Unofficial but Remarkable: Ryoyu Kobayashi Achieves New Ski Jumping Milestone in Iceland

On Wednesday, Japan’s Ryoyu Kobayashi achieved a new milestone in the world of ski jumping by flying 291 meters in Iceland. Organized by Red Bull, the event took place on a special hill set up on a slope in Akureyri, where Kobayashi successfully landed. As the individual normal hill gold medalist at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, Kobayashi expressed his dream of pushing the boundaries of ski jumping and achieving a distance of 300 meters. He described the experience as a dream come true and a goal he has always aspired to achieve.

Although the International Ski and Snowboard Federation acknowledged Kobayashi’s jump on its website, they emphasized that it was not performed under the official conditions required to be recognized as an official world record. The current official ski jumping distance world record of 253.5 meters is held by Stefan Kraft of Austria, achieved in Vikersund, Norway in 2017. Despite the unofficial nature of Kobayashi’s achievement, it marks a significant milestone in the world of ski jumping and demonstrates his dedication to pushing the limits of the sport.