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Takanashi, White fail to shine in Sochi
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Japanese ski jumper Sara Takanashi and snowboarding pioneer Shaun White suffered embarrassing Winter Olympics flops on Tuesday as both were left without medals after failing dismally to live up to the runaway hype.
Takanashi, the 17-year-old World Cup champion and overwhelming favorite to triumph as women’s ski jumping finally made its Olympic bow after a gruelling 10-year battle, could only finish fourth as the form which had seen her take 10 wins in 13 outings this season deserted her.
She finished on 243 points with jumps of 100 meters and 98.5 as German Carina Vogt grabbed gold with a total 247.4 points with jumps of 103 and 97.5.
“It’s amazing, I’m the first woman (Olympic) champion in ski jumping. I’ve not won a World Cup round till now. It’s unbelievable,” said the 22-year-old German.
Austrian favorite and 2011 world champion Daniela Iraschko-Stolz was second with 246.2 points, ahead of France’s Coline Mattel on 245.2 points.
“I couldn’t jump the way I wanted to on both attempts,” said Takanashi. “I came here wanting to do my best. I’m incredibly disappointed.
“But it’s a good experience being at the Olympic Games and I’m glad to be part of it.”
Takanashi wasn’t the only gold medal favorite finishing off the podium as America’s Shaun White, the two-time defending halfpipe champion, was fourth behind Iouri Podladtchikov of Switzerland and Japanese teenagers Ayumu Hirano and Taku Hiraoka.
White, who had scored 95.75 in topping the heats, hit the lip of the pipe on his first run in the final and touched down with his backside on his second, finishing fourth with a score of 90.25.
Podladtchikov scored 94.75 points with 15-year-old Hirano second on 93.50 and 18-year-old Hiraoka third on 92.25.
“I am disappointed. I hate the fact that I nailed it in practice, but it happens. It’s hard to be consistent,” said White, who had earlier criticized the conditions at the Extreme Park site.
“The conditions were pretty tough — the hard part is not practising but it was the same for everyone.”
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