Ryōyū Kobayashi’s Rise: The Future King of Ski Jumping

Ryōyū Kobayashi’s recent victory on the Holmenkollbakken [HS134] hill in Oslo on March 13, 2025, made it three wins in a row for one of the world’s greatest-ever ski jumpers. Many people say that there is still a lot more to come from the 28-year-old Japanese athlete and predict that he will unquestionably be the future king of ski jumping.

Let’s dive straight in to learn more about this talented star and find out which major ski jumping events he has already won and which records he has broken throughout his glittering career.

Who is Ryōyū Kobayashi

Ryōyū Kobayashi is a 28-year-old men’s professional ski jumper. He was born in Hachimantai, Iwate, Japan, on November 8, 1996. The 5 ft 8 in ski jumper is a Team Roy ski club member. His personal best [national record] occurred on the Letalnica bratov Gorišek (one of the world’s two largest ski flying hills) in Slovenia on March 24, 2019, when he covered a distance of 252 m (827 ft) – the third longest ski jump in the sport’s history.

In April 2024, Kobayashi covered a whopping distance of 291 m and was in the air for approximately 10 seconds before making a smooth landing at a nonofficial event in Iceland near Akureyri. This became recognized as an unofficial world record because it was not considered a new sky-flying world record by FIS (the International Ski and Snowboard Federation).

He is one of the most-watched ski jumpers in the world and one of the most bet-on winter sports athletes on today’s online betting sites. In most events he participates in, he is typically one of the best-priced ski jumpers with the most favorable odds. On today’s biggest sports streaming platforms, he is one of the most exciting jumpers to watch in action and see being interviewed.

Kobayashi made his World Cup debut in January 2015, and since then, he has had a successful career that is far from done. Soon after the 2022/23 season ended, and after spending eight years at Tsuchiya Home Ski Team, he left and formed Team Roy.

A look at Kobayashi’s major tournament wins

Kobayashi has won numerous major ski jumping tournaments, and many fans and experts who closely follow this sport say there is still a lot more to come from the 28-year-old. His older brother, Junshiro Kobayashi, also a ski jumper, inspired him to start ski jumping.

Here is a quick look at some of his most notable personal achievements so far throughout his career, which officially started in 2015 when he joined the Tsuchiya Home Ski Team (the Japanese ski jumping team):

• Placed seventh on his debut at the 2016 FIS World Cup in Zakopane, Poland
• Gets his first career win at the 2018 FIS Ski Jumping Grand Prix in Hakuba
• Sets even more consecutive records during the 2018/19 season and entered the history books as the first Japanese competitor to be crowned the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup outright champion. He picked up 13 individual wins during this season and won all six possible titles
• In April 2024, Ryōyū Kobayashi achieved the longest ski jump world record after several warm-up attempts, eventually covering a distance of 291 meters and flying for over 8 seconds in Akureyri, Iceland. He smashed the previous record by 37.50 meters
• He has 35 individual World Cup career wins and has made it to the podium 70 times
• He has 3 World Cup Four Hills titles (2019, 2022, and 2024), 1 Sky Flying World Cup title (2019), and 1 Raw Air World Cup title (2019)
• He won gold and silver medals at the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games, silver at the 2023 Planica World Championships, bronze at the 2019 Seefeld World Championships, and bronze at the 2025 Trondheim World Championships. At the 2022 Beijing Olympics, he became only the third Japanese ski jumper to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics

Over the coming years, Kobayashi is expected to achieve greatness and become the world’s best-ever ski jumper, provided he can remain in good health and peak physical shape.

Fun facts about Ryōyū Kobayashi

Here are a few fun and interesting facts you may or may not already know about Ryōyū Kobayashi. In 2023, he made it onto the Forbes 30 under 30 list. According to reports, he enjoys collecting sneakers and has an extensive collection from top brands like Air Jordan and Chuck Taylor. He is also a huge sports fan, enjoying volleyball, baseball, and football, among other sports.

Many also regard him as one of the world’s most stylish and best-dressed athletes. He is a man of many looks, often wearing fashionable attire and promoting some of the world’s most famous clothes and accessories brands.

Despite recent struggles, Kobayashi maintains a positive attitude and believes he can keep winning medals with the right mindset. He said that one of his key skills is mentally analyzing jumps before attempting them, stating that good visualization [and having good equipment] is essential and the key to success.

He has also stated that his mental preparations are fundamental to his success and that the sooner he can focus on the task at hand, the quicker he can return to the podium.

More that just big air

Ryōyū Kobayashi is the world’s number one ski jumper who is singlehandedly helping to redefine the sport and make it more appealing to newer and younger audiences. In the ski jumping world, he is a household name, but he has also transcended his sport and is now one of the world’s most recognized sports heroes.

Some other ski jumpers who have also helped grow the ski jumping global profile and push the boundaries of what is possible in this sport are Matti Nykänen, Adam Matysz, Kamil Stoch, and Simon Ammann, to name just a few.

These iconic ski jumpers have soared astonishing distances throughout their careers and helped make the sport more exciting. Kobayashi and these other famous athletes have elevated their sport with impressive achievements and helped it reach extraordinary new heights.