Skeleton at Milano Cortina 2026

Head First, Face Down, Alone With the Ice

Of all the sliding sports, skeleton is the most visceral. Athletes sprint, dive headfirst onto a tiny sled, and hurtle down an ice track at speeds exceeding 130 km/h with their chin inches from the frozen surface. There is no steering mechanism — direction is controlled entirely through subtle body shifts and head movements. If luge is brave, skeleton is borderline absurd. It’s also utterly captivating.

Skeleton at Milano Cortina 2026 runs on the same Cortina Sliding Centre used for bobsled and luge. The event features two disciplines: men’s singles and women’s singles, each decided over four runs across two days.

How Skeleton Works

The race begins with a sprint start — approximately 30-40 meters of running on ice in spiked shoes while pushing the sled. Athletes then dive onto the sled in a prone, head-first position and navigate the track’s turns using body English. Steering is incredibly subtle; a slight press of the right shoulder shifts the sled right, a gentle knee press nudges it left. The margin between a clean run and a wall scrape is measured in centimeters.

Like luge and bobsled, skeleton results are determined by cumulative time across all runs. Hundredths of a second separate medalists. The sport demands an unusual combination of explosive sprinting power (for the start), extraordinary nerve (for the ride), and precise body control (for the steering).

The New Track Factor

The Cortina Sliding Centre is new to everyone, which is a significant storyline. In skeleton, track familiarity is paramount — elite sliders memorize every curve, every transition, every subtle change in radius through hundreds of training runs. On a track nobody has extensive experience with, the athletes who learn fastest will have the advantage. Official training runs before competition are limited, putting a premium on video study, track walks, and instinctive feel.

Who’s in the Mix

The men’s event has been competitive across multiple nations in recent seasons. Germany’s Christopher Grotheer won gold in Beijing with remarkably consistent runs and continues to set the standard. Latvia’s Martins Dukurs, the most decorated World Cup skeleton athlete in history, may be competing in his fifth Olympics at age 41 — a testament to the sport’s unusual longevity curve.

In women’s skeleton, Germany’s Tina Hermann and the Netherlands’ Kimberley Bos have been battling at the top of the World Cup standings. Australia’s Jaclyn Narracott, the surprise silver medalist in Beijing, proved that skeleton is a sport where outsiders can thrive.

For the United States, the skeleton program has produced past Olympic medals — including Noelle Pikus-Pace’s silver in 2014 — but the current cycle has been one of development. Katie Uhlaender, the veteran American slider, has been a fixture in the program across multiple Games and provides experience and mentorship to younger athletes.

What Makes a Good Run

When watching skeleton, pay attention to how smoothly the sled tracks through curves. A clean run looks fluid — the sled follows the optimal racing line without any visible corrections or chattering against the walls. When a slider hits a wall or makes an abrupt correction, you’ll see the time deficit appear instantly at the next split. The best skeleton athletes make 130 km/h look serene.

Athletes to Watch

Christopher Grotheer (GER, Men’s Singles) — The reigning Olympic champion has maintained his position atop the men’s standings with technically precise sliding that maximizes efficiency on any track.

Martins Dukurs (LAT, Men’s Singles) — The legendary Latvian — with six overall World Cup titles and two Olympic silvers — may be competing in his fifth Games and remains competitive at the highest level at age 41.

Kimberley Bos (NED, Women’s Singles) — The Dutch slider has emerged as one of the top women in the sport, with consistent World Cup podiums and the technical skill to contend on the new Cortina track.

Tina Hermann (GER, Women’s Singles) — The multi-time World Champion brings big-race pedigree and German sliding program support that make her a perennial medal contender.

Katie Uhlaender (USA, Women’s Singles) — One of the most experienced American sliders in history, Uhlaender has competed across multiple Olympic cycles and brings invaluable track-reading ability to the U.S. program.

Venue Spotlight

The Cortina Sliding Centre hosts skeleton alongside bobsled and luge, providing a shared venue that maximizes the new track’s usage across the Games. The track’s curves and overall design are closely guarded during the build process to prevent any nation from gaining an advance scouting advantage. Skeleton athletes will get a limited number of official training runs before competition, making adaptability a key factor.