Yukio Kasaya

{{Short description|Japanese ski jumper (1943–2024)}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name =

| image = Yukio Kasaya 2018.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Kasaya in 2018

| birth_name =

| fullname =

| nationality =

| residence =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1943|8|17}}

| birth_place = Ōe Village, Japan

| death_date = {{death date and age|2024|4|23|1943|8|17}}

| death_place = Sapporo, Japan

| height = 170 cm

| weight = 66 kg

| country =

| sport = Ski jumping

| club = Meiji University
Nikka Whisky Distilling

| retired = 1976

| olympics =

| highestranking =

| pb =

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalSport | Men's ski jumping }}

{{MedalCountry | {{JPN}} }}

{{MedalCompetition | Olympic Games }}

{{MedalGold | 1972 Sapporo | Individual normal hill }}

{{MedalCompetition | World Championships }}

{{MedalGold | 1972 Sapporo | Individual normal hill }}

{{MedalSilver | 1970 Vysoké Tatry | Individual normal hill }}

}}

File:Yukio Kasaya 1972.jpg

{{Nihongo|Yukio Kasaya|笠谷 幸生|Kasaya Yukio|August 17, 1943 – April 23, 2024}} was a Japanese 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 Olympic flag bearer for Japan in 1976 and 1998.{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ka/yukio-kasaya-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417211233/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ka/yukio-kasaya-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-04-17 |title=Yukio Kasaya}}

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.[http://www.skisprungschanzen.com/EN/Ski+Jumps/JPN-Japan/01-Hokkaid%C5%8D/Yoichi/0387-Taketsuru/ Taketsuru]. skisprungschanzen.com Kasaya was a long-term employee of the Nikka distillery, eventually becoming its section head.[http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-7829554.html Fröhliche Fassade]. Der Spiegel (February 16, 1998)

Kasaya died of heart failure in Sapporo on April 23, 2024, at the age of 80.{{cite news |title=笠谷幸生さん死去 80歳 札幌冬季五輪ジャンプ金 「日の丸飛行隊」エース |url=https://www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/article/1005289/ |access-date=25 April 2024 |publisher=hokkaido-np.co.jp |date=26 April 2024}}