1988 Olympics
In the 1988 Olympics, Edwards competed in, and finished last in, both the 70m and 90m events. From the beginning, though, his legend was embroidered with falsehoods.
They said I was afraid of heights. But I was doing 60 jumps a day then, which is hardly something someone who was afraid of heights would do.... But was he afraid of jumping?
Of course I was. There was always a chance that my next jump would be my last. A big chance. —The Guardian, 3 September 2007
However, his lack of success endeared him to people all across the globe. The worse he did, the more popular he became. He subsequently became a media celebrity and appeared on talk shows around the world, appearing on The Tonight Show during the Games. The press nicknamed him "Mr. Magoo", and one Italian journalist called him a "ski dropper".
The widespread attention that Edwards received in Calgary turned into a large embarrassment for the ski jumping establishment. Many athletes and officials felt that he was "making a mockery" of the sport. Shortly after the Olympics finished, the entry requirements were greatly toughened, making it next to impossible for anyone to follow his example.
At the closing ceremony, the president of the Organizing Committee, Frank King, seemed to single out Edwards for his contribution: "At this Games, some competitors have won gold, some have broken records, and some of you have even soared like an eagle."
Read more about this topic: Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards