Annika Belshaw’s DQ came shortly after Austria’s Daniel Tschofenig was disqualified for boots that were too big
Team USA ski jumper Annika Belshaw qualified for the final in the women’s large hill individual event at the 2026 Winter Olympics — but she ultimately didn’t get the chance to compete, as she was disqualified for having large skis.
Belshaw, 23, scored 98.5 on her first jump, enough to advance her to the final at Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium in Italy on Sunday, Feb. 15. But an inspection found that her ski length was 1 centimeter too long, and she was disqualified.
The incident came just one day after Austria’s Daniel Tschofenig experienced a similar situation during the men’s large hill individual event. He’d had a shot at a medal, but was disqualified for a boot size violation on Feb. 14.
Annika Belshaw competing on Feb. 15 at the 2026 Winter Olympics.Tom Weller/Getty
His boots were 4 millimeters over the maximum size, according to Eurosport commentators.
“I used new shoes in training, which, by the way, I wasn’t very happy with, but I kept them,” he told AFP. “Unfortunately, I was naïve and didn’t check the sizes. That was incredibly stupid of me.”
Tschofenig, 23, was shown on the broadcast being comforted by his girlfriend, Canadian ski jumper Alex Loutitt, who won a bronze medal in Beijing in 2022.
After her boyfriend’s disqualification, she shared a photo of the pair kissing to Instagram and wrote, “Was not our hill but at least we have each other.”
Domen Provc of Slovenia went on to win gold for the men, while Norway’s Anna Odine Stroem did so for the women.
Olympic rules for ski jumpers are strict, and cover everything from fabric material to zipper placement. Athlete’s skis cannot be any more than 145% of the athlete’s height, based on a minimum BMI of 21 for both men and women — which means that athletes are at risk of breaking rules if they lose any body weight during competition.
Daniel Tschofenig at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Feb. 14, 2026.Tom Weller/Getty
There have been several other disqualifications during the Olympics. Japanese snowboarder Masaki Shiba was disqualified after his snowboard tested positive for traces of PFAs, also known as “forever chemicals,” which were banned this year because of harmful effects.
“I have used the same board and wax configuration for every World Cup competition, undergoing fluoride testing, and have never tested positive,” he later wrote on Instagram. “I am truly sorry that things have turned out this way, and I am unable to properly put this reality into words.”
Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych was also banned from competing after he refused to ditch his helmet, which shows images of Ukrainian athletes who have been killed in Russia’s invasion of his country. He appealed the decision, but his case was dismissed.
“Despite the decision of CAS, I still sincerely believe that I did not commit any violations that the IOC is accusing me of,” he said in an Instagram video. “I will continue to fight for my rights together with my team of lawyers and I truly believe that we will bring this case to justice.”
To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, come to people.com to check out ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. Watch the Milan Cortina Olympics and Paralympics, beginning Feb. 6, on NBC and Peacock.
