Kasai (52) Aiming for New World Cup Record – Eyes World Championships

In a stunning display on home soil, the Japanese ski jumping legend Noriaki Kasai, aged 52, left his competitors far behind in a national race, setting the stage for new World Cup opportunities. Kasai is preparing for the upcoming World Cup events in Sapporo, with the ultimate goal of qualifying for the World Championships in Trondheim.

According to multiple media sources, his dominant performance has virtually guaranteed him a place in the Japanese team for the upcoming World Cup competitions in his hometown at Sapporo, just two weeks away. Success in Sapporo would pave the way for his selection to the World Championships in Trondheim, with the Granåsen events being identified as his main target for the season.

The evergreen veteran has not participated in a World Championship since the 2017 event in Lahti, although he made his World Championship debut in the Finnish ski town back in 1989. Should Kasai manage to qualify for the Trondheim World Championships, it would be an extraordinary milestone in his career.

Kasai already holds the record as the oldest athlete to have participated in a World Cup event—a record he set on March 23 last year during the team competition in ski flying at Planica, when he was 51 years, 9 months, and 17 days old. Now, heading into the first World Cup event in Sapporo this month, he will be 52 years, 8 months, and 9 days old.

Over the course of his career, Kasai is approaching 600 World Cup starts. This season, he has also taken part in several Continental Cup events as an additional challenge, with his best result being a tenth-place finish at Ruka before Christmas. On his impressive résumé are also three Olympic medals in team events, along with numerous medals from World Championships.

(©NTB)