The Albany Gazette - Bungee baby Hackett flies high, then crashes, at Beijing Olympics

AJ Hackett helped popularise the extreme sport in the 1980s and made headlines when he bungee-jumped from the Eiffel Tower in a much-publicised 1987 stunt.

One year later, he founded the world's first commercial bungee site.

Now his daughter is following in his death-defying footsteps, competing in the freeski slopestyle and Big Air competitions at the Beijing Games.

She missed the cut in Monday's slopestyle qualification after a late crash but said her adrenaline-fuelled childhood has stood her in good stead for freestyle skiing.

"I did my first bungee when I was four years old," said the 22-year-old.

"I think it all relates. I've been able to experience some pretty crazy, extreme feelings since a young age and I think it's helped me manage the slopestyle and Big Air disciplines."

Hackett says she has done over 100 bungee jumps in her life and that her father has never pushed her to do it.

She started dreaming of competing at the Winter Olympics when her father took her to the Sochi Games in 2014 to set up a bungee jump there.

Now she is an Olympian and says her father has always "been supportive".

"For me, he's just my dad -- he's no famous person like maybe other people look at him," she said.

"I've been lucky to be able to experience some amazing things with bungee jumping and being able to travel with him to different places, but he's just my dad."

Hackett is hoping to rebound from Monday's disappointment and spring back into action at the next Olympics.

"I tried my best and unfortunately went a bit too big on the last jump and had a crash," she said.

"Luckily I'm healthy but I wanted more, I was hungry for more and I was looking forward to tomorrow's finals. I'll just have to wait for next time."

(T.Burkhard--BBZ)