Tragedy, illness and the disk is Now Norway hard pressed

THE German/austrian hoppuka is one of the biggest events in the international winter sports. The four launders pulls far over 100 000 spectators to the ground, and the tournament has long been the locomotive in a TV-sport that the last few years has outdone itself stjernesirkuset in alpine skiing:

With over 3 billion TV viewers in total, the jump has been by far the most popular skiøvelsen.

in the Midst of this progress, Norway has developed to be one of the best in the nation. This would be the winter when the Norwegian herrelandslaget for the first time in decades repeated last year's success, but everything is now put on hold.

After the sudden death of one of the best jentehopperne, there is a layer of sorrow that in the afternoon starting Hoppuka.

IT characterized yesterday's qualification, and the feelings of loss and emptiness will be with in the future. This is a little sport with the close ties between the local hoppgruppene, the managers, the coaches and the best athletes. The same community who have contributed to lift the Norwegian hoppsport to the world again, going to take good care of each other.

Thank your boyfriend after severe illness: - My main supporter,

And it is really the only thing that means something in the time to come.

FOR this tragedy has once again given this fine idrettsmiljøet a brutal reminder of the difference between what is important and what is fun. It had been funny about the national team could have followed up last winter OLYMPIC gold medal and a world cup with four Norwegian jumpers among the eight best in the world cup, but it is no more.

The pure sporting ambition to break the trend of uneven seasons, is a pressure that hoppmiljøet first and foremost puts on himself. The last few decades have not been shared Norwegian sportskultur to keep records of hoppernes locations. This lack of attention reflects, of course, hoppsportens less importance in a time where the Norwegian elite sport in general is better than ever, but also provides hoppgjengen more freedom to act sensibly and long term.

IT is just what has happened in the last few years under the hoppsjef Clas Brede Bråten, coach Alexander Stöckl and the rest of the small, knowledgeable crowd that both have built up a strong men's team and ensured that the OLYMPIC champion Maren Lundby've finally got a jentelag around him.

Then it is less important about the coincidence makes that not all results fall into place just in the week to come.

FOR already before the tragedy before christmas hit hoppmiljøet, there were various events that characterized the results. First and foremost, it was the Daniel Other Tandes serious illness in the summer. No matter how good he has been to talk down the importance of these weeks of uncertainty, will this experience influence the nature of the season.

The Norwegian OLYMPIC heroes disqualified for errors on hoppdressene

Only the last week have shown how rough he still is. Before yesterday's weak kvalikhopp around 15 metres shorter than the normal level, he came from a treningsuke in Lillehammer, where he distanced the lagkompisene that have done well in the world cup in the winter.

Just Daniel have the last two seasons with their two tredjeplasser overall in the world cup, has been the only completely stable Norwegian topphopperen. That he naturally dragging with them the implications of a completely different sesongoppkjøring, affecting of course the team's results.

IT also makes the uncertainty about the equipment. Last winter hit the Norwegian made a perfect choice of dress. In the year was sommerkonkurransene ended with more disk; an imbalance that continued with the surprising utstyrsbom into the actual season. It affects the definitely a marginal sport like jumps.

How much we get to see in today's åpningsrenn. With only Andreas the Star inside among the top ten in qualifying, was the prelude to the winter's first big race unaccustomed weak.

But it doesn't show the real strength of the Norwegian hoppsport.

To Hoppuka in shock and grief after the death of Thea (17)