Ski jumping surprise: Nozomi Maruyama blasts the field with three wins in Lillehammer

Japanese ski jumper Nozomi Maruyama produced a stunning World Cup opening weekend in Lillehammer, winning three competitions in three days and vaulting herself into the sport’s spotlight at age 27.

On Sunday, Maruyama started last and needed at least 117 meters to seal the victory. She cleared the mark comfortably and won by nearly 30 points, completing a perfect personal sweep after Friday’s mixed team win and back‑to‑back individual triumphs on Saturday and Sunday.

The numbers underscore her dominance on the Lysgardsbakken hill. Maruyama led both women’s qualifications and totaled 1,061.5 meters across six scoring jumps plus two qualification jumps. By comparison, Canada’s Abigail Strate accumulated 1,025.5 meters, last season’s overall champion and double world champion Nika Prevc 1,001 meters, and Germany’s Katharina Schmid 963.5 meters. Maruyama’s consistency stood out: she jumped under 130 meters only once (her first mixed jump) and even won Sunday’s qualification despite starting with four gates less inrun speed.

Maruyama also showed composure in challenging wind on Saturday, noting that Sunday felt easier: “Yesterday was harder—the wind was stronger and more changeable. I’m very satisfied with my jumps.” She added there is still room to improve her style (judges’ marks).

Though in Japan’s national team since 2014 and on the World Cup since 2018, Maruyama had only a few podiums prior to this season—2nd in Willingen (Feb 2023) and 3rd in Hinzenbach a week later—plus several summer podiums. Her breakthrough gathered pace in the 2025 Summer Grand Prix, where she claimed seven podiums, won the Klingenthal finale, and took the overall GP title. Including Lillehammer, she has now won five straight events (three individuals, two mixed) dating back to Klingenthal.

Japan’s entire squad started the Olympic season in imposing form. After the mixed victory and Maruyama’s two women’s wins, Ryoyu Kobayashi added the men’s individual victory on Sunday. In the women’s field, five Japanese jumpers placed in the top 12 on Saturday and four in the top 15 on Sunday.

Attention now turns to Falun next weekend to see whether Maruyama’s dominance persists and how athletes adapt to new suit-measurement regulations introduced after last season’s controversies. Even a top‑form Nika Prevc—who ended last season with ten wins in a row but missed the record eleven on Saturday—would likely have struggled to match Japan’s new leading flyer in Lillehammer.