No Four Hills, but: “Flying dinosaur” Noriaki Kasai dreams of the Olympics at 53

Japanese ski jumping great Noriaki Kasai continues to defy age. Now 53, he remains active on the international circuit and is targeting a return to the World Cup at the mid‑January home stop in Sapporo. His ultimate dream is a ninth Olympic Games appearance.

Kasai will not take part in the 74th Four Hills Tournament and, despite his ambitions, faces tough competition within a strong Japanese team for limited Olympic berths in February. Even so, he has shown competitive form: two weeks earlier he posted 14th and 18th‑place finishes at the Continental Cup in Ruka. Kasai last scored World Cup points in early 2024 at age 51, extending his own age record.

Debuting in the World Cup back in December 1988, Kasai has competed against multiple generations. He says he does not feel any drop in performance and trains hard to stay in top shape. Beyond ski jumping conditioning, he mixes in golf, tennis, volleyball, basketball, badminton, and squash—and jokes he seldom loses to younger opponents. He acknowledges more frequent aches—lower back, knees, and neck—but says he tries to ignore them. Kasai is a 1992 ski flying world champion (Harrachov) and 2014 Olympic silver medalist (Sochi).

The article also highlights another veteran: 44‑year‑old Simon Ammann will start his 27th Four Hills Tournament in Oberstdorf. While an overall Four Hills victory is unlikely, several points‑scoring World Cup results this season support his case for selection to Switzerland’s three‑man Olympic team.