Ryoyu Kobayashi Claims Seventh Podium at Okurayama, Takes Big Step Toward Milan–Cortina 2026 Spot

Round 18 of the men’s Ski Jumping World Cup 2025–26 season was held on 18 January at Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium in Sapporo (HS137). Japan’s ace Ryoyu Kobayashi (TEAM ROY) finished second to stand on the podium once again. He flew 136.5 m in the first round and then matched the hill’s longest mark with 138.5 m in the second, scoring a total of 274.2 points. It was a close battle, as he finished just 3.5 points behind winner Domen Prevc of Slovenia (277.7 points). With his seventh podium of the season, Kobayashi remains second in the overall World Cup standings, and his place on the Japanese team for the Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics is widely regarded as “all but secured.”

The competition was held as the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup men’s large hill individual event (round 18). For the Japanese team, the Sapporo stop served as the climax of the Milan–Cortina Olympic selection race. Based on FIS points and results, the three athletes who have met the Ski Association of Japan’s (SAJ) internal criteria—Kobayashi, Ren Nikaido and Naoki Nakamura—are being reported by multiple media outlets as virtually certain to make the Olympic team (official announcement to follow at a later date).

A full-blooded 138.5 m at Okurayama

In the first round, Kobayashi made good use of the headwind to produce a big jump of 136.5 m. That put him right in the battle for the win at his home hill of Okurayama, just behind Prevc’s 137.5 m. The second round came with plenty of pressure, but Kobayashi carried the speed smoothly from the inrun into the take-off, and as the crowd roared he stretched it out to 138.5 m, sending the stadium into a frenzy.

After the competition he reflected, saying, “Both jumps were a pass. In the second round I was helped by the wind and could pull off a big jump.” (from interviews with domestic media), underlining that he felt satisfied with both the performance and the result.

Prevc, however, was equally composed. He put together two solid jumps in the mid-130 m range and finished on 277.7 points, taking back-to-back wins in Sapporo and his ninth victory of the season. He continues to dominate the overall World Cup standings, which means Kobayashi is spending this season in the role of “the chaser”.

Why his Milan–Cortina Olympic place is seen as “all but certain”

The Sapporo events were the last major chance for Japanese jumpers to make their case for Milan–Cortina 2026. Across the two World Cup competitions in Sapporo, Japan enjoyed strong team results: in the first event, Nakamura took second and Nikaido third; in the second, Kobayashi finished second and Nikaido sixth. Not only the established ace but the whole squad delivered.

The SAJ’s internal recommendation criteria are based on a holistic assessment, with World Cup and other international results as the core. After the end of the two Sapporo events, domestic reports stated that the following three athletes had met the standard on the men’s side:

• Ryoyu Kobayashi (TEAM ROY): seventh podium of the season, second in the overall World Cup standings
• Ren Nikaido (Nippon Beer): third in Sapporo event 1 and sixth in event 2, currently third overall
• Naoki Nakamura (Flying Laboratory SC): multiple podiums this season, including second place in Sapporo event 1

According to the FIS World Cup overall standings (after Sapporo event 2), the ranking is:

• 1st Domen Prevc (Slovenia) – 1,414 points
• 2nd Ryoyu Kobayashi (Japan) – 947 points
• 3rd Ren Nikaido (Japan) – 761 points
• 4th Jan Hoerl (Austria) – 720 points
• 5th Anze Lanisek (Slovenia) – 717 points

Japan thus has athletes in both second and third place—a true “golden trio” situation. It is extremely rare for Japanese jumpers to occupy so many top spots in such a stacked World Cup field, and as a team they can now realistically aim for medals at Milan–Cortina 2026.

Results & standings: Sapporo World Cup round 18

Below is a quick summary of the top results from the second Sapporo competition (men’s large hill individual), based on FIS official data.

(Data source: Berkutschi.com / FIS official results)

The “champion” heads toward his fourth Olympics

Ryoyu Kobayashi made his Olympic debut at PyeongChang 2018 and then at Beijing 2022 won gold on the normal hill and silver on the large hill, establishing himself as the undisputed ace of Japanese ski jumping. In addition to two overall World Cup titles and three Four Hills Tournament crowns, he shocked the world in 2024 by landing a 291 m jump at an unofficial event in Iceland—a truly “other-worldly” flight.

This season, while Prevc has been running away at the top of the standings with overwhelming strength, Kobayashi has consistently piled up podium finishes and kept hold of second place overall. He also finished fifth in the overall standings at the Four Hills Tournament at the start of the year, underlining that his season-long consistency remains intact.

Ski jumping at Milan–Cortina 2026 is scheduled to be held in Val di Fiemme, Italy, in February 2026. In Beijing, Kobayashi delivered Japan’s first individual Olympic gold in ski jumping in 24 years. The question now is what kind of jumps he will show us at the next Games. This second place in Sapporo has only raised expectations further.

Reliving Sapporo via official social media and highlights

To round things off, here are some official social posts and video links that help bring the Sapporo World Cup weekend back to life. You can embed the blocks below as-is to match your site’s design.

Japan’s ace Ryoyu Kobayashi is once again taking flight from his home hill in Sapporo in search of the summit of the sport. This second place on home snow already feels like a page that will be essential when we look back on his journey to the very top.