Vinko Bogataj
Vinko Bogataj (Slovenian: /ˈʋiːŋko bɔɡaˈtaj/; born 1948) is a Slovenian former ski jumper. He became famous on American television in the 1970s for a moment of spectacular failure that was featured on ABC's Wide World of Sports as the infamous Agony of Defeat.
Agony of Defeat jump
Bogataj was competing as a Yugoslavian entrant at the ski flying event in Oberstdorf, West Germany (now Germany) on 7 March 1970. A light snow had begun falling at the start of the competition, and by the time Bogataj was ready for his third jump on the Heini Klopfer hill, the snow had become quite heavy. Midway down the inrun for his jump, Bogataj realised that the conditions had made the ramp too fast. He attempted to lower his center of gravity and stop his jump, but instead lost his balance completely and rocketed out of control off the end of the inrun, tumbling and flipping wildly, and crashing through a light retaining fence near a crowd of stunned spectators before coming to a halt. Despite the ferocity of the crash, Bogataj suffered only a mild concussion.