Kenji Ogiwara

Kenji Ogiwara 荻原 健司
Country	Japan
Born	(1969-12-20) 20 December 1969 Kusatsu, Gunma, Japan
Medal record Men's nordic combined Representing Japan Olympic Games 1992 Albertville 3 x 10 km team 1994 Lillehammer 3 x 10 km team World Championships 1993 Falun 15 km individual 1993 Falun 3 x 10 km team 1995 Thunder Bay 4 x 5 km team 1997 Trondheim 15 km individual 1999 Ramsau 7.5 km sprint

Kenji Ogiwara (荻原 健司, Ogiwara Kenji) (born 20 December 1969) is a Japanese politician and former Nordic combined skier who won several medals at the Winter Olympics, the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, and the Holmenkollen ski festival.

He won gold medals in the Nordic combined team events at the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics. Ogiwara won two gold medals each in the 15 km individual (1993, 1997) and the team (3 x 10 km: 1993, 4 x 5 km: 1995) events and one bronze in the 7.5 km sprint (1999) at the Nordic skiing world championships. In 1995, Ogiwara won the Nordic combined event at the Holmenkollen ski festival.

Ogiwara received the Holmenkollen medal in 1995, becoming the first non-European and first Asian to ever receive the honor. At the 1998 Winter Olympics, he took the Athlete's Oath.

Ogiwara's twin brother Tsugiharu competed with him at the 1995 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Thunder Bay, Ontario, sharing a gold with him in the 4 x 5 km team event.

Ogiwara has also stood as candidate for Liberal Democratic Party. He ran for the Mayor of Nagano election, which was executed on October 31, 2021, won 98,711 votes, and was appointed Mayor of Nagano on November 11, 2021.

Filmography

• 11 Rebels (2024)

References

• Kenji Ogiwara at the International Ski and Snowboard Federation
• Holmenkollen medalists - click Holmenkollmedaljen for downloadable pdf file (in Norwegian)
• Holmenkollen winners since 1892 - click Vinnere for downloadable pdf file (in Norwegian)
• IOC 1998 Winter Olympics