Kazuyoshi Funaki
Encyclopedia
, born April 27, 1975 in Yoichi, Hokkaido
) is a Japanese ski jumper
.
He ranked among the most successful sportsmen of its discipline, particularly in the 1990s. Funaki is known for his special variant of the V-style technique, where the body lies flat.
Funaki began ski jumping at the age of eleven. His birthplace Yoichi is also the home of Yukio Kasaya
, who was a Japanese national hero with his Normal Hill victory in the 1972 Winter Olympics
at Sapporo
. Kasaya was also Funaki's model.
Funaki had his first World Cup appearance on December 20, 1992 in Sapporo. His first World Cup victory was achieved on December 10, 1994 in the normal hill at Planica
, Slovenia
. Several weeks later, he was leading the Four Hills Tournament
in total tour points after the third event. In the second part of the last event at Bischofshofen
, he had the longest jump of 131.5 meters, but fell during the landing - and the overall tour victory went to Austria
n Andreas Goldberger
, and Funaki finished second.
Altogether Funaki won 15 World Cup career victories, his last on February 5, 2005 at Sapporo. He achieved his best results in the 1997/98 season with a second rank in the World Cup rankings. In that season he also won the Four Hills Tournament
.
In 1997, Funaki won the ski jumping event at the Holmenkollen ski festival
. He also won the FIS Ski-Flying World Championships 1998
in Oberstdorf
.
The high point of his career was in the 1998 Winter Olympic Games
at Nagano. In front of his local crowd, Funaki won the individual gold medal on the individual large Hill, the team large hill gold medal, and the individual normal hill silver medal behind the Finn
Jani Soininen
. During those games, he became only the second person to ever achieve perfect marks from all five judges (20 points is the highest attainable mark), following Toni Innauer
who had achieved this masterpiece already in 1976 and preceding Sven Hannawald
(2003), Hideharu Miyahira
(2003) and Wolfgang Loitzl
(2009). In honor of these achievements, he represented Asia in carrying the Olympic Flag during the opening ceremonies of the next Winter Olympics
, in Salt Lake City
.
At the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
, he became the world champion of the individual normal hill in 1999 at Ramsau
, Austria. And together with the Japanese team, he placed 2nd in the Team large hill in 1997, 1999 and 2003.
For his ski jumping successes, Funaki received the Holmenkollen medal
in 1999.
In recent times, Funaki is only moderately successful despite some opportunities for successes. In the 2004/05 season, he finished 13th in the World Cup standing.
Funaki lives today in Slovenia
and does not train any more with the Japanese team. Unlike all other Japanese ski jumpers, he does not belong to any team, and is an independent entrepreneur.
Yoichi, Hokkaido
is a town located in the Yoichi District, Shiribeshi, Hokkaidō, Japan.-Demographics:As of 2008, the population of Yoichi is estimated to be 21,908 with a density of 162.21 persons per km². The total area of Yoichi is 140.60 km². The climate is mild , with temperatures ranging from -6°C to...
) is a Japanese ski jumper
Ski jumping
Ski jumping is a sport in which skiers go down a take-off ramp, jump and attempt to land as far as possible down the hill below. In addition to the length of the jump, judges give points for style. The skis used for ski jumping are wide and long...
.
He ranked among the most successful sportsmen of its discipline, particularly in the 1990s. Funaki is known for his special variant of the V-style technique, where the body lies flat.
Funaki began ski jumping at the age of eleven. His birthplace Yoichi is also the home of Yukio Kasaya
Yukio Kasaya
Yukio Kasaya is a former Japanese ski jumper. He was one of the most successful ski jumpers of the late 1960s and the early 1970s. At the 1970 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships at Vysoké Tatry, Czechoslovakia, he finished 2nd in the individual normal hill behind Gariy Napalkov...
, who was a Japanese national hero with his Normal Hill victory in the 1972 Winter Olympics
1972 Winter Olympics
The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from February 3 to February 13, 1972 in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan...
at Sapporo
Sapporo, Hokkaido
is the fourth-largest city in Japan by population, and the largest city on the island of Hokkaido. It is the capital of Hokkaidō Prefecture, located in Ishikari Subprefecture, and an ordinance-designated city of Japan....
. Kasaya was also Funaki's model.
Funaki had his first World Cup appearance on December 20, 1992 in Sapporo. His first World Cup victory was achieved on December 10, 1994 in the normal hill at Planica
Planica
Planica is an alpine valley in northwestern Slovenia, extending south from the border village of Rateče, not far from another well-known ski resort, Kranjska Gora. Further south, the valley extends into the Tamar Valley, a popular hiking destination in Triglav National Park.Planica is famous for...
, Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
. Several weeks later, he was leading the Four Hills Tournament
Four Hills Tournament
The Four Hills Tournament is composed of four Ski Jumping World Cup events and has taken place in Germany and Austria each year since 1952.The Four Hills Tournament champion is the one who gets the most points over the four events...
in total tour points after the third event. In the second part of the last event at Bischofshofen
Bischofshofen
Bischofshofen is a city located in the Salzach valley in the Alps, in the District of Pongau, in Salzburgerland, Austria.The city is an important railway hub and lies at the Tauernautobahn, a highway route through the Alps....
, he had the longest jump of 131.5 meters, but fell during the landing - and the overall tour victory went to Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n Andreas Goldberger
Andreas Goldberger
Andreas Goldberger is a former ski jumper.He was one of the best in his sport during the 1990s...
, and Funaki finished second.
Altogether Funaki won 15 World Cup career victories, his last on February 5, 2005 at Sapporo. He achieved his best results in the 1997/98 season with a second rank in the World Cup rankings. In that season he also won the Four Hills Tournament
Four Hills Tournament
The Four Hills Tournament is composed of four Ski Jumping World Cup events and has taken place in Germany and Austria each year since 1952.The Four Hills Tournament champion is the one who gets the most points over the four events...
.
In 1997, Funaki won the ski jumping event at the Holmenkollen ski festival
Holmenkollen ski jump
Holmenkollbakken is a large ski jumping hill located at Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway. It has a hill size of HS134, a construction point of K-120, and a capacity for 30,000 spectators. Holmenkollen has hosted the Holmenkollen Ski Festival since 1892, which since 1980 have been part of the FIS Ski...
. He also won the FIS Ski-Flying World Championships 1998
FIS Ski-Flying World Championships 1998
The FIS Ski-Flying World Ski Championships 1998 took place on 25 January 1998 in Oberstdorf, Germany for the record-tying fourth time, matching that of Planica, Slovenia. Oberstdorf hosted the championships previously in West Germany in 1973, 1981, and 1988...
in Oberstdorf
Oberstdorf
Oberstdorf is a municipality and skiing and hiking town in southwest Germany, located in the Allgäu region of the Bavarian Alps.At the center of Oberstdorf is a church whose tall spire serves as a landmark for navigating around town. The summits of the Nebelhorn and Fellhorn provide...
.
The high point of his career was in the 1998 Winter Olympic Games
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
at Nagano. In front of his local crowd, Funaki won the individual gold medal on the individual large Hill, the team large hill gold medal, and the individual normal hill silver medal behind the Finn
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
Jani Soininen
Jani Soininen
Jani Markus Soininen is a former Finnish ski jumper who competed from 1992 to 2001. He won two medals the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, earning a gold in the individual normal hill and a silver in the individual large hill.His biggest successes were at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships,...
. During those games, he became only the second person to ever achieve perfect marks from all five judges (20 points is the highest attainable mark), following Toni Innauer
Toni Innauer
Anton Innauer is an Austrian former ski jumper who competed during the late 1970s and early 1980s....
who had achieved this masterpiece already in 1976 and preceding Sven Hannawald
Sven Hannawald
Sven Hannawald is a former German ski jumper who competed from the mid 1990s to the mid 2000s. Hannawald won the Four Hills Tournament once. He also won four medals at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, as well as three medals each in the Olympic Winter Games and the FIS Ski-Flying World...
(2003), Hideharu Miyahira
Hideharu Miyahira
is a retired Japanese ski jumper.He competed from 1994 to 2006. He won four medals at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships with three silvers and one bronze .Miyahara competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, finishing 5th in the team...
(2003) and Wolfgang Loitzl
Wolfgang Loitzl
Wolfgang "Wuff" Loitzl is an Austrian ski jumper who has competed since 1997. He won seven medals at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships with six golds and one bronze .He earned a bronze medal in the team event at the FIS Ski-Flying World...
(2009). In honor of these achievements, he represented Asia in carrying the Olympic Flag during the opening ceremonies of the next Winter Olympics
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
, in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
.
At the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships have been held in various numbers and types of events since 1925 for men and since 1954 for women. Championship events include nordic skiing's three disciplines: cross-country skiing, ski jumping, and nordic combined...
, he became the world champion of the individual normal hill in 1999 at Ramsau
Ramsau am Dachstein
Ramsau am Dachstein is a municipality in the district of Liezen, state of Styria, Austria. It is also the name of the elevated plateau between the Dachstein range and the Enns valley on which this municipality is located....
, Austria. And together with the Japanese team, he placed 2nd in the Team large hill in 1997, 1999 and 2003.
For his ski jumping successes, Funaki received the Holmenkollen medal
Holmenkollen medal
The Holmenkollen medal is Norwegian skiing's highest award for competitors. It signifies top placings in international championships and other international events, including the Holmenkollen events....
in 1999.
In recent times, Funaki is only moderately successful despite some opportunities for successes. In the 2004/05 season, he finished 13th in the World Cup standing.
Funaki lives today in Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
and does not train any more with the Japanese team. Unlike all other Japanese ski jumpers, he does not belong to any team, and is an independent entrepreneur.
Victories
| Season | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1994-95 | December 10, 1994 |  PlanicaPlanica Planica is an alpine valley in northwestern Slovenia, extending south from the border village of Rateče, not far from another well-known ski resort, Kranjska Gora. Further south, the valley extends into the Tamar Valley, a popular hiking destination in Triglav National Park.Planica is famous for... |
| January 4, 1995 |  InnsbruckInnsbruck - Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus... |
|
| 1996-97 | December 14, 1996 |  HarrachovHarrachov Harrachov is a town on the Mumlava river in the northern Czech Republic, 300 m from the border with Poland. It is within the Krkonoše mountain range, about above sea level.-History:... |
| January 4, 1997 | Innsbruck Innsbruck - Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus... |
|
| March 12, 1997 |  KuopioKuopio Kuopio is a city and a municipality located in the region of Northern Savonia, Finland. A population of makes it the ninth biggest city in the country. The city has a total area of , of which is water and half forest... |
|
| March 14, 1997 |  OsloOslo Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King... |
|
| 1997-98 | December 29, 1997 |  OberstdorfOberstdorf Oberstdorf is a municipality and skiing and hiking town in southwest Germany, located in the Allgäu region of the Bavarian Alps.At the center of Oberstdorf is a church whose tall spire serves as a landmark for navigating around town. The summits of the Nebelhorn and Fellhorn provide... |
| January 1, 1998 | Ga-Pa Garmisch-Partenkirchen Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a mountain resort town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region, and the district is on the border with Austria... |
|
| January 4, 1998 | Innsbruck Innsbruck - Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus... |
|
| January 25, 1998 | Oberstdorf Oberstdorf Oberstdorf is a municipality and skiing and hiking town in southwest Germany, located in the Allgäu region of the Bavarian Alps.At the center of Oberstdorf is a church whose tall spire serves as a landmark for navigating around town. The summits of the Nebelhorn and Fellhorn provide... (SF) |
|
| March 21, 1998 | Planica Planica Planica is an alpine valley in northwestern Slovenia, extending south from the border village of Rateče, not far from another well-known ski resort, Kranjska Gora. Further south, the valley extends into the Tamar Valley, a popular hiking destination in Triglav National Park.Planica is famous for... |
|
| 1998-99 | January 10, 1999 |  EngelbergEngelberg Engelberg is a village in the canton of Obwalden in Switzerland. Engelberg has a population of . , 21.0% of the population was made up of foreign nationals.It is the leading mountain resort in central Switzerland... |
| January 24, 1999 |  Sapporo |
|
| March 6, 1999 | Lahti Lahti Lahti is a city and municipality in Finland.Lahti is the capital of the Päijänne Tavastia region. It is situated on a bay at the southern end of lake Vesijärvi about north-east of the capital Helsinki... |
|
| 2004-05 | February 5, 2005 | Sapporo |