MATTIAS KAREN
AP Sports Writer
WHISTLER, British Columbia – Swiss ski jumper Simon Ammann won the first gold medal winner of the Vancouver Olympics, earning his third Olympic title by winning the normal hill event Saturday.
Ammann put down the longest jumps in both rounds for the victory. Polish veteran Adam Malysz took silver, and 20-year-old Gregor Schlierenzauer of Austria recovered from a disappointing first jump to earn bronze on his Olympic debut.
Cheered on by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, Ammann showed his mastery of the smaller hill at Whistler’s Olympic Park by taking a commanding lead with a 105-meter effort in the first round and then soared 108 meters with his second jump for a total score of 276.5 points.