Akitsugu Konno

If the victory of Yukio Kasaya on the normal hill at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo was not wholly unexpected, Akitsugu Konno’s silver medal in the same event was much more of a surprise. Whilst Kasaya had dominated the preceding Four Hills Tournament in Europe, Konno had not posted a top 10 finish in the three events he had contested and was not expected to match his more illustrious colleague. Jumping early in the competition at Sapporo he held the lead in the first round before being beaten by two of his countryman but then a long second jump moved him ahead of Seiji Aochi and into second place. The clean sweep of the podium places made a lasting impact on Japanese sports lovers and ensured his fame for the following decades. Konno was amongst the bearers of the Olympic Flag when the Games returned to Japan in 1998. After his retirement from sport he worked for a bank.