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| Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards to ski jump again after 18 years | Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards to ski jump again after 18 years |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Britain's most famous ski jumper is to fly again, almost 18 years since his last effort, with hopes of jumping "better than ever before". | Britain's most famous ski jumper is to fly again, almost 18 years since his last effort, with hopes of jumping "better than ever before". |
| Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards, who lives in the Stroud Valleys, Gloucestershire, has been invited to take part in a New Year's Day ski jump event in Bavaria. | Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards, who lives in the Stroud Valleys, Gloucestershire, has been invited to take part in a New Year's Day ski jump event in Bavaria. |
| Rather than competing, the ex-Olympian will act as a "fore-jumper" to set the time and speed for the other entrants. | Rather than competing, the ex-Olympian will act as a "fore-jumper" to set the time and speed for the other entrants. |
| "I'm excited because I'm fitter now than I was 20 years ago," he said. | "I'm excited because I'm fitter now than I was 20 years ago," he said. |
| Eye surgery | Eye surgery |
| Real name Michael Edwards, the 49-year-old ski jumper became world famous upon finishing a distant last at the Calgary Winter Olympics in 1988. | Real name Michael Edwards, the 49-year-old ski jumper became world famous upon finishing a distant last at the Calgary Winter Olympics in 1988. |
| Since those days he has studied for a law degree, trained and worked as a plasterer and worked as a motivational speaker. | Since those days he has studied for a law degree, trained and worked as a plasterer and worked as a motivational speaker. |
| Now, 25 years on from the Olympics that made him a household name, Edwards is heading back to the slopes for the Garmisch-Partenkirchen new year ski jump in southern Germany. | Now, 25 years on from the Olympics that made him a household name, Edwards is heading back to the slopes for the Garmisch-Partenkirchen new year ski jump in southern Germany. |
| "It is giving me the opportunity to go off a 125m (410ft) ski jump for the first time in almost 18 years," Edwards told BBC Radio Gloucestershire. | "It is giving me the opportunity to go off a 125m (410ft) ski jump for the first time in almost 18 years," Edwards told BBC Radio Gloucestershire. |
| "Because I have had eye surgery I can see where I'm going now, so that might cause problems because I might not want to go down the jump." | |
| Diving joy | Diving joy |
| Next week he is travelling to Seefeld in Germany to train for the event, spending time building confidence on several jumps ranging from 60m to 125m (197ft to 410ft). | Next week he is travelling to Seefeld in Germany to train for the event, spending time building confidence on several jumps ranging from 60m to 125m (197ft to 410ft). |
| He said: "My family trust the fact that I wouldn't be reckless and endanger myself - they trust me to know what I'm doing and to come out of it unscathed and, hopefully, in one piece." | He said: "My family trust the fact that I wouldn't be reckless and endanger myself - they trust me to know what I'm doing and to come out of it unscathed and, hopefully, in one piece." |
| In February, 5.6 million television viewers watched Edwards win the ITV celebrity diving show Splash! | In February, 5.6 million television viewers watched Edwards win the ITV celebrity diving show Splash! |
| A second series of the Saturday show will be aired next year. | A second series of the Saturday show will be aired next year. |