Getty Image / Bjoern Reichert / NordicFocus
Japanese ski jumper Ryōyū Kobayashi has made history by setting a new ski jump world record of 291 meters, about 954 feet, during an attempt in Iceland where he also landed attempts of 256 meters, 259 meters, and 282 meters.
The footage of Kobayashi’s new ski jump world record is insane. He’s soaring through the air longer like a bird for almost 10 seconds. But the FIS (International Ski and Snowboard Federation) which is the governing body for skiing and snowboarding worldwide, is refusing to certify it as a new record because there weren’t other skiers competing against him in this competition.
Here is the video of via Ryōyū Kobayashi’s record-setting jump YouTube Shorts, it can also be found on Meta’s Threads:
The FIS “manages the Olympic disciplines of Alpine Skiing, Cross-Country Skiing, Ski Jumping, Nordic Combined and Freestyle Skiing and Snowboarding, including setting the international competition rules.” So ultimately, they will be the ones to certify this record within the sport. However, there is no denying that he set a new world record for the longest ski jump ever landed, even if they refuse to recognize it as official.
In a statement, the FIS wrote “the PR campaign by drinks manufacturer Red Bull caused a huge stir, but the Japanese skier’s flight will not be considered a world record. An enormous effort had been made in Iceland for Kobayashi’s flight, the provisional ski jump was hermetically sealed off during the spectacle and is now to be dismantled again immediately Kobayashi had originally aimed for the 300 meter mark, but after 291 meters it was over and enough was enough.”
They then explained why it won’t be certified, writing “All official ski jumping and ski flying events are based on the FIS ICRs (The International Ski Competition Rules). These regulations ensure that a competition with usually two rounds under comparable conditions for the entire starting field determines the best athletes.”
The statement went on to say “Ryoyu Kobayashi’s jumps in Iceland did not take place under competition conditions and in line with the FIS regulations. They showcase an extraordinary athlete’s performance under very special conditions but cannot be compared to a FIS Ski Flying World Cup, as both the start date and the entire project are tailored to a single athlete and therefore ultimately to a single jump/flight.”
To recap that, they are saying that his world record ski jump didn’t meet their requirements because there was only one person attempting the jumps. However, he demolished the existing world record of 253.5 meters (for men) and in the eyes of the people this is 100% a new world record, even if they have decided their world record criteria is different from every other world record attempt on earth.