Eddie the Eagle

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Template:Short description Template:About Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox skier

Michael David Edwards (born 5 December 1963),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> better known as Eddie the Eagle, is an English ski jumper and Olympian who in 1988 became the first competitor to represent Great Britain in Olympic ski jumping, finishing last in the Normal Hill and Large Hill events. He held the British ski jumping record from 1988 to 2001. He also took part in amateur speed skiing, running at Template:Convert, and became a stunt jumping world record holder for jumping over 6 buses.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2016, he was portrayed by Taron Egerton and Tom and Jack Costello in the biographical film Eddie the Eagle.

Early life

Edwards was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. His family calls him by his given name, Michael. "Eddie" is a nickname derived by schoolfriends from his surname.<ref>Edwards 2016, Chapter 2.</ref> After a taste of skiing on a school trip aged 13, he developed his skills on dry slopes, then worked for a season at Glenshee in Scotland.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Having not made the grade as a downhill skier, he switched to ski jumping as there were no other British ski jumpers with whom to compete for a place.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Ski jumping career

Early jumping

Edwards began jumping under the supervision of John Viscome and Chuck Berghorn<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in Lake Placid, New York, using Berghorn's equipment, although he had to wear six pairs of socks to make the boots fit. He was disadvantaged by his weight—at about Template:Convert, more than Template:Convert heavier than the next heaviest competitor—and by his lack of financial support for training, being totally self-funded.<ref name="Independent 8Dec2008">Template:Cite news</ref> Another problem was that he was very far-sighted, wearing thick glasses under his goggles, which would mist up at altitude.<ref name="Independent 8Dec2008"/>

Edwards first represented Great Britain at the 1987 World Championships in Oberstdorf in Bavaria, and was ranked 55th in the world. This performance qualified him as the sole British applicant for the 1988 Winter Olympics ski jumping competition. He received confirmation of his qualification for the games while working as a plasterer and temporarily residing in a Finnish mental hospital, due to lack of funds for alternative accommodation rather than as a patient.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

1988 Winter Olympics

During the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Edwards competed in and finished last in both the 70 m and 90 m events. In the 70 m, he scored 69.2 points from two jumps of 55.0 m; second-last Bernat Solà Pujol of Spain scored 140.4 points from 71 m and 68.5 m jumps; winner Matti Nykänen of Finland had 229.1 points from 89.5 m jumps. In the 90 m, Edwards scored 57.5 points from 71 m and 67 m jumps; second-last Todd Gilman of Canada had 110.8 points from 96 m and 86.5 m; Nykänen won again, with 224 points from 118.5 m and 107 m.<ref name=OfficialReport>Template:Cite web</ref>

From the beginning, the press version of his story was "embroidered with falsehoods".<ref name="Guardian" /> Edwards commented, "They said I was afraid of heights. But I was doing sixty jumps a day then, which is hardly something someone who was afraid of heights would do."<ref name=Guardian>Template:Cite news</ref> His lack of success endeared him to people around the globe. He subsequently became a media celebrity and appeared on talk shows around the world, appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson during the Games. Press outlets nicknamed him "Mr. Magoo", and one Italian journalist called him a "ski dropper".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

At the closing ceremony, the president of the Organising Committee, Frank King, singled out Edwards for his contribution. King said, addressing the competitors, "You have broken world records and you have established personal bests. Some of you have even soared like an eagle."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Others, including Bengt-Erik Bengtsson, head of the Nordic division of the International Ski Federation, criticised Edwards as being an Olympic tourist and distracting attention away from the accomplishment of other more capable athletes.<ref name="Longman 1988">Template:Cite news</ref> The East German newspaper Junge Welt labelled Edwards a "clown".<ref name=":0" />

"Eddie the Eagle" Rule

Following the widespread attention that Edwards received in Calgary shortly after the Olympics finished, the entry requirements were made stricter, making it nearly impossible for anyone to follow his example: the International Olympic Committee (IOC) instituted what became known as the Eddie the Eagle Rule, which requires Olympic hopefuls to compete in international events and be placed in the top 30 per cent or the top 50 competitors, whichever is fewer.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref>

Edwards failed to qualify for the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, or the 1994 Games in Lillehammer. He got a five-year sponsorship from Eagle Airlines, a small British charter company, to support his attempt to reach the 1998 Games in Nagano, but failed to qualify for those as well.<ref name=Guardian/>

Return to Calgary and other media appearances

On 13 February 2008, Edwards made a return visit to Calgary to take part in festivities marking the twentieth anniversary of the Games. During his visit, he rode the zip-line at Canada Olympic Park with a member of the Jamaican bobsled team (the ride simulates the speed of a ski jumper) and led a procession of skiers down the slopes of the park while carrying an Olympic torch.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Zip-line ride: Global News Calgary (television broadcast), 13 February 2008</ref>

Edwards was chosen as a torchbearer in the relay for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. He ran with the torch on 7 January 2010 in Winnipeg.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Edwards released a book (and a video) called On the Piste.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 1991, he recorded a single in Finnish entitled "Mun nimeni on Eetu" ("My name is Eetu"), B-sided with "Eddien Siivellä" ("On Eddie's Wing"), though he does not speak Finnish. Edwards learned the lyrics phonetically and the song reached No. 2 in the Finnish charts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "Mun nimeni on Eetu" was written by Finnish singer Irwin Goodman.<ref>Whatever Happened to Eddie the Eagle, Britain’s Most Lovable Ski Jumper? The Smithsonian February 2014</ref>

Edwards appeared in a number of advertising campaigns, e.g. on television, promoting cars, and commanded fees of £10,000 an hour. Nevertheless, he declared bankruptcy in 1992, claiming that a trust fund for his earnings was not set up properly.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Cbignore</ref> In 2003, he graduated from De Montfort University in Leicester with a degree in law.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> "I've been interested in law since taking out a civil action against my trustees 10 years ago", he said in an interview in 2001.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On 25 February 2012, he appeared as a competitor on episode 2 of BBC1's Let's Dance for Sport Relief, 2012 and got through to the final on most public votes. His performances were accompanied by the Royal British Legion Band & Corps of Drums Romford.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2013, he won the first series of the British celebrity diving programme Splash!, mentored by Tom Daley.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In January 2014, he commentated on the Channel 4 TV programme The Jump,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> where 12 famous people took part in winter sports.<ref name="The Jump TV Program">Template:Cite web</ref> As part of each episode, Edwards jumped off the largest of three ski jumps. In the same year, he appeared as a guest on the ITV2 comedy show Fake Reaction.

Edwards before his first jumps in 15 years at the site of the 1988 Winter Olympics

In 2017, he returned to the ski jumping facilities at Canada Olympic Park, where he had taken part in the Olympics in 1988, to make some jumps that were his first in over 15 years.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2024, he appeared as a contestant on the sixteenth series of Dancing on Ice. Edwards was brought in as a replacement after Stephen Lustig-Webb was forced to withdraw from the series.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Biopic

Template:Main A biopic chronicling the life story of Edwards had been planned by Irish director Declan Lowney since 2007. Comedian Steve Coogan was originally chosen for the title role,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> but in 2009 Lowney announced that Rupert Grint would instead play the part. The film was scheduled to begin production once Grint completed work on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Part 2, but did not go ahead.<ref name=Sweeney>Template:Cite news</ref>

In March 2015, it was announced that 20th Century Fox had acquired the film, with Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman starring and Dexter Fletcher directing, from a screenplay by Sean Macaulay and Simon Kelton.<ref name="auto2">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Egerton would portray the adult Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards, Tom and Jack Costello younger versions of Edwards, while Jackman would portray his coach, Bronson Peary. It was later announced that Christopher Walken had also joined the film, portraying the role of Bronson Peary's mentor.<ref name="auto1">Template:Cite web</ref>

The film, Eddie the Eagle, was released in early 2016 and grossed a worldwide total of $46.1 million. In the UK, it grossed $12.8m, making it the highest grossing British film of 2016.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 82% based on 197 reviews, with an average rating of 6.5/10.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

Bibliography

References

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