Remembering Eddie the Eagle

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He could soar like an ostrich. His glasses gave him super fogged-up vision. He finished in dead last. But he was the hit of the '88 Calgary Winter Olympics.

Eddie "the Eagle" Edwards was actually a decent downhill skier from Great Britain who nearly qualified for the '84 games in Sarajevo. Wanting desperately to be in the Olympics, he switched to ski jumping. The British ski jumping team was nonexistent, so he was able to qualify as his country's lone representative.

Prior to Eddie, no one had been crazy enough to jump in the Olympics who wasn't already a world class jumper. Eddie changed all that. With his unorthodox style and short jumps, he became a cult legend. President Samaranch, head of the IOC, even referred to him in his closing speech -- the only time an individual athlete has been named in a closing ceremony.

Eddie translated his fame into a career in broadcasting and show business back at home. He has also been a successful pitch man for numerous companies.

After the '88 games, the ski jumping federation enacted new rules that would keep future Eddies out of the games. In order to qualify for the Olympics, one must finish in the top 30% at an internationally sanctioned event. Eddie did not qualify for the '92 games in Albertville.

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