Japanese ski jumping legends joined in hailing Ryoyu Kobayashi for becoming the first jumper from Japan in 24 years to top the Olympic podium while also ending the nation's half-century drought on the normal hill with his gold medal triumph on Sunday.
Ski Association of Japan Director Masahiko Harada, who won a gold medal in the team event on the large hill at his home Olympics in Nagano in 1998, said Kobayashi is a hero to a new generation of men's ski jumpers in Japan.
"It's a gold medal that marks the start of a new page in history, different from my generation," Harada said.