Yukio Kasaya

Yukio Kasaya
Personal information
Born(1943-08-17)August 17, 1943
Ōe Village, Japan
DiedApril 23, 2024(2024-04-23) (aged 80)
Sapporo, Japan
Height170 cm (5 ft 7 in)
Weight66 kg (146 lb)
Sport
SportSki jumping
ClubMeiji University
Nikka Whisky Distilling
Retired1976
Medal record
Men's ski jumping
Representing  Japan
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1972 Sapporo Individual normal hill
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 1970 Vysoké Tatry Individual normal hill
Kasaya on a 1972 stamp of Umm al-Quwain

Yukio Kasaya (笠谷 幸生, Kasaya Yukio, August 17, 1943 – April 23, 2024) was a Japanese ski jumper. At the 1972 Olympics in Sapporo he became the first Japanese athlete to win a gold medal and the second Japanese (after Chiharu Igaya) to win any medal at the Winter olympics. Previously he placed second at the 1970 World Championships and won the first three jumping events at the 1971/72 Four Hills Tournament. He also took part in the 1964, 1968, and 1976 Olympics and served as the Olympic flag bearer for Japan in 1976 and 1998.[1]

Kasaya took up ski jumping at the Taketsuru facility in his native Yoichi, which was built by the founder of Nikka Whisky Distilling Masataka Taketsuru. The facility was renamed after Kasaya in 1972.[2] Kasaya was a long-term employee of the Nikka distillery, eventually becoming its section head.[3]

Kasaya died of heart failure in Sapporo on April 23, 2024, at the age of 80.[4]

  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Yukio Kasaya". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2020-04-17.
  2. ^ Taketsuru. skisprungschanzen.com
  3. ^ Fröhliche Fassade. Der Spiegel (February 16, 1998)
  4. ^ "笠谷幸生さん死去 80歳 札幌冬季五輪ジャンプ金 「日の丸飛行隊」エース". hokkaido-np.co.jp. 26 April 2024. Retrieved 25 April 2024.