Yukio Kasaya facts for kids

Yukio Kasaya receiving silver medal at the 1970 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships

Kasaya on a stamp of Ajman
Quick facts for kids Personal information
Born	(1943-08-17) August 17, 1943 (age 80) Yoichi, Hokkaido, Japan
Height	170 cm
Weight	66 kg
Sport
Sport	Ski jumping
Club	Meiji University Nikka Whisky Distilling
Medal record Men's ski jumping Representing  Japan Olympic Games Gold 1972 Sapporo Individual normal hill World Championships Silver 1970 Vysoké Tatry Individual normal hill

Kasaya on a 1972 stamp of Umm al-Quwain

Yukio Kasaya (笠谷 幸生, Kasaya Yukio, born August 17, 1943) is a Japanese former 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 Olympics flag bearer for Japan in 1976 and 1998.

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. Kasaya was a long-term employee of the Nikka distillery, eventually becoming its section head.