Winter Olympics: What is skeleton and how does it work? - Everything you need to know about Britain’s most successful winter sport

Skeleton is one of the fastest sports at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. Here’s how the head-first sliding event works and who is competing for the U.S. (AP photo)

Just days before the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics are set to begin, U.S. skeleton racer Katie Uhlaender is still fighting for a spot. The American is at the center of a controversy after the Canadian skeleton team made a decision at a recent race that ultimately cost her a sixth Olympic appearance.

The United States is the most successful skeleton nation in Winter Olympic history but with most of those medals now gathering dust, the arrival of the new mixed relay at Cortina is a timely opportunity to get back on the podium.

Skeleton is an exhilarating Winter Olympic sport in which athletes race head-first down an ice track at speeds reaching over 80 miles per hour (130km/h). While the event can look basic at first glance,

Skeleton made its Olympic debut at the 1928 Winter Games in Switzerland and became a permanent event in 2002 during the Games in Salt Lake City, Utah.

A storm is brewing at the Winter Olympics after skeleton officials banned Great Britain’s new helmet unveiled days before the competition. The well-funded Team GB outfit has tapped into Formula 1 and cycling partners to shoot to top of the pack in skeleton, dominated in recent times by men’s medal favourites Matt Weston and Marcus Wyatt.

Mystique Ro is about to make her Winter Olympics debut. The 31-year-old, who was born in Oceanside, California and raised in Nokesville, Virginia, is looking to make her mark when she takes the stage at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games.