Grand opening of Predazzo Olympic Ski Jumping hill

Local athlete Annika Sieff (ITA) took the first jump Monday from the Predazzo hill that will be used for Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

Sieff inaugurated the HS143 hill with the upcoming Games seeing women make their Large Hill Olympic debut. Nordic Combined athlete Iacopo Bortolas then had the first leap from the HS109 hill, with the Italian Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined teams - who have had to train in Innsbruck (AUT) previously - taking their turns.

Both hills have been lengthened since Val di Fiemme last staged a FIS World Cup round in January 2020. That was a men’s Normal Hill competition on an HS103 hill. The year before, they had a Large Hill event on an HS135.

The World Cup was due to return to the renovated G. Dal Ben Ski Jumping stadium last January, but construction delays meant the facility would not be ready in time.

Predazzo will be the fourth stop on the FIS Summer Grand Prix from September 18-20. This will serve as a test event for the Olympics.

A number of local dignitaries were on hand for the opening, as well as FIS Ski Jumping Race Director Sandro Pertile. Predazzo Mayor Paolo Boninsegna and FISI President Flavio Roda gave speeches to mark the opening of the hill.

“Today is an important step for the Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined disciplines in preparation for the upcoming Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026,” said Pertile. “It has been a long way to complete the venue but the result at the end is positive.

“Several teams will practice in the venue during the upcoming weeks and we are looking forward to test the Local Organizing Committee as part of the test event process for the Olympics.”

Val di Fiemme native Sieff very much enjoyed the honor of being the first athlete to jump on the new hill. “It was really nice. I’m really happy to have the hill back home again,” she beamed. “It feels special to jump here at home, and the hill is really good. The in-run is a little bit flat, but that’s good for me so I’m happy.

“Now that we can finally train here at home, for sure it will be a good step for us and we don’t have to go to Innsbruck every time. And it will be really nice to have all the nations and athletes here for the Summer Grand Prix. It will be the first real test of the ski jump, so I’m looking forward to it. Training is going well. We’ll see how the level is at the Summer Grand Prix, but I’m positive.”

Sieff was second behind teammate Lara Malsiner in last year’s Summer Grand Prix series. “The in-run was quite slow so I was very late!” Malsiner admitted. “I still need to figure it out a bit, but I’m excited to finally have a home hill again.”

Predazzo is one of the venues for the FIS Nordic Summer Festival in Val di Fiemme from September 18-21. Also on the schedule are the Nordic Combined Summer Grand Prix finale, and the Roller Ski World Cup season-ender.