Ren Nikaido finishes 2nd again in Willingen, makes statement at final World Cup before Olympics
Nordic combined ski jumping’s World Cup (WC) held its men’s individual round 20 (Large Hill HS147) in Willingen, Germany on February 1 (local time). Ren Nikaido (Japan / Nippon Beer), a Milano Cortina Olympic team member, delivered two big jumps of 142.0m and 152.5m to finish with 261.3 points, taking 2nd place for the second straight event. It was his seventh podium of the season—strong confirmation of form at the last WC stop before the Games.
Victory went to the season’s dominant performer Domen Prevc (Slovenia), who posted a commanding 293.0 points across two jumps to win by 31.7 points over Nikaido. It was Prevc’s 11th win of the season and 20th career victory. Germany’s Philipp Raimund placed 3rd with 253.1 points, as leading nations’ aces showed they’re peaking at the right time ahead of Milano Cortina.
Willingen (Men’s Large Hill HS147) — Top results
| Place | Athlete | Nation | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Domen Prevc | Slovenia | 293.0 |
| 2nd | Ren Nikaido | Japan | 261.3 |
| 3rd | Philipp Raimund | Germany | 253.1 |
Japan advanced all four jumpers to the second round: Ryoyu Kobayashi placed 18th (134.5m / 134.0m, 218.9 pts), Tomofumi Naito 19th (126.0m / 146.5m, 217.3 pts), and Koya Sato 25th (135.0m / 123.5m, 196.5 pts). With all four also part of Japan’s Milano Cortina Olympic squad, it was a solid team-wide sign of readiness.
Longest jump: 152.5m — Nikaido’s attacking statement
The day’s longest jump belonged to Nikaido: 152.5m. He cleared the hill’s K-point (130m) by a wide margin, sending the crowd into a roar. Official event statistics also recorded it as the longest distance—meaning that in pure length, he out-jumped even the winner Prevc.
The official FIS Ski Jumping account praised the leap, posting: “SPECTACULAR! What a jump from Ren Nikaido 152.5 meters,” a moment that felt like a preview of what he could bring to the Olympics.
Prevc’s 11th win; Japan’s jumpers also high in overall standings
With this win, Prevc reached 11 victories this season and strengthened his runaway lead in the overall standings. Japan, meanwhile, remains a central force: Kobayashi has hovered around 990 points in the overall race, while Nikaido sits in the 920-point range, underlining Japan’s presence at the top level heading into Milano Cortina.
Highlights from the second Willingen event are also available via the FIS Ski Jumping official YouTube channel, featuring Prevc’s steady two-jump performance and Nikaido’s 152.5m headline moment.
Four Hills win and ski flying team gold: Nikaido’s breakout season
For Nikaido, this has been a true breakout year. On January 4 in Innsbruck, he claimed his first World Cup win in the third stop of the Four Hills Tournament, adding multiple podiums since. On January 25 at the Ski Flying World Championships team event (Oberstdorf), he also won Japan’s first-ever team gold in ski flying alongside Ryoyu Kobayashi, Tomofumi Naito, and Naoki Nakamura.
Japan’s men’s jump program has long been associated with “Ace = Kobayashi,” but this season Nikaido has firmly entered the ace conversation. With Kobayashi’s experience, Nikaido’s momentum, plus the steadiness of Naito and Sato, Japan’s balanced roster could become a major weapon—especially in team formats—at the Olympics.
Toward Milano Cortina: can Japan ride the tailwind?
Willingen marked the final World Cup before Milano Cortina. Nikaido’s back-to-back 2nd places and his event-longest 152.5m, combined with all four Japanese athletes advancing to the second round, should be a significant tailwind for Japan’s men’s ski jumping team. At the Olympics, events are expected to include men’s individual normal hill and large hill, plus formats such as mixed team and men’s super team—where Japan will enter as a legitimate medal contender.
The key questions now: how close can the field get to the runaway leader Prevc, and can Japan’s team rise above the sport’s power nations in the team events? Carrying the confidence from Willingen, Ren Nikaido and Team Japan now turn fully toward the biggest stage in Milano Cortina.
