Ski jumping at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics: What are the rules, how does scoring work, what are the bizarre plants for?

Quite what convinces someone to throw themselves down a snowy drop is beyond us, but ski jumping is one of the pillars of the Winter Olympics. So what are the events set for the Milano Cortina Games? How does scoring work? And what are those tiny plants all about? We’re on hand to answer all the burning questions. Watch every event live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

Hurtling down a snow-covered ramp at speeds approaching 60mph, jumping off the edge into the unknown, then landing over 100m away. One question springs to mind: why?

But for a select group of brave souls, rationality isn’t something to get bogged down with.

Ski jumping is arguably the most spectacular of all sports – athletes straining to stay airborne by contorting their bodies to slice through cold air and soar down dramatic slopes.

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The sport was invented in 1809 by Norwegian major general (and daredevil) Olaf Rye, jumping an unavoidably achievable 9.5m. It caught on. The sport was included in the first Winter Games at Chamonix 1924, where Jacob Tullin Thams won gold for Norway.

Thams followed it up with a sailing silver medal at the 1936 Summer Olympics to become the second athlete in history to win medals in both versions of the Games. Only four more have managed it since.

But it was the bronze medal that caused the biggest stir – albeit 50 years later. Thorleif Haug (Norway) was originally awarded third place but, in 1974, an admin error was spotted in the results, causing Anders Haugen (USA) to be promoted above Haug into third and receiving a bronze medal aged 86. Haug died in 1934 without ever knowing the truth.

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Incredibly, women’s ski jumping was only added to the Olympic programme for Sochi 2014, with Carina Vogt (Germany) securing the first gold medal.

The sport has changed a lot since inception, most notably in the 1980s when there was a shift from ski jumpers keeping their skis parallel in the air to adopting a V shape to boost their aerodynamics.

Team GB participants and medal prospects

Eddie ‘the Eagle’ Edwards, undoubtedly Britain’s most famous Winter Olympian, captured hearts at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.

He may have finished dead last in both competitions, but his underdog story and distinctive appearance catapulted him to international status and, later, was immortalised in a film starring Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman.

The fact we’re mentioning the past probably means you know how many Team GB athletes are set to compete in the ski jumping at Milano Cortina: zero.

Ski jumping events and format

There are three competitions on the menu at Milano Cortina 2026:

Each hill has a target point for landing – known as a K-point – which is where the hill begins to flatten out. Typically, the K-point for a normal hill is 90m and for a large hill is 120m.

Who won the last Olympic gold, what is the world record?

Ski jumping in Beijing 2022 was overshadowed by controversy as five female jumpers from Japan, Austria, Norway and Germany were disqualified for suit violations, handing Slovenia an unexpected gold.

Meanwhile, Ursa Bogataj won women’s normal hill gold, Marius Lindvik claimed victory in the men’s large hill, and Austria claimed the men’s team title.

While ski jumpers typically travel up to 140m on the large hill, sometimes the conditions and setting provide the ingredients for the unthinkable: jumps over 200m. The men’s world record stands at a staggering 254.5m, set by Slovenia's Domen Prevc in March 2025, in Planica, Slovenia.

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What are the rules in ski jumping?

There aren’t too many we need to be concerned with.

But the height of the gate (the starting position on the ramp) is adjusted depending on the conditions to ensure a proper take-off speed. This is reflected in the overall score. A higher gate means athletes will fly further, so the score is weighted down. Similarly, points are added when a lower gate is used.

There are also points subtracted when jumping with a favourable wind, while the reverse happens when the wind impedes the jumpers.

Ski jumpers suits are regulated, plus there is a minimum BMI (body mass index) for athletes to prevent unnecessary – and potentially unhealthy – weight loss.

How does scoring work in ski jumping?

Ski jumpers are awarded points based on how far they jump in relation to the K-point (the target for landing). Probably stating the obvious, but you earn more points the further you go.

Athletes are also graded on their landing and style by a panel of five judges. A clean landing with parallel skis will score highly; turning the skis inwards for balance, or just stacking it completely, will be penalised. A maximum of 60 points is available here.

As mentioned above, points are also awarded or subtracted based on the gate and wind. All the points (distance + landing/style + wind + gate) are added up to give the score for each jump.

Each competition sees athletes go twice, with the scores of both jumps added together for the final total.

How high is the ramp in ski jumping?

Ski jumping is about flight rather than height. The television pictures present an illusion of a jumper being suspended miles in the air, but in reality they are only ever hovering 6-8m above the slope.

The more important mark is the K-point – how far athletes are reasonably expected to fly. This is 90m on normal hill and 120m on large hill.

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What is gate compensation in ski jumping?

Gate compensation is a score adjustment based on where the ski jumpers start on the launch ramp. The gate can be moved up and down to facilitate optimal take-off speed.

A higher gate obviously makes it easier for athletes to build more speed, so the gate compensation sees points taken off. A lower gate makes it trickier, so the gate compensation would see points added in that scenario.

Why are there plants at the bottom of the ski jumping hill?

You’ve probably noticed the row of plants poking out from the snow near where the ski jumpers land. So what are they for? Well, they bless the competitors and ensure evil forces stay away.

Actually, that’s not true. The plants provide depth perception for the athletes to help them spot their landing point – when you are flying face first through a snowy mist, it’s often hard to work out precisely where you are.

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Watch every event of Milano Cortina 2026 live on discovery+. Available across all subscription plans, starting at £3.99.

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