Milano Cortina 2026: Japan Narrowly Takes Bronze in Ski Jumping Mixed Team Event; Nikaido’s High Score Proves Decider

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:45 JST, February 11, 2026

Japan took bronze in the ski jumping mixed team event at the Milano Cortina Winter Games on Tuesday local time.

This is Japan’s first medal in the event, which made its debut during the previous Beijing Winter Games.

A high score by Ren Nikaido was the decisive factor for Japan’s place on the podium as the gap between Japan and Germany in fourth place was 1.2 point. Japan had 1034.0 points whereas Germany had 1032.8 points, equivalent to only about a 60-centimeter difference in distance.

Nozomi Maruyama competed first, followed by Ryoyu Kobayashi and Sara Takanashi. Japan was already in third place at that point, then Nikaido made a 103-meter jump and gave the team a further 141.6 points, the highest score in the first round and the third highest in the first and second rounds combined.

That ended up deciding the results. In the second round, in which eight teams competed, Maruyama came in fifth, and the three others were in fourth. Japan would have been in fifth place if only the second round counted. However, the team managed to hold on to bronze.

“To be honest, I feel gutted,” Nikaido, 24, said. “[In the second round], I was a little strained.”

Still, Nikaido is a new, rising star who has just won his second medal after taking bronze in the men’s normal hill individual ski jumping event. He will compete in two upcoming ski jumping events: the men’s large hill individual and men’s super team.

“Of course, I’m going to give it my all to win gold,” Nikaido said.