The “Agony of Defeat” Ski Jumper. At the International Ski Flying Championship from Oberstdorf in 1970, Bogataj crashed on his third jump, and forever became identified with “the agony of defeat” through use of that clip on the opening titles of ABC’s Wide World of Sports. Despite how bad the crash looked, he suffered only a concussion, and was back jumping again in 1971. The crash clearly affected him, though, and it’s said he never jumped with the same abandon he once had.
At last writing, Vinko Bogataj lived in Lesce, Slovenia, in the northern part of the former Yugoslavia, with his wife and two daughters. He drives a forklift in a factory that manufactures anchor chains, does some coaching and still jumps in senior competitions
