Ski Jumping at the 2026 Winter Olympics

Ski jumping is one of the most visually dramatic sports at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Athletes race down a steep in-run track, launch themselves off a takeoff table, and fly through the air in a controlled, aerodynamic position before landing on a sloped hill far below. The sport combines courage, balance, timing, and precise body control. It may look like pure flight, but it is actually a highly technical event where small details make a huge difference.

A ski jump begins with the in-run, where the athlete builds speed while maintaining a low, stable position. At the takeoff, timing is critical. Jump too early or too late and the flight path suffers. Once airborne, jumpers use a V-style ski position, which helps generate lift and maximize distance. Body posture, ski angle, and stability in the air all affect how far and how smoothly an athlete travels.

Landing is just as important as the flight. Athletes aim for a telemark landing, where one ski is placed slightly ahead of the other, showing control and balance. Judges award style points based on the quality of the flight and the landing. A long jump with a poor landing can lose valuable points, while a slightly shorter jump with excellent style can move an athlete up the standings.

Weather conditions play a major role in ski jumping. Wind direction and speed can help or hurt a jumper in the air, so officials use compensation systems to adjust scores based on conditions. Gate adjustments can also change the start position on the in-run to keep the competition fair. Even with these systems, athletes must adapt quickly to changing conditions, which adds another layer of difficulty.

Ski jumping at the Olympics is both an individual and team sport. Athletes compete for personal medals, but they also represent their countries in team events where consistency across multiple jumpers is essential. The sport has a long Olympic tradition and is especially popular in countries with strong winter sports cultures, where ski jumping hills are major landmarks and athletes are national heroes.

Ski Jumping Medal Events

Men’s Normal Hill Individual
Men’s Large Hill Individual
Men’s Super Team
Women’s Normal Hill Individual
Women’s Large Hill Individual
Mixed Team

Each of these events awards gold, silver, and bronze medals.

Normal Hill Events

Normal hill competitions take place on a slightly smaller hill, which emphasizes technical precision and clean takeoffs. Because jumps are shorter than on the large hill, small differences in technique can have a bigger impact on the final standings.

In the men’s and women’s normal hill individual events, each athlete performs two jumps. Distances are measured, and judges award style points for flight and landing. The combined score from both jumps determines the final ranking. The mixed team event on the normal hill follows a team format, where male and female athletes from the same country each perform jumps that count toward a shared total score.

Large Hill Events

The large hill allows athletes to travel farther and often produces more dramatic flights. While technique is still essential, the larger hill can reward jumpers who combine strong takeoff power with stable, efficient positions in the air.

In the men’s large hill individual event, athletes again complete two scored jumps, with distance and style combined for a final total. The men’s team large hill event features teams of four jumpers. Each athlete performs jumps in multiple rounds, and all scores are added together. Consistency across the team is key, as one weak jump can cost a country a medal.

Team and Mixed Formats

Team events in ski jumping add a strategic and emotional element to the sport. Coaches must select athletes not only for their individual ability but also for their reliability under pressure. In the men’s team and mixed team events, every jump counts toward the nation’s final score, and the standings can change quickly from one round to the next.

The mixed team event highlights the growth of women’s ski jumping and brings an additional layer of excitement, as both male and female athletes contribute equally to the team result. These events showcase depth within national programs and often produce some of the most intense moments of the Olympic ski jumping competition.