From the dawn of Chamonix 1924 to Milano Cortina 2026, everything about one of the most iconic sports of the Olympic Winter Games
Awe, wonder, emotion: in three words, ski jumping. One of the most iconic sport disciplines of the Olympic Winter Games, which will also be the star of Milano Cortina 2026. Part of the Olympic programme since Chamonix 1924, this sport has always been filled with unexpected scores and incredible moments, regardless of the edition, immortalising technical and athletic gestures of rare beauty, in true Olympic style.
The competition has provided some indelible Olympic moments over the years and the jumping events always end up being a unique show during the Olympic Winter Games.
History: from the early days to Milano Cortina 2026
The origins of ski jumping go back to the Norwegian Olaf Rye, who jumped 9.5 metres in 1808. Another Norwegian, Sondre Norheim, is considered to be the father of modern ski jumping: in 1866, he won what is known as the first ski jumping competition with prizes, which was also held in Norway.
Over the last hundred years, ski jumping has evolved enormously, with different jumping techniques allowing increasingly longer distances to be reached. In 1985, the Swede Jan Bokloev started jumping in a V-style. At first, this technique raised some concerns, but by 1992 all the Olympic medallists had embraced it. The progressive spread of this technique - which has now become the standard of ski jumping - lies in the fact that it increases the lift generated by the skis by 28%, and the jump length by 10% compared to parallel skis.
The sport discipline has been on the Olympic Winter Games programme since the first Games, in Chamonix 1924. The men's team event and the women's normal hill competition were included in Calgary 1988 and Sochi 2014, respectively.
Beijing 2022 saw the début of a new event, the Mixed Team event, while Milano Cortina 2026 will witness the introduction of the women's individual event on the large hill, and the men's Super Team replacing the men's Team Event.
Nations and athletes who went down in history
Norway, the country where this sport was born, is also the most decorated, with 35 Olympic medals, including 11 golds. Followed by two other European nations: Austria (6 golds, 25 medals in total) and Finland (10 golds, 22 metals in total).
Finland's Matti Nykanen is the jumper with the broadest Olympic record: 5 medals, including 4 golds and 1 silver. Switzerland's Simon Aamman has four gold medals to his credit, while the most medal-winning female jumper at the Olympics is Slovenia's Urša Bogataj, with two gold medals at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.
The men's reigning Olympic champions are Japan's Ryoyu Kobayashi on the NH, and Norway's Marius Lindvik on the LH. The Beijing 2022 Mixed Team event was won by Slovenia, while the Men's Team Event was won by Austria.
Ryoyu Kobayashi, Japan, Ski Jumping, Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022
The Predazzo hill, hosting the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026
The XXV Olympic Winter Games ski jumping events will take place in Predazzo, Val di Fiemme. Predazzo and ski jumping are linked by more than four decades of history, three Nordic World Ski Championships, and a long tradition of World Cup competitions, the last of which was held in November 2020, with German Karl Geiger's victory. The Ski Jumping Stadium is one of the symbols of the most populous town in Val di Fiemme, an area that has always been linked to the world of sport.
In addition to being the gateway to the Paneveggio Pale di San Martino Nature Reserve, with its marvellous biodiversity and the world-famous excellence of the resonance spruces - which are still used today to make musical instruments (Stradivarius violins above all) - Predazzo is a crucial crossroads towards the nearby Fassa Valley, and the valley floor access point to the slopes and attractions of the Ski Center Latemar, a famous ski resort.
It is the perfect location to host one of the most eagerly awaited events of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
