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"We both hate to lose, so watching each other is a great source of motivation."

Ski Club NC (Nordic Combined) Chief
Yuna Kasai, 4th year, School of Sport Sciences
Ski Club Vice President
Haruka Kasai, 4th year, School of Sport Sciences

At the dining hall of the Waseda University Ski Club training camp (Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture). From left, Yuna and Haruka, with their medals from the 2025 World Championships.

Nordic combined* is a competition that tests ski jumping and cross-country skiing skills. Yuna and Haruka Kasai are active on the world stage in this demanding sport, which requires mastery of two different disciplines. At the FIS Nordic Combined World Ski Championships, held in Trondheim, Norway in February and March 2025, Yuna became the first Japanese to win a gold medal, while Haruka won a bronze, achieving the remarkable feat of twins reaching the podium together! For a long time, Nordic combined has only been a men's sport, and women's skiing has yet to be included in the Olympic Games. We spoke to the pair about their thoughts and motivations regarding the sport, as well as their student life, as they pursue their dream of winning a gold medal at the 2030 Winter Olympics, with the hope of having ski jumping included as an official event.

*A competition in which skiers compete for rankings based on their results in two events: ski jumping, in which skiers jump off a jump ramp and compete for flight style and distance, and cross-country skiing, in which skiers move down a snowy course and compete for time.

-What made you decide to focus on Nordic combined?

Yuna: I started ski jumping when I was in the third grade of elementary school, influenced by my aunt who was a ski jumper. After that, I started cross-country skiing as part of my training, but the turning point came when I took part in a mixed Nordic combined competition in the sixth grade of elementary school. I beat the boys to win, and the joy of that and the sense of accomplishment I felt when I crossed the finish line made me realize the joy of competition.

Haruka: I wasn't very proactive (laughs). When I was little, I would accompany Yuna to her jumping practice, and with the encouragement of those around me, I naturally started ski jumping. At first, I was even afraid to jump from the small ski platform... Even when I entered junior high school, I had no intention of doing Nordic combined. But then, at one Nordic combined competition, Yuna won and I finished second, and I felt I had an aptitude for the sport, so I decided to continue. Looking back, I think Yuna influenced me a lot.

In the mixed-gender competition they participated in as fifth-graders, Yuna (third from the right) placed 8th and Haruka (far right) placed 10th.

--What has been the most memorable experience in your competitive career so far?

Yuna: The 2025 World Championships. I was happy to be the first Japanese to win a gold medal, but I was especially impressed by the fact that Haruka and I were able to stand on the podium together at an international competition. Our twin stand on the podium together caused quite a stir, and we were featured in the media both in Japan and overseas.

Haruka: I was also very impressed by the joy and shock of standing on the podium at this World Championships. However, I personally feel regretful about the result of only receiving the bronze medal, just like the last time we won in 2023, so I strongly feel that I want to work hard and aim for the gold medal in the future.

A photo of Yuna (left) and Haruka (right) winning first and third place at the 2025 World Championships.

Haruka: Another thing that left an impression on me was when I was a third-year high school student and I made it onto the podium in two consecutive competitions, the Junior World Championships and my debut match at the World Cup.

The year before, when I was a second-year high school student, was the first year that the Women's Nordic Combined World Championships were held, but while Yuna was selected to represent Japan, I was not selected. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic prevented me from practicing as much as I wanted. I felt depressed and wanted to quit skiing, so I took a break from skiing for a while. Then, when I saw Yuna competing on TV, I gradually felt frustrated and motivated to try harder. That frustration led to two podium finishes the following year, so it was a major turning point for me.

Yuna: Actually, just as Haruka was starting to get better in her third year of high school, I found myself unable to compete. I could still jump, but I couldn't finish the cross-country runs, and I ended up hyperventilating and having to be taken away by ambulance or helicopter ambulance several times. Like Haruka, I took a break from skiing for a while, but then I entered university and my surroundings changed completely, which was a turning point for me: I was able to change my attitude. Seeing my ski club members working hard in different sports was a big inspiration for me, and I started to think, "I want to ski again."

Left: Yuna in 2020, when she participated in the World Cup for the first time as a second-year high school student.
Photo on the right: Haruka (far left) when she stood on the podium at the World Championships in 2021 as a third-year high school student.

--What do you think is great about being twins and continuing to play the same sport, and how do you feel about your relationship with each other?

Haruka: I guess the best thing is having a training partner nearby. We can freely give each other honest advice about technical things like jumps, and also, the peace of mind of having my family by my side when I travel overseas is really reassuring mentally.

Yuna: We don't usually discuss everything frequently, but I think that's what keeps us at a comfortable distance. We both hate to lose, so when we see each other, it motivates us to practice harder.

Haruka: I also think that by competing as twins in women's Nordic combined, a minor sport, we can double our influence and draw attention from around the world. Our goal is to have it included in the Olympic Games and win a gold medal, so I think it's important to attract the attention of as many people as possible and achieve results.

-Why did you decide to enroll at Waseda University?

Yuna

Haruka: The main reason was that my senior, Ayane Miyazaki (graduated School of Sport Sciences in 2025), who I have been training with since the first women's Nordic combined national team was formed in 2017, was continuing my studies at the university.

Yuna: In addition to being able to practice with my seniors at university, I was also attracted to Waseda because it provides an environment where I can concentrate on my sport. By interacting with people from various sports through student life and dorm life, I am able to receive good stimulation from those around me, and I feel that the classes on nutrition, sports injury prevention, conditioning, etc. are also useful for my actual competition.

Haruka: We both belong to Professor Seiji Maeda 's seminar on physiology. The topic of our graduation thesis is "Athletes' Pre-Game Routines," and we are currently conducting surveys on the same topic among top athletes around us.

Yuna: My graduation thesis is on the topic of "How does an athlete's sleep before a match affect their performance the next day?" and I'm actually using myself as a guinea pig for my research. It's something I've wondered about while competing myself, so I'm really looking forward to the results.

--Please tell us your future goals.

Haruka

Haruka: I recently suffered a serious injury during a jump at a competition, which means it will be difficult for me to compete this season, so I will first focus on rehabilitation and aim to return in the summer of 2026. I also hope that skating will be included in the 2030 Winter Olympics, where I hope to win a gold medal, and my goal is to win a gold medal at the World Championships.

Yuna: My biggest goal is to win a gold medal at the 2030 Winter Olympics. I also want to win the overall World Cup and the World Championships for the second consecutive year.

909th

Interview, text and photography: Waseda Weekly Reporter (SJC student staff)
Nanami Yoneda, 3rd year, School of Social Sciences