Skeleton first appeared at the Olympic Winter Games in 1928 in St. Moritz, Switzerland, where the sport was contested on the natural ice on the Cresta Run. It returned for a second time in 1948, again in St. Moritz. Both times, the sport’s inclusion was due to the unique local infrastructure rather than a permanent place in the Olympic program. Skeleton was officially reinstated as a permanent Olympic sport at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, marking the first time it included both men's and women's competitions.

The sport of skeleton was removed from the Olympic program largely because it was seen as too niche and location-specific, with its reliance on the Cresta Run in St. Moritz. In addition, the lack of international competition standards and concerns about safety contributed to its exclusion. Over the decades, the development of artificial ice tracks and the rise of international skeleton competition under the governance of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (then known as FIBT) helped the sport expand globally. By the late 1990s, the infrastructure and athlete pool had grown enough for the International Olympic Committee to approve its reintroduction in time for the Salt Lake City Games in 2002, after a 54-year hiatus. Both men's and women's events were added simultaneously.

Several athletes have become defining figures in Olympic skeleton. Jennison and John Heaton stand as the pioneering athletes, claiming gold and silver in 1928 and silver again in 1948. In modern times, Jim Shea and Tristan Gale of the United States made history by winning gold medals during the sport’s Olympic return in 2002, with Lea Ann Parsley earning silver in the women’s event. 

Canadian Duff Gibson became the oldest Olympic skeleton champion when he won gold in 2006, and Jon Montgomery delivered a memorable gold at the 2010 Vancouver Games. 

Martins Dukurs of Latvia is one of the most dominant skeleton racers in history, winning silver medals at the 2010 Vancouver and 2014 Sochi Olympics. Though he never won Olympic gold, he was ranked number one in the IBSF World Cup standings for ten consecutive seasons and earned multiple world titles. 

Lizzy Yarnold of Great Britain won back‑to‑back gold medals in the women’s event at Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018, making her the sport’s most decorated Olympic athlete. 

Since PyeongChang, South Korea’s Yun Sung-Bin captured the men's gold in 2018, and Germany’s Christopher Grotheer and Hannah Neise won gold in both events at Beijing 2022. 

More recently, the United States' Mystique Ro has emerged as one to watch, taking several world championship and World Cup medals, and with Austin Florian, she won the inaugural mixed team event world title.

One of the most memorable moments came at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, when Jon Montgomery of Canada won gold on home soil and celebrated with a spontaneous beer handed to him by a fan as he walked through Whistler Village. At the 2018 Games, South Korea’s Yun Sung-Bin delivered a dominant performance in men’s skeleton, winning gold with a margin of over a second and becoming the first Asian athlete to win an Olympic sliding sport. Lizzy Yarnold’s come-from-behind gold in 2018, which made her the only two-time Olympic skeleton champion, also stands out as a landmark moment in the sport.

Since skeleton returned to the Olympic program in 2002, the medal table has been led by countries with strong sliding sport traditions and investment in technical development. Great Britain has had remarkable success in women’s skeleton, including gold medals from Amy Williams in 2010 and Lizzy Yarnold in both 2014 and 2018. Germany emerged as a powerhouse in 2022 when both Christopher Grotheer and Hannah Neise won gold in the men’s and women’s events, respectively. The United States claimed both gold medals during the sport’s 2002 comeback with Jim Shea and Tristan Gale. Latvia, while never claiming gold, saw consistent podium finishes from Martins Dukurs across multiple Olympic Games.

Olympic skeleton times vary based on track design, altitude, and ice conditions, so there is no standardized world record. However, the fastest Olympic times recorded on the Yanqing National Sliding Centre track at the 2022 Beijing Olympics include a 1:00.23 by Christopher Grotheer in the men’s competition and a 1:01.63 by Hannah Neise in the women’s competition. These times are considered among the fastest Olympic skeleton runs due to the speed-focused profile of the Beijing track.

Lizzy Yarnold holds the distinction of being the only athlete in Olympic skeleton history to win two gold medals. Martins Dukurs, despite dominating the World Cup circuit, finished with two Olympic silver medals, making him the most decorated male skeleton athlete in terms of Olympic hardware. No other athlete has claimed more than two Olympic skeleton medals, making Yarnold and Dukurs the most accomplished in terms of consistent top finishes on the sport’s biggest stage.

Tristan Gale of the United States became the youngest Olympic skeleton gold medalist when she won at age 21 during the 2002 Winter Games. On the other end of the spectrum, Duff Gibson of Canada became the oldest Olympic skeleton gold medalist at age 39 when he triumphed at the 2006 Torino Olympics. His victory remains one of the most remarkable age-defying performances in Olympic sliding sports history.

In 2002, skeleton returned to the Olympic program in Salt Lake City with Jim Shea winning the men's event and Tristan Gale taking gold in the women’s race. In 2006 in Turin, Canada dominated with Duff Gibson and Melissa Hollingsworth earning medals. The 2010 Vancouver Games saw Canadian Jon Montgomery win gold in the men’s event and Amy Williams take gold for Great Britain in the women’s. At Sochi 2014, Alexander Tretiakov of Russia and Lizzy Yarnold of Great Britain were the champions. PyeongChang 2018 saw Yun Sung-Bin win for South Korea in the men’s and Yarnold defend her title in the women’s. Most recently, at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, Christopher Grotheer and Hannah Neise of Germany swept gold in both events.