Gregor Schlierenzauer sets the pace in normal hill qualification

From Sportsbeat staff, in Whistler

 AUSTRIA'S Gregor Schlierenzauer set the pace in the ski jumping normal hill qualification round as the curtain was raised on the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

PACE-SETTER: Gregor Schlierenzauer sets the pace in the opening competition of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver (Getty Images/Clive Mason)

The 20-year-old soared to 107m with his sole jump, outshining compatriot and defending large hill champion Thomas Mortgenstern, who managed 105.5m.

"I feel very confident. The Qualifying run wasn't perfect. I was early on take-off, it's a bit difficult for flying, but all in all very satisfying," said Morgenstern.

"You can only go to the start very well prepared. If I do my best jumps, then I can be first on the podium.

"Every little mistake could mean defeat."

The top ten competitors in the world were not required to qualfiy for the first round and therefore were not given style points for their efforts, but it was Schlierenzauer, who collected 13 World Cup victories - setting a new record in the process - on the way to the overall title last year, who led the way.

Another Austrian, current normal hill world champion Wolfgang Loitz, was also in impressive form in Whistler, leaping out to 103.5m, while Switzerland's Simon Ammann - a double Olympic champion in 2002 - managed 103m.

Meanwhile, Germany's Michael Uhrmann set the pace in the group of 40 jumpers, who were required to qualify for tomorrow's first round.

Uhrmann, 31, was a member of the German squad that collected team large hill gold at Salt Lake City in 2002 and leapt to 106m, collecting 138.5 points in the process.

He edged out the Czech Republic's Jakub Janda, a normal hill world silver medallist in 2005 and Four Hills winner in 2006, who amassed 135.5 points for his jump of 105m.

Third in the qualfying bunch was Germany's Michael Neumayer, courtesy of his jump of 105.5m which earned him 135 points.

The unlucky ten to miss out on qualification were Slovakia's Tomas Zmoray, Yong-Jik Choi of South Korea, home quartet Mackenzie Boyd-Clowes, Eric Mitchell, Stefan Read and Trevor Morrice of Canada, Russia's Ilja Rosliakov, Oleksandr Lazarovych of the Ukraine and France's Alexandre Mabboux.

IN PICTURES: Ski jumping normal hill qualification