Explained: Ski Jumping

Ski Jumping is a Winter Olympic staple, with athletes soaring through the air in an effort to score the most points on a jump, based primarily on distance and style.

It is considered one of the crown jewels of the Winter Olympics and was included in the original games in Chamonix in 1924.

There will be six Ski Jumping events at Milano Cortina 2026: Men’s Large Hill and Normal Hill, Women’s Large Hill and Normal Hill, Men’s Super Team and Mixed Team.

Here is everything you need to know about one of the most adrenaline-fuelled winter sports of them all. What is the history of Ski Jumping at the Winter Olympics?

Ski Jumping has been a Winter Olympic event since the first games in Chamonix in 1924, when Jacob Tullin Thams won gold.

Originally, there was only a Large Hill competition, until the Normal Hill event was added at the 1964 Innsbruck Games.

The Women’s Normal Hill event was added to the programme in 2014 when Carina Vogt came away with gold.

Milano Cortina will see the inaugural Women’s Large Hill take place.

What is the scoring system?

An athlete’s score includes four factors: distance, style, wind compensation and gate compensation.

The distance of the jump is measured relative to a K-point, or construction point, which varies from event to event and is located where the hill begins to flatten.

The K-point changes depending on the size of the hill, and at Milano Cortina, it is set at 98m for the Normal Hill and 128m for the Large Hill.

Landing exactly on the K-point achieves 60 points, with points being added for further jumps and deducted for shorter Jumps.

A panel of five judges scores each jump from 0-20 on style, with the highest and lowest scores being eliminated, meaning a jump can earn a maximum of 60 style points.

Athletes will try to land with one foot in front of the other with knees slightly bent, known as a Telemark landing. Failure to do so results in a points deduction.

Points are also added in less favourable wind conditions and deducted if the wind aids the jump.

Gate adjustments also affect the score. A higher gate will deduct points, and a lower gate will increase points.

What is the difference between Large Hill and Normal Hill?

Large Hill and Normal Hill differ in size. Typically, the K-point in Large Hill is between 100m and 180m, whereas in Normal Hill it ranges from 85m to 99m.

This is because athletes pick up more speed on the large hill, therefore jumping further.

What is the Olympic record for the longest jump?

Men’s Normal Hill: Robert Johansson (NOR), 113.5m, PyeongChang 2018

Men’s Large Hill: Gregor Schlierenzauer, 146.5m, Vancouver 2010

Women’s Normal Hill: Maren Lundby, 110.0m, PyeongChang 2018

How does the men’s Super Team work?

New to the Olympics at Milano Cortina, the Men’s Super Team features three scored rounds, in which two athletes from the same nation compete together.

Each team member jumps in each round.

The 12 highest-scoring teams progress to the second round, before the top eight from round two advance to the final.

How does the Mixed Team event work?

Teams of two men and two women from the same country participate in the mixed team event.

It consists of two scored rounds, and after the first, the eight highest-scoring teams progress to the final.

Sportsbeat 2026