Ryōyū Kobayashi, the 27-year-old Japanese World Cup titan just took ski-jumping to new heights, smashing the previous record by nearly 40m.
There has never been a ski jumper quite like Ryōyū Kobayashi. Quiet and philosophical, ambitious and hungry, the Hachimantai native could retire today as one of the best ski jumpers that ever lived. But he won’t do that because he’s questing for more: Kobayashi has just made history with the longest ski jump ever, launching himself from a specially-created natural kicker in Iceland on 24 April.
Kobayashi soared majestically through the air for around ten seconds before landing an incredible 291m from the launch point, shattering the ski flying and ski jump world record by 37.5m in the process. Whilst the young athlete had been targeting a jump of 300m in his attempt, there's no way he was disappointed with the final outcome of his remarkable 291m flight.
However, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) says it won’t recognize the Japanese jumper’s landmark effort as it didn’t meet the governing body’s competition conditions. While Kobayashi’s jumps - which included attempts that hit 256m, 259m and 282m on Tuesday - “showcase an extraordinary athlete’s performance under very special conditions,” they “cannot be compared to a FIS Ski Flying World Cup, as both the start date and the entire project are tailored to a single athlete and therefore ultimately to a single jump/flight,” the FIS said in a statement.
In a nutshell: “Ryoyu Kobayashi’s jumps in Iceland did not take place under competition conditions and in line with the FIS regulations.”
Be that as it may, buckle up and watch his remarkable jump in this video...