He does it like everyone else. Ryoyu Kobayashi has been sitting up there for months, watched by the coaches, the media and the viewers on the television. He now tries to ignore disturbing thoughts. Then he drops into the track, descends, squatting low as usual, jumps off and lands again with a shake of his head. It’s the loser’s routine, it’s been that way since the beginning of fall. Ryoyu Kobayashi, the outstanding jumper of this time, is not moving.
The Four Hills Tournament came to an end with the Three Kings jumping, it was already clear in advance that this time Kobayashi is not one of the jumpers who will be led from camera to camera in press conferences after the tour final on Friday evening. From Innsbruck he traveled to Bischofshofen in 19th place, 272.6 points behind the leading Norwegian Granerud, which corresponds to 151 meters – a calculation that hardly interests anyone who has been struggling in form for a long time. In the end he was 18th overall.
Kobayashi has other concerns. Although he still has to do certain tasks as Japan’s best and team leader. He answers the few questions succinctly and politely, then he leaves the circle and devotes himself to everyday life: eating, sleeping and – says his translator and also tour companion Markus Neitzel – training.
Work and diligence – the solution does not always lead to success
Neitzel says that when asked what the problem is, Kobayashi often gives the same answer. The outstanding tour winner of previous years, who recently won the most recent edition in 2022 with three wins and a fifth place in Bischofshofen, explains: “I haven’t trained enough.” According to Neitzel, this is not just an empty phrase, but an expression of the Japanese mentality. Defeats would only prove that there is still room for improvement, that you have to work harder, that would be the best way.
Beautiful flyer: Last January, Ryoyu Kobayashi almost became the first athlete to win the second Grand Slam at the Four Hills Tournament – this time he was far away from the podium in the first three jumps.
(Photo: Matthias Schrader/AP)
Kobayashi isn’t the only one who has a puzzling problem with getting off on time, which is the problem for most short jumpers. Peter Prevc, the Slovenian top jumper of the tens and winner of the Four Hills in 2016, has not had any success this season either. He was 22nd in the overall standings after Innsbruck, his brother Domen was 26th. The Norwegian Daniel Andre Tande is also behind, although he suffered a serious fall almost two years ago. And, not to forget, Markus Eisenbichler from Siegsdorf, who had already thought about leaving the tour before he got along better in Garmisch and has been making progress since then.
Most of these seekers, but also the satisfied rest of the team, are prescribed by the trainers to be distracted from time to time. This can free the thoughts of pessimism and develop new strengths. That’s why the Europeans sometimes send their long-term jumpers to driving safety training for road traffic, to bowling or even to ice stock sport on the rest day. The Japanese, meanwhile, Neitzel observes, are more likely to train. This principle is rarely abandoned when it has to be: For example last winter, when Kobayashi tested positive for the corona virus at the start of the season and spent five days alone in a hotel room. Without weight machines, without a hill with inrun, track and jump. After that, as his translator remembers, it felt a bit like vacation for the disciplined top athlete. Kobayashi said: “That was good for me.”
Naoki Nakamura offers an alternative to traditional ski jumping careers
Sudden slumps in form happen to athletes from all associations, and they too struggle with their impatience. But Kobayashi carries an additional burden. “Japan’s society is structured vertically,” says Neitzel. This means that structures are often formed beyond fixed hierarchies, at the top of which one must be the boss. And that means: In addition to his job of making a successful jump, Kobayashi also has the job of the leader of the pack, behind which the others can hide.
One of them is Naoki Nakamura from Rumoi/Hokkaido, who is just demonstrating that this traditional form of sport, which has already brought plenty of success, still has an alternative. Nakamura lives in Western Europe and recently moved to Bad Reichenhall. He is part of the team but goes his own way. Instead of the warm nest, he has sought a certain degree of independence and is now training as a single jumper – who is not alone after all. Because Nakamura, who has to finance a large part of his life himself, is a crowdfunder on his website after the jump. As soon as possible, i.e. already in the mixed zone, he turns on the camera and takes his followers with him.
That doesn’t seem to matter to Ryoyu Kobayashi. He’s working, and right now he’s working his way back up the hills bit by bit. Run-up, take-off, flight, landing – day after day. Maybe it won’t be long – he finished eighth in the qualification for Bischofshofen, although it was only enough for position 17 in the competition.