Skeleton’s roots are deeply intertwined with St. Moritz, which hosted the men’s individual event during both of its Olympic editions - in 1928 and 1948. It was in the latter, held after a 12-year hiatus due to World War II, that Nino Bibbia made history by winning gold and securing Italy’s first-ever Winter Olympic medal.
Due to safety concerns and a lack of suitable tracks, the sport disappeared from the Olympic programme for more than 50 years, before returning at Salt Lake City 2002, this time also featuring a women’s event.
At the Cortina Sliding Centre in Cortina d’Ampezzo, skeleton will once again make headlines at Milano Cortina 2026 with the debut of a mixed team competition, featuring one female and one male athlete from each nation.