Normal Hill, Individual, Men

Norwegian Toralf Engan won the Normal Hill at the 1962 World Championships and was considered a favorite together with Finland’s Veikko Kankkonen, who earlier in the Olympic season had shown consistency by winning the Four Hills Tournament. Defending Olympic Champion Helmut Recknagel was still a major force in ski jumping, winning gold on the Large Hill and bronze on the Normal Hill in the 1962 World Championships.

Wearing start number 1, the 21-year old Norwegian Hans Olav Sørensen was in the lead with a 76 m-jump until Engan, with start number 43, made an excellent jump of 79 m and took over the lead. But then the Czechoslovakian jumper Josef Matouš surprised everybody with 80.5 m, the longest jump of the day to take over the lead. Kankkonen, jumping last of the 53 participants, missed his first jump and was a distant 29th after the first round.

In the second round, a young Norwegian, 22-year-old Torgeir Brandtzæg, who had made a poor first jump, surprised with an excellent 79 m-jump. Engan made another good jump at 78.5 m and took over the lead, since Matouš was not able to follow up his first round jump. Then Kankkonen made the best jump of the day, 80 m and with high style points, but he needed another good jump to be in contention for the gold medal. After round two Engan was in a clear lead with 224.4 points, Matouš in second 6.2, points behind and the consistent German Dieter Neuendorf in third place. Brandtzæg and Kankkonen advanced to fourth and fifth place with their good second jumps and were still among the contenders for the gold medal.

In the third round, Brandtzæg made another good jump of 78 m, improving his total points but was unable to catch Engan, who also improved after his best jump of the day, another 79 m jump with better style points than his first jump. Matouš and Neuendorf were not able to improve and stayed behind Brandtzæg. Kankkonen was the last to jump, and he needed a jump around 78 m to take the gold medal from Engan. The 24-year-old Finn, showing great competitive ability, produced a stylish 79 m-jump and could celebrate as an Olympic champion. Defending champion Recknagel made three consistent jumps and came 6th. He decided to end his sporting career after the 1964 season.