PREDAZZO, Italy — Canada’s Olympic ski jumping program opened the 2026 Winter Games with a steady, if unspectacular, performance on Saturday as Abigail Strate finished 11th in the women’s normal hill competition, while teammate Nicole Maurer delivered a confidence-boosting top-20 result in her Olympic debut.
Strate, a 24-year-old from Calgary competing in her second Olympic Winter Games, posted a combined score of 240.4 points after two jumps on the HS107 hill in Predazzo. Her distances of 93.5 metres and 95.5 metres placed her just outside the top 10 in an event that marked the official start of Olympic ski jumping competition at the Games.
“A bit of a disappointment today but knowing that from friends and family to run too, slowly it will bring me back to earth.,” said Strate.
Results in ski jumping are determined by a combination of jump distance and judges’ style points, rewarding both power off the takeoff and technical execution in the air and on landing.
Saturday’s competition was won by Norway’s Anna Odine Stroem, who captured the first ski jumping gold medal of the 2026 Games with a score of 267.3 points. Slovenia’s Nika Prevc finished close behind in second at 266.2 points, while Japan’s Nozomi Maruyama claimed bronze with 261.8 points.
Strate entered the Olympics riding considerable momentum following a breakthrough 2025–26 season on the World Cup circuit. She recorded five podium finishes during the campaign, including back-to-back silver medals in her final competitions before arriving in Italy, establishing herself as a consistent contender among the sport’s elite.
Notably, four of those podium finishes came on the large hill, a discipline that will make its Olympic debut later in the Games. The women’s large hill event is scheduled for February 15, offering Strate another opportunity to challenge for a medal.
“I’m obviously really grateful to have that second chance on the large hill at these Olympics,” added Strate. “I think I can jump even better on the large hill. Hopefully, I can refocus and get ready to jump well there. I have a little bit of redemption to chase now.”
Canada also drew encouragement from the performance of Maurer, who placed in a tie for 19th with 226.6 points. The 26-year-old Calgarian has steadily improved her international standing in recent seasons, and Saturday’s result marked a significant milestone after a challenging lead-up to the Games.
“It means so much. I’ve been working for the last 20 years for this moment. I’m glad when I finally had this opportunity, I showed up and put two good jumps together,” said Maurer. “I’ve been struggling a lot at the previous events before the Olympics so to be able to come here and show good jumps means a lot to me.”
Maurer’s finish placed her comfortably inside the top 20, an important benchmark for an athlete competing in her first Olympic final under intense international scrutiny.
Canada’s third entrant, Natalie Eilers, did not advance to the final round of 30 jumpers, but her appearance carried its own significance. The 27-year-old returned to Olympic competition after missing the entire previous season due to a serious leg injury, making Saturday a key step in her recovery and comeback.
“I’m trying to find the right words, but I don’t think there are any. I’m just in awe,” said Eilers. “Today is a result of years and years of hard work, set back after set back. It is one of the best days of my life – never thought I’d say that about a day that I didn’t make second round – but it is. I’m excited for the big hill and getting the opportunity to do it again.”
The opening-day results underscore both the progress and the remaining challenges for the Canadian women’s ski jumping program as it competes against deep European and Asian fields. With the historic introduction of the women’s large hill event still to come, Canada will look to translate World Cup success into Olympic hardware.
Ski Jumping Canada oversees the sport domestically and manages Canada’s national team programs. Full competition results from the Olympic ski jumping events are available through official Games channels.
