If you and I jumped as high in the air as we could, we would be about half a second off the ground. Michael Jordan would stay on top for about a second. The Winter Olympic offer many events that showcase athletes performing athleticism and strength while high in the air, but none are as unsettling as ski jumping.
Olympic 2026 fans worldwide can book Olympic Ski Jumping Tickets from our online platforms e-ticketing. co. Fans can book Olympic Tickets on our website at discounted prices. Experience the thrill of the Games in Milano Cortina and support your favorite athletes as they compete for glory.
I teach students about the physics of sports. Ski jumping is perhaps one of the most interesting activities at the Winter Olympic Games to demonstrate physics in action. The winner is the player who travels the longest, runs with the best style and lands.
By turning their skis and bodies essentially into wings, ski jumpers fight gravity and stay in the air for five to seven seconds as they travel through the air the length of a football field. So how do they do that?
Winter Olympic Ski Jumping: How to Fly
Three major concepts of physics are at play in ski jumping: gravity, lift and drag.
Gravity pulls a floating object down to the ground. Gravity makes all things equal and there is nothing that can limit what athletes can do. But players also face the wind as they move. This interaction can create lift, which is an upward force when air pushes on an object. If the force generated by lift roughly balances the gravitational force, then the object can slide or fly.
Something must be moving to create lift. As an object travels through the air, the air above it collides with particles and pushes those particles out of the path of the object. When the air particles are pushed down, the object is being pushed up according to Newton’s Third Law of motion, which means there is an equal, opposite reaction for every action.
Lift is created by air particles pushing an object upwards. Increasing speed as well as increasing surface time will increase lift. The angle of attack—whose angle depends on the direction of the wind—can also affect lift. Too steep and the object will stop, too thin and won’t push down on air particles.
The Physics of Winter Olympic Ski Jumping: Gravity, Lift, and Drag
While all of this may seem complicated, sticking your hand out of a car window is a perfect example of these principles. If you keep your hand flat enough, it will likely stay in place. But if you tilt your arm so that the bottom faces the wind, your arm will be pushed upwards as the air particles collide with it. That’s the lifting.
Whatever they bump into the air, it gives them lift. Drag stops the forward movement of an object and then slows it down. When speed decreases, lift also decreases, reducing the length of a flight.
For a ski jumper, the goal is to position the body properly to produce the maximum amount of lift while reducing drag as much as possible. On good jumps, athletes will be able to lift better and glide longer distances.
Flying on Winter Olympic Ski: The Art of Jumping
Skiers start high up on a slope and then ski down to generate speed. They drag less when leaning and steer well enough to minimize friction between the ski and the ramp. They can cross the finish line at speeds of 60 miles per hour (96 kip). You can Read Winter Olympic – Whistler could host Olympic ski jumping in 2026
The ramp ends at a takeoff which, if you look closely, is actually at a slight downward angle of 10 degrees. Athletes jump before reaching the end of the ramp. The ski landing is designed to mimic the path of the jumper so that they are never more than 10 to 15 feet off the ground.
Once the athletes are airborne, the real excitement begins.
Jumpers do their best to produce as much lift as possible while slowing down. Athletes can never lift enough to overcome gravity completely, but the more lift they create, the slower they will fall and the further down the hill they will travel.
To do this, athletes place their skis and bodies nearly flat on the ground and place their skis in a V-shape just above the body shape. This position increases the surface area that generates lift and puts it at an ideal angle of attack that will also maximize lift.
As drag slows the skier’s speed, lift slows and gravity continues to pull the jumper. Athletes will start falling faster until they hit the ground.
The Rules Governed by the Physics of Winter Olympic Ski Jumping
With so much physics at play, there are many ways the wind, the choice of equipment and even the athletes’ own bodies can affect how far a jump can go. So there are a lot of rules to keep things safe and secure.
As you watched the events unfold, you could notice the officials moving the starting area up or down the slope. This adjustment is made based on airspeed, as faster headwinds will produce more lift, resulting in longer jumps that can pass the safe landing zone.
Ski length is also regulated and tied to the height and weight of the skier. Skis can be a maximum of 145% of the skier’s height and skiers with a body mass index of less than 21 should have a shorter ski. Long skis aren’t always the best because the heavier the ski, the more lift you have to do to stay in the air. Finally, skiers must dress appropriately to prevent athletes from using their clothing as a source of lift.
As you tune into the winter Olympic to marvel at the athletes’ muscular strength, take a moment to observe their mastery of physics concepts.
FIS Winter Olympic Ski Jumping World Cup Returns to Lake Placid for Second Straight Year
After a 23-year break, Lake Placid is set to host its second International Ski Federation World Ski Jump Championship.
We’re really excited to have the World Cup back here in Lake Placid said Rebecca Dayton, Lake Placid Winter Olympic Jumping Complex designer. We hope to become a regular stop. So far, that is going well, and hopefully we should continue down that path in the future.
The fifth event in the FIS World series for the tournament returns to the winter Olympic Village. Everyone in attendance, including athletes like Team USA Ski Jumping National Team member Casey Larson, are happy to see thousands of fans down on the deck after seeing good turnout this year.
That crowd here from all over … to have 10,000 to 15,0000 people here was absolutely bonkers, Larson said. Hopefully, we can get a taste of that this year.
Entertainment additions are sure to keep fans hopping, with a Fritz’s Polka Band and a live DJ providing music along with several food vendors offering a variety of options such as Polish food and traditional American offerings like burgers, fries and waffles.
Lake Placid to Host Second International Ski Federation World Winter Olympic Ski Jump Championship After 23-Year Hiatus
The competition field features a variety of powerhouses including Poland, Austria and Germany, but other countries also get a chance to make a name for themselves with fewer representatives this weekend in Lake Placid.
Our goal is to have more countries in our sport said FIS technical delegate and former German National Team coach Andres Basler. We’re pleased to see one or two athletes from Romania here. Also, Turkey is a ski jumper and Bulgaria … this is really important to not only have us two, three, four continents, but to build a really big community.
The last four FIS World Championships were held in Europe, but this weekend marks the United States’ first opportunity to host, bringing a refreshing change that American athletes like Larson truly value.
The first time I jumped the K 120 was a big hill when I was 12 Larson said. Jumping in today’s World Cup practices is truly special… It’s even more significant than I realized. Being able to train and perform well here, and carry that confidence with me, is fantastic.
Experience the magic and excitement as fans from around the world gather to celebrate the spirit of the Games. Secure your Olympic Opening Ceremony Tickets now and create memories that will last a lifetime at the unforgettable Winter Olympic 2026.