Ylijärvi, who started for Lahden Hiihtoseura , completed his first world cup competition on March 6, 1999 on his home hill in Lahti . He reached the 37th place and remained without World Cup points. He finished the following two World Cups in Kuopio in 42nd and 43rd places and was then accepted into the Continental Cup team. He won all of his first four competitions in the Continental Cup , two in Lahti and two in Kuusamo .
Thereupon he was called back to the A national team and surprisingly jumped to 14th place on the large hill on December 21, 2001 in Predazzo . In the second competition he was only 33rd and was just behind the points. On 24 January 2002 he reached on the large hill in Japanese Hakuba 12th place and thus also the highest individual placement in the Ski Jumping World Cup of his career. On January 27th he finished third with the team in Sapporo . He then only jumped in the Continental Cup and was only called into the national group for jumping in his home country Finland. On March 14, 2003 in Lahti, he won World Cup points.
On December 8, 2004 he took part in his last competition and ended his active ski jumping career.
Finland