Kenji Ogiwara
Quick Facts
Biography
Kenji Ogiwara (荻原 健司, Ogiwara Kenji) (born 20 December 1969) is a former Japanese 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.