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March 14, 2014

Strange But True!

Q. What were two wholly antithetical paths to Olympic fame — at least up until 1988?

A. Superior performance or unrivaled incompetence, answers Mental Floss magazine in “The Eagle Has (Barely) Landed.” When British downhill skier Michael Edwards decided to compete in the 1988 Calgary games, he studied the list of sports and competitors, noting that there were already many well-qualified Brits going for his event. So he aimed instead for the sport of ski jumping, becoming the sole British contender and making the team by default.


 
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