Ski Jumping
Beyond gravity: the top ski jumpers you need to know about
These flight masters don't shrink away when faced with the next great leap. We take a look at some of the ski jumpers who've made their mark in the past, or look set to do so in the future.
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"My older brother decided he wanted to compete in ski jumping. Always one to take after my brother, I said I also wanted to try it,” said ski jumper Ryōyū Kobayashi. “A few days later, I went to a 20m jump with my brother and dad for the first time. Of course, it was really scary at that age, so I didn't go off it.”
That was Kobayashi talking about his first encounter with a ski jump at three years old. These days, of course, he’s one of ski jumping’s all-time greats.
Ryōyū Kobayashi takes flight in Japan
© Jason Halayko/Red Bull Content Pool
Ski jumping has grown from its roots in 19th-century Norway into a highly competitive and technically advanced global sport.
A ski jumper’s goal is to soar the farthest distance they can after launching off a steep ramp. Some athletes can achieve speeds of 95kph or greater before launch, with the speed ski world record over 241 kph! In terms of distance, the average is 91m.
Aside from Kobayashi, who else do you need to know about? Here’s our list of the ski jumpers dominating the conversation and what makes them stand out in the history, present or future (or all three) of ski jumping.
01
Sara Takanashi
Sara Takanashi is unparalleled in terms of World Cup wins
© Samo Vidic/Red Bull Content Pool
- Winter Olympic medals: 1 (1 Bronze)
- World Championship medals: 7 (1 Gold, 2 Silver, 4 Bronze)
- Individual World Cup wins: 63
- Overall World Cup titles: 4
Sara Takanashi stands alone within male and female ski jumping as the only athlete to have reached the milestone of 60 individual World Cup wins. Combine that with her four overall World Cup wins, seven World Championship medals (including one gold) and Olympic bronze, and you have one of the most decorated athletes the sport has ever seen.
Takanashi has been smashing records on ski jumps all over the world since an early age. She became the youngest-ever overall World Cup winner in 2013 and then successfully defended her title the following season. Two more consecutive overall World Cup victories followed in 2016 and 2017.
02
Ryōyū Kobayashi
Kobayashi celebrates his new world record
© Mihai Stetcu/Red Bull Content Pool
- Winter Olympic medals: 2 (1 Gold, 1 Silver)
- World Championship medals: 3 (2 Silver, 1 Bronze)
- Individual World Cup wins: 36
- Overall World Cup titles: 2
Ryōyū Kobayashi recently broke the record for the longest ski jump in history, launching himself from a specially-created natural kicker in Iceland on April 24. The Japanese superstar soared through the air for around 10 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.
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World’s longest-ever ski jump
Ryōyū Kobayashi and his team went to Iceland, intent on creating a jump big enough to smash world records.
In addition to this incredible feat, Kobayashi possesses a unique style that's characterised by an explosive, dynamic take-off. He also has an unmatched ability to maintain a stable and aerodynamic position in flight. His graceful departure off the slope has also led to perfect scores at the highest level of competition.
In terms of victories, his most impressive accomplishments include winning the Four Hills Tournament on three occasions and topping the Ski Jumping World Cup rankings during the 2018/19 season.
03
Matti Nykänen
- Winter Olympic medals: 5 (4 Gold, 1 Silver)
- World Championship medals: 9 (5 Gold, 1 Silver, 3 Bronze)
- Individual World Cup wins: 46
- Overall World Cup titles: 4
You can’t talk about ski jumping history without discussing the Finnish ski jumper Matti Nykänen. During his career, he set the then world record for the longest ski jump in 1985: a distance of 187m. Nykänen was known for his smooth and fluid style, as well as his ability to maintain balance and control during his flights. He attributed his ability to jump far to his stocky body type (big shoulders and thin legs), saying his frame could act like a “sail” when he caught a jump the right way.
04
Simon Ammann
- Number of Winter Olympic medals: 4 (4 Gold)
- World Championship medals: 4 (1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze)
- Individual World Cup wins: 23
- Overall World Cup titles: 1
Simon Ammann is a Swiss ski jumper whose remarkable career includes an unbelievable record-setting jump of 236.22m at the FIS World Cup Circuit in 2013. Ammann's style is characterised by his compact position during takeoff, as well as his ability to maintain his form in flight.
He's also known for his consistently precise landings. Ammann attributed his success to growing up on a farm where he had a hill that he learned how to jump on. He says his work ethic helped him develop precision and consistent technique in competition.
05
Kamil Stoch
- Number of Winter Olympic medals: 4 (3 Gold, 1 Bronze)
- World Championship medals: 4 (2 Gold, 2 Bronze)
- Individual World Cup wins: 39
- Overall World Cup titles: 2
Kamil Stoch is a Polish ski jumper known for his powerful takeoff, which has allowed him to launch over 134m in competition, and achieve even more impressive distances in trial runs. Stoch is also skilled at making adjustments mid-flight, allowing him to maintain his position and make a smooth landing. He credits his natural tendency to seek out thrill in his life as a motivating factor and says he practices his massive launches over and over again until he perfects them.
06
Adam Małysz
Adam Małysz performs a ski jump in Innsbruck, Germany in 2010
© Mirja Geh/Red Bull Content Pool
- Winter Olympic medals: 4 (3 Silver, 1 Bronze)
- Individual World Cup wins: 39
- Overall World Cup titles: 4
Adam Małysz is a Polish jumper best known for his unique jumping style, which involves a quick and explosive take-off followed by a streamlined and compact position in flight. He's also skilled at adjusting his body position to maintain stability and control during his flights. While he never took home a Winter Olympic gold medal, he was awarded three silvers across the 2002 and 2010 competitions. He also boasts the record for the most ski jumps ever landed over 200m, an astonishing 106 successful attempts!
07
Daniel Tschofenig
Daniel Tschofenig has the potential to become a Ski Jumping great
© JFK/Red Bull Content Pool
- Winter Olympic medals: None yet
- World Championship medals: 1 (1 Bronze)
- Individual World Cup wins: 9
- Overall World Cup titles: 1
Still in his early 20s, young Austrian jumper Daniel Tschofenig is the outlier on this list; here because of his potential rather than his palmarès. His first full FIS World Cup win came on the large hill in Wisla, Poland, at the third round of the 2024-25 season. That win seems to have opened the floodgates as Tschofenig then went on to win the prestigious Four Hills Tournament later in the year, before racking up enough World Cup wins over the rest of the season to seal the Crystal Globe. Already the reigning FIS World Cup champion, Tschofenig's career looks set to really lift off.
The world of ski jumping has been graced with some incredible talents over the years, but those on our list have made their mark on the sport in terms of style and distance, or have the promise to do so.
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