Will Predazzo’s normal hill be adjusted before the Olympics? FIS jumping chief Sandro Pertile responds

The Olympic normal hill in Predazzo caused concern during the Women’s Summer Grand Prix after several crashes led Austria and Canada to pull their teams from Saturday’s competition. Asked whether the new hill is a problem, FIS ski jumping race director Sandro Pertile urged calm and a thorough assessment.

“We have two injuries to athletes among the top fifteen, and we must consider all factors,” Pertile told SkiJumping.pl, referring to falls suffered by Eva Pinkelnig and Alexandria Loutitt. He noted that since the World Championships in Trondheim, FIS has been analyzing and refining the new suit control procedures. The summer circuit is being treated as a test phase, and after four events, additional challenges have emerged on high‑altitude venues such as Courchevel and Predazzo.

Pertile does not currently see a single culprit in the facility itself, but he acknowledges the normal hill profile may require adjustments. “We will speak with the Milano‑Cortina 2026 organizing committee right after the competitions,” he said. He also stressed that athlete technical mistakes are part of sport, and that teams are never forced to jump—especially in extreme wind or questionable conditions. “From our perspective the situation is not dramatic, but we are paying attention and want to implement appropriate corrections to keep our sport as safe as possible.” He added he would contact the company that built the hill.

Addressing feedback on the large hill, after Polish jumper Aleksander Zniszczoł said the flight is quite high, Pertile replied that athletes report the current flight trajectory feels better than on the old large hill in Predazzo. “We don’t see a need to rebuild there; we should focus on the normal hill,” he concluded.

The winter World Cup is scheduled to open on 21 November in Lillehammer, while the 2026 Winter Olympics begin on 6 February.