Strap in, because while the long-awaited FIS Ski Jumping World Cup season is finally set to launch in Lillehammer (NOR), the 2025/26 campaign will also have the added glamour of incorporating an Olympic Games – meaning guaranteed high-drama throughout!
After a near eight-month-gap since the season finale of the men’s campaign in Planica (SLO), the world’s best male athletes will renew their rivalries at Norway’s iconic Lysgårdsbakken Ski Jumping Hill, which was built for the 1994 Olympic Winter Games.
As witnessed 12 months ago, the field will first take on the Mixed Team Large Hill (LH) discipline on Friday (21 November), before individual World Cup ‘double-headers’ for male and female athletes across Saturday and Sunday (22-23 Nov).
Following a near-flawless history-making campaign, in which Nika Prevc (SLO) became one of the sport’s all-time greats despite still being in her teenage years, can anyone realistically stop the ‘Queen of Winter’ from achieving further record-breaking successes?
In short, given her age and relentless drive few would back anyone other than the Slovenian to claim a third-successive Crystal Globe and potentially a maiden Olympic title – or two – come Milano-Cortina 2026 in February.
However, with Abigail Strate (CAN) and Nozomi Maruyama (JPN) finishing ahead of her during the recent FIS Grand Prix series, perhaps there is hope for the rest of the pack.
An ‘outside’ contender could also come from the sport of Nordic Combined, with three-time World champion Gyda Westvold Hansen (NOR) making the switch to full-time ski jumping in a bid to compete for Norway at next year’s Olympic Winter Games.
