John Balfanz

John Balfanz (June 23, 1940 in Minneapolis – November 11, 1991 in Denver) was an American ski jumper who competed in the 1964 Winter Olympics and in the 1968 Winter Olympics.

Balfanz started ski jumping at age six, and won his first ski jumping competition the next year. By the time he was 15 he was the Central US Junior Champion.

He served in the US Army from 1957 to 1959. After his service, he resumed training in ski jumping and became a member of the 1962 FIS World team. In 1963, he set the hill record on the famous Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway. In 1965, he set a North American distance record of 325 feet at Iron Mountain, Michigan. At the time, he compiled the best international record of any American ski jumper in history.