MILAN — It's a bird. It's a plane. It's … a ski jumper!
The high-flying sport returns at the2026 Winter Olympicsin Predazzo, Italy, with six events, including the debut of individual women's large hill and the men's super team.
It's been 102 years since an American ski jumper has made the podium at the Winter Olympics. Team USA's one and only ski jumping medal came in 1924 when American Anders Haugen won bronze in men's large hill individual in the inaugural Chamonix Winter Olympics. The U.S. was shut out at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Suzanne Schulting (NED) celebrates with Xandra Velzeboer (NED) and Yara van Kerkhof (NED) and Selma Poutsma (NED) after winning the women's 3000m relay final during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at Capital Indoor Stadium." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Jessie Diggins (USA) celebrates winning the silver medal in the women's cross-country skiing 30km freestyle during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at Zhangjiakou Cross-Country Centre." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Hein Otterspeer (NED) in the men's speed skating 1000m during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at National Speed Skating Oval." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Daeheon Hwang (KOR) celebrates after winning the men's 1500m final during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at Capital Indoor Stadium." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Iivo Niskanen (FIN) celebrates winning the gold medal in the men's cross country skiing 15km during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at Zhangjiakou Cross-Country Centre." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Frozen Focus: The intensity of Winter Olympic faces
When did ski jumping become a Winter Olympic sport?
Ski jumping was featured in the inaugural 1924 Chamonix Winter Olympics with men's large hill ski jump. Men's normal hill ski jump was added to the program at Innsbruck in 1964, while the men's team event was introduced at Calgary in 1988. Women's normal hill ski jump was added at Sochi in 2014, and the mixed team event was first contested at Beijing in 2022. Two new events are set to make their debut in 2026: Individual women's large hill event and the men's super team event.
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How does Olympic ski jumping work?
The high-flying sport features athletes launching themselves as far as they can off a ramp. The jump features four elements: In-run, takeoff, flight and landing. Don't forget about style points. Judges score athletes not only on their length and distance traveled, but also on their form throughout the entirety of the jump. The amount of jumps per event varies, but the end goal is the same. The highest combined score wins. There's six events:
Normal hill individual (men and women): Each athlete gets two jumps.
Large hill individual (men and women): Each athlete gets two jumps.
Super team (men): Each team, made up of two athletes, gets three jumps. This event replaces the traditional men's team event that was contested from 1988-2022.
Mixed team: Each team, made up of two men and two women, gets two jumps.
Top Team USA athletes
Kevin Bickner (men's large/normal hill): The 29-year-old briefly retired after the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics following a 39th-place finish in large hill and 43rd-place finish in normal hill, but he's returned to competition and is vying for his third Olympic appearance at Milano Cortina.
International landscape
Norway has the most gold (12) and overall medals (36) of any country, followed by Austria (27 overall medals) and Finland (22). Here's some international stars to keep an eye on:
Nika Prevc (women's large/normal hill): The 20-year-old Slovenian may be young, but she's already one of the most decorated ski jumpers of all time. Prevc is the reigning world champion in the normal and large hill events, becoming the first woman to win two individual gold medals at the same championship. Her resume is rounded out by two consecutive Crystal Globes, 35 individual World Cup wins (including 15 in one season) and a world record at 236 meters (774 feet). Is an Olympic gold medal next?
Daniel Tschofenig (men's large hill): The 23-year-old Austrian secured a Crystal Globe in the 2024–25 season and won the Four Hills Tournament. He's set to make his Olympic debut in Milano Cortina.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Ski jumping at 2026 Winter Olympics: How it works, what to know
