Takanobu Okabe

(born 26 October 1970) is a Japanese former ski jumper.

Career His debut World Cup performance was on 16 December 1989 in Sapporo. Competing in three Winter Olympics, he won two medals in the team large hill event at the Winter Olympics with a silver in 1994 and a gold in 1998.

Okabe had his biggest successes at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, winning five medals. This included a gold in the individual normal hill (1995), a silver in the team large hill (1997), and three bronzes in the team large hill (1995, 2007, 2009).

Okabe has five individual World Cup victories, three of which came on flying hills. At the time of his latest win in Kuopio on March 10, 2009 he was, at the age of 38 years and 135 days, the oldest ski jumper to ever win a World Cup competition. This record has since been beaten by his compatriot Noriaki Kasai.

On 12 March 2014, the International Ski Federation announced his retirement.

World Cup

Standings Season Overall1989/90 — — N/A N/A N/A1990/91 — — — N/A N/A1992/93 24 — — N/A N/A1993/94 7 13 11 N/A N/A1994/95 5 19 N/A N/A1995/96 39 — — N/A 351996/97 4 4 25 61997/98 16 33 6 21 181998/99 38 30 — — 371999/00 33 — 31 37 332000/01 49 72 — — N/A2001/02 59 — N/A — N/A2002/03 — — N/A — N/A2004/05 49 — N/A 40 N/A2005/06 12 6 N/A 14 N/A2006/07 52 49 N/A 22 N/A2007/08 63 — N/A — N/A2008/09 28 — — 24 N/A2009/10 82 — — 63 N/A2011/12 — — — N/A N/A2012/13 — — — N/A N/A2013/14 — — — N/A N/A

Wins No. Season Date Location Hill Size1 1996/97 7 December 1996 Kuusamo Rukatunturi K120 (night) LH2 8 February 1997 Tauplitz/Bad Mitterndorf Kulm K185 FH3 22 March 1997 Planica Velikanka bratov Gorišek K185 FH4 1997/98 1 March 1998 Vikersund Vikersundbakken K175 FH5 2008/09 10 March 2009 Kuopio Puijo HS127 (night) LH