01/18、19/2014 World Cup in Zao

The Kuraray Cheering Squad traveled to the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup Ladies 2014 in Zao on January 18 and 19. Kuraray provides support for this competition, and a total of 80 people participated—mostly from the Tokyo, Niigata, Kashima, and Tsukuba bases—to see Sara (who was wearing a bib with the Kuraray Group logo) jump in person.

This venue is a good match for Sara; she won two consecutive victories there last year, so we expected great things of her. The conditions were harsh on both the first and second day, with strong winds and falling snow. In fact, the match was postponed for some time due to the strong wind. Even in the seats where the cheering squad was sitting, it was freezing cold and we were worried about the health of the athletes mounting the starting bar.

There was quite a commotion at the venue when Sara appeared on the starting bar! Sara is of small stature, but she has a big presence. She distinguished herself from the other athletes with an overwhelming jump that went beyond the K-point, winning two consecutive victories this year as well! The Kuraray Cheering Squad was very excited and satisfied.

*With her victory on January 19, Sara has won the World Cup a total of eight times this season and 17 times altogether, the largest number for an individual Japanese ski jumper.

The Kuraray Cheering Squad will continue supporting Sara!