Noriaki Kasai is a legend in Japanese winter sport after having competed at the top level in four different decades. At the 2014 Winter Olympics, Kasai joined Albert Demchenko (EUN/RUS) as the first Winter Olympians to compete at 7 Winter Olympics. The 2012-13 season was his 22nd on the World Cup circuit and, up to March 2013, he had contested 473 cup events – both are records. Kasai had 15 individual World Cup victories between 1992 and 2004 but did not win at the highest level and has been thwarted in his attempts to win a major championship title. His six medals at the World Championships have all been of either the silver or bronze. At the Olympics, Kasai won a silver medal in the team event in 1994, and at Sochi in 2014, capped his career with an individual Olympic silver on the large hill, and a team bronze. His career highlights have included a gold medal at the World Ski Flying Championships in 1992 and a victory on the Holmenkollen in Oslo.

Kasai began ski jumping at the age of 10 and dominated the Japanese junior scene in the late 1980s before being promoted to the senior national team at the end of 1988-89 season. Affectionately known as “Kamikaze Kasai”, he holds world distance records for the over 35, over 40, and over 45 age groups