Close
Seattle Sports
Shows
Team News
Columns
Seattle Sports

Japan’s Kobayashi among favorites in wide-open ski jumping

Kevin Bickner speaks to a reporter after a training session on the 90-meter ski jump at the Olympic Ski Jumping Complex in Lake Placid, N.Y., Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021. Bickner won the U.S. trials last month, helping him earn a trip to the Olympics for the second time. The 25-year-old Bickner, who learned how to jump in suburban Chicago at the Norge Ski Club, finished 18th on the normal hill and 20th on the large hill at the Pyeongchang Games. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink) FILE - Poland's Kamil Stoch in action during the trail round at the first stage of the 70th Four Hills ski jumping tournament in Oberstdorf, Germany, Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021. Even World-class athletes who compete in ski jumping and a former Olympian paid to analyze the sport have no idea who will win gold in Beijing. Defending Olympic champion Kamil Stoch has an injured left leg that is knocking him out of World Cup competition this week in his native Poland and puts his status for the 2022 Winter Olympics up in the air. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File) FILE - Austria's Marita Kramer soars through the air during the women's ski jumping normal hill individual trail round at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021. Even World-class athletes who compete in ski jumping and a former Olympian paid to analyze the sport have no idea who will win gold in Beijing. Defending Olympic champion Kamil Stoch has an injured left leg that is knocking him out of World Cup competition this week in his native Poland and puts his status for the 2022 Winter Olympics up in the air.(AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File) Kevin Bickner soars through the air during the men's ski jumping competition at the Olympic Ski Jumping Complex in Lake Placid, N.Y., Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021. Bickner won the U.S. trials last month, helping him earn a trip to the Olympics for the second time. The 25-year-old Bickner, who learned how to jump in suburban Chicago at the Norge Ski Club, finished 18th on the normal hill and 20th on the large hill at the Pyeongchang Games.(AP Photo/Hans Pennink) FILE -Ryoyu Kobayashi of Japan soars through the air during his second trial jump at the third stage of the 70th Four Hills ski jumping tournament in Innsbruck, Austria, Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. Even World-class athletes who compete in ski jumping and a former Olympian paid to analyze the sport have no idea who will win gold in Beijing. Defending Olympic champion Kamil Stoch has an injured left leg that is knocking him out of World Cup competition this week in his native Poland and puts his status for the 2022 Winter Olympics up in the air. Japan's Ryoyu Kobayashi is the world's top-ranked ski jumper. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)
Japan’s Kobayashi among favorites in wide-open ski jumping