Olympic Guide: 2026 Ski Jumping Is Not a Good Sport For Americans
Olympic ski jumping will be interesting to watch, but it is not a good sport for the Americans. The men and women are ranked 25th and 26th in the World Cup standings, respectively. As ski jumping is a foreign sport to most Americans, this article will focus on a review of the rules of the sport. Do you think the Americans will win a medal in Olympic ski jumping?
Top Ski Jumpers In the World Cup Standings
The ski jumping competition at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics will feature six events: three for men, two for women, and one mixed event. The competition will take place from Feb. 7 to Feb. 16. Both the men and women will jump on the large hill and the normal hill. There will be a team event for the men, then a mixed event with men and women.
In ski jumping, there will be ski jumping in the Olympics on both the normal and large hill. The so-called K-point (or the point of the hill where it begins to flatten out) of the normal hill ranges from 85 meters to 99 meters, while the K-point of the large hill ranges from 100 meters to 180 meters. A fact not well-known about ski jumping is that the size of the hills is not standard.
Additionally, the number of points awarded for every meter a jumper travels beyond the K-point varies slightly between hills. Athletes receive more points for every meter traveled on the normal hill. The Olympic normal hill is 98 meters, and the large hill is 128 meters.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is reasonable to ask how ski jumping is scored. Jumpers are scored primarily on distance and style, though points are added or deducted based on the wind and gate factor. A jumper also needs to land in a telemark landing. That is, with knees slightly bent, and one ski in front of the other. Arms need to be extended out to the side.
Distance is measured on the landing hill from the take-off point to the exact place where the jumper’s feet touch the landing slope. Video cameras record the distance of each jump, and then the distance is translated into distance points.
A panel of five judges awards style points to jumpers on a scale of 0 to 20, and the highest and lowest scores are eliminated. Points are added when there are less favorable wind conditions; likewise, if there is a headwind, giving athletes more lift, points are subtracted.
Gate adjustments also affect scores. Points are reduced for a higher starting gate, while points are added for a lower starting gate. Coaches or a technical jury can adjust an athlete’s starting gate before a run.
Top Contenders In Olympic Ski Jumping
The best ski jumpers according to the World Cup standings are Solvian and Japanese. For the men, Domen Prevc of Slovenia is the top-ranked jumper in the World Cup standings. Ryoyu Kobayashi of Japan is second. Ren Nikaido from Japan is third. Jason Colby of the United States is ranked 26th.
For the women, Nika Prevc of Slovenia is first. Nozomi Maruyama of Japan is ranked second. Lisa Eder of Austria is third. Annika Belshaw of the United States is 25th in the World Cup standings for ski jumping.
Parting Shots
One would expect that those ranked high in the World Cup standings would be the favorites for medals at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics. Because ski jumping is a bit of a foreign sport for Americans, the basic rules and how the event is scored are included as well.
