To make watching the Milan-Cortina Olympics even more enjoyable, it's important to learn the basics of freestyle skiing and aerials, including the characteristics of the sport, what to look out for, and the rules
■What is Aerial? Its fun
"The ultimate precision competition" where perfection is required in 0.1 seconds
Aerials is a sport in which skiers take a big leap from a specially designed steep jump and perform complex spins and somersaults in the air, competing for the most perfect execution. It became an official Olympic event at the 1994 Lillehammer Games and is known as the sport in freestyle skiing where perfection is the most important
In competitions, the entire flow is evaluated, from the approach run to the takeoff, mid-air movements, and landing. Highly difficult techniques combining vertical and horizontal spins are required in the air, and even the slightest deviation from the axis or a disturbance in posture cannot be overlooked. It is an extremely severe world where success or failure can be decided in an instant
The appeal of aerials lies in its "perfection." Behind the spectacular-looking jumps, extremely precise body movements are taking place. The take-off angle, the start of the rotation, how the eyes are used, the impact absorption of the landing. Only when everything is meticulously calculated can a beautiful landing be achieved. The difficulty lies in the low success rate. The more difficult the technique, the lower the chance of success. But to still improve your score, you must attempt more difficult movements. Stability or gamble? It is a sport where you are constantly forced to make that choice
The key to watching a competition is to pay attention to the "quietness" of the aerial posture. Jumps in which there is little shaking during rotation and the body rotates on a single axis are highly perfected. Another important point to watch is whether the aerial jump stops perfectly without any major drifting upon landing. Aerials can be said to be the most tense competition
Check out the video to see it in action!
Points of interest unique to the Milan-Cortina Olympics
At the Milan Olympics, the aerials event will be held in Livigno, a high mountainous area, so the event will be susceptible to the effects of wind and other weather conditions. The feel of the takeoff, depending on the snow quality and temperature, may have an impact on the results. The weather was also bad during the official practice, as shown in the photo below
■Aerial competition format and judging method
In the "Individual" category, the competition will proceed as follows from the preliminaries to the finals
<Qualifying 1> All competitors will jump once each, and the top 6 will advance to Final 1.
<Qualifying 2> Competitors ranked 7th and below in Qualifying 1 will each jump once, and the top 6 will advance to Final 1.
At this time, the higher score from Qualifying 1 or Qualifying 2 will be used
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<Final 1> & <Final 2> The 12 competitors who passed the qualifying round will jump once each in Final 1 and Final 2, and the top 6 will advance to Final 3.
At this time, the higher score from Final 1 or Final 2 will be used
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<Final 3> The 6 successful competitors will each jump once to determine the final ranking.
The format of the "mixed team" match is as follows:
<Final 1> All members of each team (3 mixed gender members) will jump once, and the ranking will be determined by the team's total points, and the top 4 teams will advance to <Final 2>
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<Final 2> All members of each team will jump once, and the final ranking will be determined by the total points
*The match format and ranking format may change depending on the weather on the day
Aerials is also a sport of strategy. To aim for a medal, you need to perform at least four jumps, and strategy here is crucial. Currently, the most difficult trick for men is the triple five twists. However, even if a skater has mastered this, it doesn't mean they can land it every time. This is because rules require a different trick to be performed each time. In other words, it is often saved for the final three, the final showdown. For this reason, skaters who can perform multiple versions of the triple four twists, which are the second most difficult jump after the triple five twists, are strong. However, depending on the situation, it is possible that a triple five twist will be performed in the final two
*The match format and ranking format may change depending on the weather on the day
Milan-Cortina Olympics Aerial Competition Schedule
| Date and time | Event | Broadcast schedule |
|---|---|---|
| 2/17 (Tue) | Women's Aerial Qualifiers [Japan time] 2/17 (Tue) 18:45 | February 17th (Tue) 18:40~ Tver https://tver.jp/olympic/milanocortina2026/ |
| Men's Aerial Qualifiers [Japan time] 2/17 (Tue) 21:30 | February 17th (Tue) 21:25~ Tver https://tver.jp/olympic/milanocortina2026/ | |
| 2/18 (Wed) | Women's Aerial Final [Japan time] 2/18 (Wed) 19:30 | February 18th (Wed) 19:25~ Tver https://tver.jp/olympic/milanocortina2026/ |
| 2/19 (Thu) | Men's Aerial Final [Japan time] 2/19 (Thu) 19:30 | February 19th (Thu) 19:25~ Tver https://tver.jp/olympic/milanocortina2026/ |
■ Japanese athletes scheduled to compete in the aerial events at the Milan-Cortina Olympics
[Boys & Women]
| name | date of birth | Birthplace | Affiliation | A track record that meets SAJ's Olympic recommendation standards |
| Haruto Igarashi | December 13, 2002 | Hokkaido | Nippon Sport Science University | 2024 FIS Continental Cup (COC) China Tournament AE Winner 2024/25 FIS W-CUP AE (Debut Season) Finalist (TOP 6) 2025 World Championships Representative Selection Tournament AE High Ranking (Subject to Dispatch Standards) |
| Luna Igarashi | October 1, 2004 | Hokkaido | Nippon Sport Science University | 24 FIS Continental Cup (COC) Kazakhstan Tournament AE 2nd place 24/25 FIS COC Overall AE High rank (ranking range) 25 FIS W-CUP AE Participation and qualifying record |
Igarashi Seifuto and Luna, who have been selected to compete, are brother and sister. Both are central figures in the next generation of Japanese aerials.
The key to aerial competition is "difficulty x perfection." Igarashi Seifuto's greatest strength is his high success rate in landing high-spinning tricks. Igarashi Luna is praised for the "beauty of the line," "air posture," and "clean landing," which are important in women's aerials. We'll be keeping an eye on their performance as the siblings attempt the pinnacle of aerials.