German Skeleton Athletes Shine with Multiple Medals at 2026 Winter Olympics

At the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, the German skeleton team achieved remarkable success, securing multiple medals across individual and mixed team events. In the women's skeleton competition, Susanne Kreher claimed a silver medal, finishing just 0.3 seconds behind Austria's Janine Flock, the Olympic champion. Jacqueline Pfeifer also shone, capturing bronze – her second Olympic medal following a silver at Pyeongchang eight years prior. However, reigning Olympic champion Hannah Neise missed the podium, finishing 1.15 seconds behind the winner.

The skeleton competitions culminated with the debut mixed team relay event at the Olympics. Germany earned two medals in this closely contested race: Susanne Kreher paired with Axel Jungk secured silver with a time of 1:59.53, narrowly edging out their compatriots Jacqueline Pfeifer and Christopher Grotheer, who took bronze merely a hundredth of a second behind. The British duo of Tabitha Stoecker and Matt Weston claimed gold, setting a new course record of 1:59.36.

Team formations for the mixed relay were determined by individual athlete rankings, requiring no additional joint training. Despite this, the German teams performed exceptionally well, reflecting the depth and versatility of their skeleton squad. Thomas Schwab, head of the German Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation, expressed pride in the team's haul of four medals, considering the results exceeded expectations even if not all were gold.

Athletes reflected on their journeys and challenges, with Kreher attributing her strong performance to her mantra, "You are good enough," which helped her overcome self-doubt. Both Jungk and Grotheer, former ski jumpers turned skeleton racers, highlighted the sport's limited marketing and visibility, which affects its popularity despite its thrilling nature. Nonetheless, the German skeleton team's achievements in Cortina signal a bright future, with excitement building for this sport's continued presence at the Winter Olympics.