Ski flying in Norway

Kasai ready for “flight” into the history books

Noriaki Kasai is a living ski jumping legend.(Bild: AFP or licensors)

Noriaki Kasai is ready for his next leap into the history books. In Vikersund, the Japanese could be the first ski jumper to take part in a Ski Flying World Cup at the age of over 50. 

At the age of 51, Kasai is far from having had enough of ski jumping and probably not enough of ski flying either. The Japanese is about to become the first athlete over the age of 50 to take part in a Ski Flying World Cup. The time has come this weekend in Vikersund.

Ski flying is the crowning finale of the Raw Air Tour, in which Kasai is taking part. In the previous ski jumping competitions of the tour in Oslo and Trondheim, he finished in 47th, 49th and 39th place. He set his personal best distance in ski flying (241.4 meters) seven years ago in Vikersund. 

Jumper for generations
"It's really crazy what Noriaki has achieved," said former German ski jumping coach Werner Schuster to "Eurosport" and continued: "I really had to laugh. I jumped against him myself, and he just jumped against my son in the Continental Cup. He jumps across generations."

Kasai celebrated his World Cup debut in December 1988, and the multiple World Championship and Olympic medal winner celebrated the last of his 17 individual victories as a 42-year-old in November 2014.