All eyes on Prevc as Olympic Ski Jumping opens on Normal Hill

There’s no denying Nika Prevc (SLO) has been the unstoppable force in women’s ski jumping in the run-up to the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. The Slovenian currently leads the World Cup standings by 486 points and arrives in Predazzo for her first Games as one of the favourites for gold. The first medals will be awarded on Saturday in the Women’s Individual Normal Hill.

“I do have very high goals for the Olympics, but everyone here is so strong,” said Prevc. “So I just hope to do my best and enjoy my first Olympics.”

Prevc and brother Domen’s dominance this season has been recognised at the Opening Ceremony, with the siblings nominated as Slovenia’s flag bearers. Nika aims to follow in compatriot Ursa Bogataj’s footsteps with gold in the Women’s Individual Normal Hill event on Saturday. In the first official training session, Prevc topped two of the three rounds with jumps of 98 m and 100.5 m.

But Prevc isn’t the only athlete who has hit form at just the right time heading into the Games. At last weekend’s World Cup in Willingen (GER), Eirin Maria Kvandal (NOR) soared to back-to-back victories, beating Prevc into second and third place respectively. Kvandal equalled Prevc’s opening two training jumps of 98 m and 100.5 m. Teammate Anna Odine Strøm (NOR) also made a good start in Predazzo, finishing third in all three training rounds on Thursday.

Lisa Eder (AUT), who sits third in the overall World Cup standings, is another medal contender and topped the final training round with the longest jump of the day at 102.5 m. “We tested the jumps (in Predazzo) in the summer and although it is not fully comparable to the winter, they have a very unique character,” Eder said. “We need to fine tune our techniques again and then we’ll be good to go.”

When it comes to Normal Hill form, Nozomi Maruyama (JPN) is also one to watch — she won the World Cup event last month on home snow in Zao and has been on the podium repeatedly this season. She’ll be leading Japan’s quest for the podium alongside PyeongChang 2018 bronze medallist Sara Takanashi.

Schmid hoping for glorious farewell

Team Germany are also aiming to challenge for the podium, with Selina Freitag, Agnes Reisch and Katharina Schmid currently in the top 10 of the World Cup rankings. For Schmid, Milano Cortina 2026 is the final competition of a glittering career; the two-time Olympic individual Normal Hill silver medallist will also carry the flag for Germany at the Opening Ceremony and hopes for a medal in her farewell Games.

Another athlete who will enjoy huge home support is Annika Sieff (ITA). Born and raised close to Predazzo, Sieff switched from Nordic combined to ski jumping two years ago in order to compete at her home Games.

Other contenders for the Normal Hill podium include Beijing 2022 bronze medallist Nika Vodan (SLO) and Oberstdorf World Cup winner Abigail Strate (CAN).

Milano Cortina 2026 schedule

Milano Cortina 2026 will make history for women’s ski jumping with more medal events than ever before. After the Individual Normal Hill on Saturday, the first-ever Olympic Women’s Individual Large Hill competition will take place on 15 February. The Mixed Team event also returns on 10 February after its successful debut at Beijing 2022.

Medal events

• Women’s Individual Normal Hill — Saturday 7 February, 18:45 CET
• Men’s Individual Normal Hill — Monday 9 February, 19:00 CET
• Mixed Normal Hill — Tuesday 10 February, 18:45 CET
• Men’s Individual Large Hill — Saturday 14 February, 18:45 CET
• Women’s Individual Large Hill — Sunday 15 February, 18:45 CET
• Men’s Super Team Large Hill — Monday 16 February, 19:00 CET

The article’s preview captures the main favourites, recent form from World Cup rounds in Willingen and Zao, Germany’s hopes with Katharina Schmid’s farewell, and the full Olympic ski jumping schedule for Milano Cortina 2026.