Since Beijing 2022, Olympic skeleton has seen a clear power shift. Breakout stars like Great Britain's Matt Weston, Canada's Hallie Clarke, and the United States' Mystique Ro have surged to the top, while veterans such as Martins Dukurs, Yun Sung-Bin, Mirela Rahneva and Tina Hermann have stepped away. Germany, with its strong history of podium placements, remains strong, but its dominance is now under real pressure from a deeper, more competitive global field.

Equipment rules largely are unchanged, but nations have sharpened their edge through subtle gains in sled tuning and start technique. The biggest unknown heading into Milan Cortina is the brand new Italian track, which levels the playing field, setting the stage for newer athletes to make their mark.

Another major development is the addition of a mixed team skeleton event to the Olympic program. First introduced at the World Cup and World Championship level, the event pairs one man and one woman athlete from the same country, combining their individual runs for a total time. The format brings a new strategic element to the sport and rewards national depth. The United States team of Mystique Ro and Austin Florian became the first world champions at the inaugural event in Lake Placid, NY, but countries like Germany, Great Britain, and Canada — all boasting strong competitors — are expected to contend, with room for surprise podium finishes.

Several of Beijing’s skeleton stars remain active and are expected to be in the mix at Milan Cortina. Germany’s Christopher Grotheer, the reigning men’s Olympic champion, has continued competing on the World Cup circuit and remains a consistent podium threat. His teammate Axel Jungk, who took silver in Beijing, also has stayed competitive and is likely to return in 2026. On the women’s side, Kimberley Bos of the Netherlands, a bronze medalist in 2022, has remained one of the top performers on the IBSF circuit and shows every sign of being a contender in Milan Cortina. However, Beijing gold medalist Hannah Neise has struggled to replicate her Olympic form, finishing outside the top five in multiple post-Olympic seasons, though she remains a contender to make Germany’s 2026 roster.

The post-Beijing era has seen the rise of several breakout stars. Matt Weston of Great Britain has become one of the most dominant forces in the men’s field, winning the overall 2022–23 IBSF World Cup title and claiming medals consistently across both seasons since Beijing. Canada’s Hallie Clarke, just 20 years old, has exploded onto the scene, capturing the 2024 World Championship title and becoming the youngest women’s world champion in IBSF history. The United States' Mystique Ro will head into the 2026 Olympic season as the first American to win a world championships medal in skeleton since 2013. Meanwhile, China’s Chen Wenhao has shown significant improvement and could surprise on home ice with a strong Olympic showing.

While the IBSF has not introduced sweeping rule changes since 2022, there have been continued refinements to runner standardization, sled weight regulations, and helmet safety protocols. The biggest shift comes with the debut of the new Cortina sliding track, constructed specifically for the 2026 Games. Located in northern Italy, the track replaces the disused Cesana Pariol venue from 2006 and is designed to be one of the safest and most sustainable in history. With unfamiliar curves and a different altitude and climate profile than recent Olympic venues, the Milan Cortina track could be a decisive factor — particularly for athletes with limited training runs.

Germany has remained a dominant force, particularly on the men’s side, with Christopher Grotheer and Axel Jungk continuing to deliver podiums. However, British skeleton athlete Matt Weston arguably has made the biggest leap. With Weston surging to the top of the men’s rankings and fellow Brit Marcus Wyatt consistently placing in the top five, the UK has reasserted itself as a skeleton powerhouse. On the women’s side, Britain’s Brogan Crowley and Tabby Stoecker are showing strong potential heading into Milan.

Team USA has had mixed results. After leaving Beijing without any hardware, the program has struggled to consistently crack the top five in World Cup standings. However, several sliders offer hope, with Mystique Ro, a rising star in the women’s program, posting promising finishes a part of a new wave aiming to return the U.S. to the Olympic podium. The men’s side has yet to find a dominant post-Beijing presence, but trials are ongoing and may reveal a contender before 2026.

Milan Cortina is shaping up to be one of the most wide open skeleton competitions in recent Olympic history. Can Matt Weston cap his meteoric rise with Olympic gold and end Great Britain’s drought in men’s skeleton? Will Canada’s Hallie Clarke continue her historic run and become the youngest-ever Olympic champion? Can Germany defend its Olympic dominance, or will the new track level the playing field? These questions and more will be answered on the Cortina Sliding Centre track in February.