Hiroya Saito
Hiroya Saitō (Japanese斉 藤 浩 哉, Saitō Hiroya; born September 1, 1970 in Yoichi, Hokkaidō ) is a former Japanese ski jumper with the company Yukijirushi Nyūgyō.
Life and performance
Saitō made his World Cup debut at the Ski Jumping in Sapporo his home on December 14, 1991, where he came right away in the top 50 and thus qualified for the main draw. But his first World Cup points, he gained almost 2 years later in Oberstdorf at the Four Hills Tournament 1993. It took again again almost two years until he could retract his first top ten result. In early 1995 he reached on the normal hill the good 6th place, on the hill, where he made his debut ( Sapporo ). This good result secured him a place at the World Cup, he justified this place with a sensational second place on the normal hill, only beaten by his teammate Takanobu Okabe. Also in the team, the Japanese could " pick up " with the 3rd place medal.
His first World Cup podium finish he celebrated his victory on the normal hill in Chamonix end of 1995. Saitō was from now on a constant top 10 Springer, the 1997 silver in the team competition ersprang his third World Championship medal. In the overall World Cup and Four Hills Tournament In 1997 he was fifth, respectively. In Ski Jumping World Cup discipline he occupied the third place overall. In the Four Hills Tournament 1998 Saitō was finishing second in Oberndorf and third place in Garmisch -Partenkirchen on the podium. But at the last jump in Bischofshofen he could as 35 do not qualify for the second round and fell back to 13th. His greatest achievement is undoubtedly the victory at the 1998 Olympics on home soil in Nagano, where you distanced the competition by almost 40 points.
In the years that followed did not succeed Saitō to build on the achievements of the years 1996 to 1998. In 1999, the top 10 places more the exception than the rule and 2000 to qualify for the first 30 was already a problem. His last competition outside of Japan, he played at the season final in 2000 in Slovenia Planica. He was ranked 15 in ski flying. On 26 January 2002, he started in Sapporo last time in a World Cup competition. Saito's last international competition was on 13 March 2003, the Continental Cup competition in Yamagata.
In the same month he was coach of the ski team Yukijirushi Nyūgyō and in April 2006, head coach.
Saitō can in his career 16 World Cup podiums, two World Cup victories ( in Chamonix and Willingen ), show three World Cup medals and an Olympic gold medal.