Matt Kryger-Imagn Images
An army of workers wielding leaf blowers has been employed to keep the track clean for ski jumpers at the Winter Olympics. It’s been a pretty effective strategy, but it also managed to cause a slight issue when an American competitor was struck by one during a run while competing.
Ski jumping is one of the more complex sports that the Winter Olympics has to offer. It might seem fairly straightforward at first glance—competitors are tasked with rocketing down a ramp and flying as far as possible once they leap off of it—but there are a ton of different factors that play a role in what is largely an exercise in physics.
The importance of the suits they don was highlighted by the scandal that got plenty of attention before things got underway in Milano Cortina, and other pieces of equipment that can grant a competitive edge have led to multiple competitors being disqualified in Italy.
The condition of the track they travel down before launching themselves hundreds of feet can also have a big impact on how far they ultimately end up going, and one of the leaf blowers that are being used to promote a consistent surface was almost responsible for what could have been a scary scene toward the end of The Games.
American ski jumper Ben Loomis almost got taken out by a leaf blower while competing in the Nordic combined
It was hard not to be captivated by a viral video of over a dozen people armed with leaf blowers working in perfect harmony to clear the track at at the Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium, which made the rounds after the Winter Olympics kicked off.
Those workers are tasked with ensuring the track is the same for every competitor while clearing it of ice, snow, and other debris that could impact their speed and spawn a potentially dangerous situation as they approach speeds of upwards of 60 MPH.
However, a potentially dangerous situation is exactly what we were treated to when Ben Loomis of the United States embarked on a run on Wednesday morning while competing in the team spring Nordic combined.
The leaf blowers were very much needed due to the amount of snow that was falling when he headed to the top of the ramp, but some astute viewers noticed he collided with one that was still dangling over the top of the track shortly after he pushed off.
According to Reuters, Loomis confirmed the leaf blower clipped him on the shoulder, and while he was given the option to attempt the jump again, he said he was happy with the 116-meter jump and didn’t want to risk a lower result given the wintry conditions.
It also ended up being a moot point in the grand scheme of things, as the team of Loomis and Niklas Malacinski finished in seventh place in an event where Norway got the gold.