidFarmbrough 11:38, 22 February 2006 (UTC)
- One of his Calgary jumps set a British record of 73.5m, so I think that it would be fair to say that he was the best ski jumper in Great Britain at the time. -- Derek Ross | Talk 05:21, 2 August 2006 (UTC)
Eaglettes? Fine-Dining? No verification
The link to the source for "Eaglettes and Fine Dining" (Source) actually states that there was no "fine dining" or adoring female entourage:
"An online encyclopedia says, "Edwards lived the high life in Calgary, fine dining and accompanied by an adoring female entourage of 'Eaglettes.'" Please, tell me more.
I wish! At the time, one of the hotels in Calgary was putting on a cabaret show based on the Games. When I became Eddie the Eagle the performers started calling themselves the Eaglettes. I went to watch the show one night and the Eaglettes dragged me up on stage for their final song.
They came to the ski hill on one competition day but they didn't follow me around. In fact, after I became . I wasn't allowed out of the Olympic village on my own. I had to be accompanied by officials.
There was no fine dining."
- Well that answers that. If you find something as definitive as this its probably safe to go ahead and make the edit. I'll take this out. --Atomicskier 23:27, 3 January 2007 (UTC)
The claim the he was "scared of heights"
any source for this?--Vintagekits 12:23, 24 May 2007 (UTC)
- Welcome to this article's talk page, Vinny. I'm on holiday at the moment, but why don't you try a little newspaper research in your local library in England. Most Librarians will be very helpful if you explain what you are looking for. Unfortunately the "Eagle"'s fame pre-dates by a few years the on-line editions of most newspapers. Try and keep out of the sun, though, I know it can be very fierce at this time of year down south. God bless! W. Frank ✉ 17:50, 24 May 2007 (UTC)
- Call me Vinny or Vinny the V again and I will report you.
- you either get a source for the detail you added or I will remove it within 48 hours.--Vintagekits 21:43, 24 May 2007 (UTC)
Latest news suggests that he's not scared of heights. From The Guardian:
"They said I was afraid of heights. But I was doing 60 jumps a day then, which is hardly something someone who was afraid of heights would do."
WombatDeath 08:51, 3 September 2007 (UTC)
Fair use rationale for Image:Eddieedwards.JPG
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The Eddie 'the Eagle' Rule
That rule wasn't much or a rule, was it? Not if Eric Moussambani almost drowned while doing a "much less dangerous" sport at the Olympics, while not even being close to the rule to be allowed to participate. The IOC is supposed to be impartial, but are they? Don't tell me about "wildcards". Moussambani really was close to drowning there. And, either way, I think that a lot of people much more enjoyed seeing Edwards and Moussambani than the people who actually won the medals (and were expected to). Just my opinion. wjmt 01:55, 11 September 2007 (UTC)
- Interesting point, wjmt.
- Now if you could just find a good source or two (WP:V), we can wack it into the article. W. Frank talk ✉ 07:20, 11 September 2007 (UTC)
I was certainly one of the people who enjoyed seeing him. The Olympics has all these great athletes, and here was an overweight plasterer with bad eyesight who finished dead last. He was the competitor for all of us who aren't great athletes. I think that the music he used should have been Aaron Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man. Jhobson1 19:14, 16 October 2007 (UTC)
Reasons for poor performance
Currently the article states the following:
Edwards was handicapped by his weight - at about 82 kg (181 lb), more than 9 kg (20 lb) 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
To me, the use of the word 'so' implies that these were the only two reasons that he came last. I would suggest that this is opinion (there are surely other reasons which may have contributed to his performance level, not least natural talent.) I would suggest that this be split into two factual sentences. I'll change this in a couple of days if there are no objections. Ged UK 16:14, 3 December 2007 (UTC)
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