Ski jumper Yuki Ito (32, representing Tsuchiya Home) has decided to retire from active competition at the conclusion of the 2026-27 season. The announcement was made by her team, Tsuchiya Home, on the 11th.
Ito has been a part of the Women’s World Cup since its inaugural season, achieving a total of 10 victories. She has represented Japan in four consecutive Olympic Games and has been a driving force in the country’s women’s ski jumping scene.
According to Tsuchiya Home, she has firmly resolved to end her competitive career in March 2027. The team stated, “She intends to spend her final season without regrets, while also making it a season of gratitude and giving back to everyone who has supported her.”
At the February Milan-Cortina Olympics, her fourth appearance, she was seen tearfully saying after the competition, “I’m happy to have been able to join the Olympics with my whole family for the last time.”
Ito’s comment is as follows: “I would like to announce that I will retire from competitive life at the end of the 2026-2027 season (March 2027). Since I first jumped from the Shimokawa ski jump at the age of 4, I feel I have been able to surpass my previous season’s self each year and jump even further. In those challenges, last season I achieved my goal of a 10th victory and fulfilled my dream of jumping from the Planica flying hill. I sincerely thank everyone for their warm support and for striving toward the world stage with me over the 13 years since I joined the company. This season, I will continue to challenge myself to surpass last season’s achievements, aiming for a medal at the World Championships and a world record on the flying hill, relentlessly pursuing being the world’s best until the very last jump!!”
Yuki Ito was born on May 10, 1994, in Shimokawa Town, Hokkaido. She began jumping at age 4 and joined Tsuchiya Home in April 2013 after graduating from Shimokawa Commercial High School. She made her World Cup debut in February 2012 in Hinzenbach. In 267 individual World Cup starts, she has 10 wins and 29 podium finishes. She has competed in nine consecutive World Championships, winning a gold medal in the mixed team event in 2013. Her family includes her parents and a younger brother.
