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Iran’s missile attack: Ski jumping star stuck in Dubai
March 1, 2026 – 11:19 a.mReading time: 1 min.
Ren Nikaido actually just wants to travel to Austria for the ski jumping competitions. But this turns into an odyssey – and the Japanese lands in the middle of a dangerous region.
The three-time Olympic medalist Ren Nikaido experiences an involuntary odyssey on the way to the Ski Jumping World Cup in Bad Mitterndorf. After a technical breakdown on his flight in Tokyo and a rebooking, the 24-year-old Japanese is now stuck in Dubai, where the airspace is closed due to the current hostilities in the Gulf region.
Nikaido, who won one silver and two bronze medals in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, originally planned just a few days of recovery in Japan before traveling to the World Cup in Austria during the week. At Narita Airport in Tokyo, this plan failed when his flight was canceled due to technical problems. The night flight ban there forced the ski jumper to further postpone his departure.
This delay had serious consequences: The Japanese missed both the qualification at the Kulm on Friday and the first World Cup ski flying on Saturday. His alternative route via Dubai then brought further problems – first his luggage didn’t arrive. Then Iran’s missiles struck in retaliation for military strikes by the US and Israel.
At least Nikaido was still able to report some positive things. “I finally have a room,” the 24-year-old announced on Instagram on Saturday evening after he was able to leave the mega airport in the United Arab Emirates. It is currently unclear when the airspace in the Gulf region will be reopened and Nikaido can continue its journey to the competitions.
