Skeleton at Milano Cortina 2026: schedule, rules, and what to watch

Skeleton is back on the Olympic stage at Milano Cortina 2026 with a familiar promise: four runs, tiny margins, and head-first speed that can top 80 mph. With the Games now underway (February 6–22, 2026), skeleton competition begins next week in Cortina d’Ampezzo, where the newly rebuilt sliding track is set to be one of the most technically demanding venues of these Olympics.

What skeleton is, in one minute

Skeleton is a solo sliding sport in which athletes sprint to push-start a small sled, then ride it face-down and head-first down an iced track. Steering is done through subtle shifts of body weight and pressure through the shoulders, knees, and toes. There are no brakes.

Olympic winners are determined by total time across four heats in the individual events, so a single mistake in one corner can erase an entire Games’ worth of preparation.

The Cortina track and why it matters

Skeleton, bobsleigh, and luge are being staged at the rebuilt Eugenio Monti Sliding Centre in Cortina. The venue’s design is expected to keep races fast but highly technical: athletes and coaches often describe Cortina-style tracks as places where precision beats pure top speed.

Key track notes being cited ahead of competition include:

• Around 16 curves on the competition layout

• A length in the mid–1.7 km range for the full track build, with competition runs using a shorter racing distance

• Expected run times roughly in the 55–60 second range

• Peak speeds that can approach the mid-80 mph range, depending on ice and weather

Skeleton Olympic schedule (ET) for 2026

Italy is six hours ahead of Eastern Time in February, so morning sessions in Cortina will air overnight and early morning in the U.S.

Here are the headline sessions for skeleton, converted to ET:

• Men’s individual — Heats 1 & 2: Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026 — 3:30 a.m. ET

• Men’s individual — Heats 3 & 4: Friday, Feb. 13, 2026 — 1:30 p.m. ET

• Women’s individual — Heats 1 & 2: Friday, Feb. 13, 2026 — 10:00 a.m. ET

• Women’s individual — Heats 3 & 4: Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026 — 12:00 p.m. ET

• Mixed team event: Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026 — 12:00 p.m. ET

(Exact session durations can shift slightly based on track conditions and TV windows, but start times are the key anchor for planning.)

How to watch skeleton in the U.S.

In the U.S., skeleton is carried by the national Olympic rights-holder across linear TV and an affiliated streaming service. The most reliable way to catch every heat is usually the streaming event feed, since TV windows can prioritize medal moments and replay packages rather than full start-to-finish coverage.

If you’re trying to watch live, prioritize the men’s early heats on Feb. 12 (overnight ET) and the women’s opener on Feb. 13 (late morning ET). Medal-deciding runs typically get the clearest broadcast windows.

What to watch for once racing starts

Skeleton outcomes often hinge on three things that don’t show up in highlight clips:

• Start speed: The push-start sprint can decide the podium before athletes even lie down on the sled.

• Clean exits: It’s not just the corner entry; the way an athlete exits a turn can set up (or ruin) the next two.

• Ice evolution: As temperatures and humidity change, the track can speed up or slow down, and runners can feel “chattery” in different lanes.

A useful viewer trick: watch how often an athlete’s helmet stays perfectly still down the straightaways. Excess movement often signals micro-corrections that bleed time.

Key takeaways

• Skeleton begins Feb. 12 (ET) and runs through the mixed team event on Feb. 15 (ET).

• Four-heat totals decide the individual medals, so consistency matters more than one brilliant run.

• The rebuilt Cortina track is expected to reward precision and clean corner sequencing.

Sources consulted: Reuters, International Olympic Committee, International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation, International Luge Federation