Milano Cortina 2026: Kobayashi’s Super Team Medal Bid Meets Sudden End; Heavy Snow Forces Halt to Ski Jump Competition

By Kohei Tsukamoto / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

17:01 JST, February 17, 2026

Bad weather brought a sudden and disappointing end to the third Olympic appearance of ski jumper Ryoyu Kobayashi, the gold medalist from the previous Games. Japan finished sixth in the men’s super team event on Monday (early Tuesday Japan time) after the competition was halted due to bad weather, preventing the 29-year-old from completing his final jump.

The ace, known for pushing the boundaries of his sport, was unable to make it back to the top spot, but still demonstrated his skills by contributing to a bronze medal in the mixed team event.

The snow fell relentlessly during the super team ski jump, a new event in which pairs of skiers compete to achieve the highest total score over a series of three jumps. Kobayashi teamed up with 24-year-old Ren Nikaido, who was in peak form after securing two individual medals at the Games this time.

Kobayashi, performing as his team’s second jumper, was unable to break into the top group during the first and second rounds. The momentum shifted when Nikaido delivered a massive 138.50-meter jump in the third round, propelling Japan to second place.

With the time coming for each country to send in its last jumpers, Kobayashi and Nikaido’s medal hopes rested on Kobayashi’s final leap.

But as the snow worsened, the competition was first suspended and then called off altogether, and Japan’s final position was recorded as sixth, based on the standings after the first two rounds.

“We could have done it if they’d waited just five minutes. I wanted to take that jump,” Kobayashi said after the match. “It’s disappointing.”

‘I want to make big jumps’

“I want to make big jumps.” This is something Kobayashi has repeated countless times, even after his double-medal performance at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, where he took gold in the normal hill and silver in the large hill.

Nothing illustrates this obsession more than his attempt to set a world record in April 2024 on a snow-covered mountain in Iceland. Paying no heed to the people around him worrying that he might get hurt, he focused only on jumping as far as possible.

From the top of a specially constructed jump ramp 1,115 meters above sea level, Kobayashi looked down across the scenery before him, a vast expanse of pristine snow stretching out atop the surrounding mountains.

Overcoming his fear, he accelerated down the drop, covering a vertical distance of 360 meters, then took flight, soaring through the air for about 8 seconds until he touched down 291 meters away. It wasn’t official, but that distance was a whopping 30 meters greater than the world record.

Promoting the sport

Kobayashi’s drive to perform massive jumps was partly fueled by a desire to bring more excitement to the world of ski jumping.

The attention he received after becoming a gold medalist at the Beijing Games did not last long. As he toured the globe for competitions, he sensed a lack of excitement in Japan compared to the enthusiasm of spectators in Europe, where the sport enjoys massive popularity.

Believing there were some things he could achieve only while the memory of his gold medal was still fresh, Kobayashi launched an initiative in April 2024 — the same month as his world record attempt — to hold events giving children a chance to try ski jumping in his hometown of Hachimantai, Iwate Prefecture.

He also devised a new way for fans to watch domestic competitions, encouraging them to use penlights to cheer on the athletes.

“The first step is simply getting people interested,” he said. “Beyond that, it is down to me to deliver the results.”

Looking ahead to the World Cup

However, he faced a period of struggle during the 2024-25 season. After finishing 16th in the opening World Cup race, he did no better than 12th at any of his next 10 events.

Kobayashi recalled the frustration of that time: “It felt like [the top athletes and I were] playing different games. I just wasn’t having fun.” But Kobayashi bounced back this season and has once again been displaying his trademark consistency, securing two World Cup victories and climbing to second in the overall rankings. Yet, despite playing a key role in Japan’s mixed team medal, he was unable to reach the podium in an individual event.

Kobayashi’s quest for a final gold ended at the starting gate of the super team competition, where he had been preparing for a restart he believed would come.

“It turned out to be a difficult Olympics,” the ace said regretfully. Still, he concluded on a positive note: “We were able to demonstrate the strength of the Japanese team as a whole. With the World Cup circuit still ahead, I hope fans will continue to support us.”