Italian sisters Jessica and Lara Malsiner have implemented therapy sessions and eye exercises into their training routine as they look to surprise in the Ski Jumping at the home Olympic Games next season.
Born and raised in the region of South Tirol in northern Italy, the Malsiner sisters – who used to be three before their older sister Manuela quit the sport three years ago – will have the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games Ski Jumping action on their doorstep, an official fis story said.
They live one hour from Val di Fiemme, with the hills of Predazzo, where the Ski Jumping competitions start on February 7 next year.
“It’s a great experience to have it right at home,” said Jessica Malsiner, 22, who landed a Normal Hill 29th place in her Olympic Games debut at Beijing 2022.
“It’s one hour away (from home) so everybody will be there.
“It’s my second Olympics and I’m really looking forward to it because it will also be my first Olympics with an atmosphere as the last time was during Corona. It will be really great and also at home,” Jessica said.
Speaking at the Graanasen Ski Stadium in Trondheim (NOR) after Italy claimed the sixth place in the Women’s Team Normal Hill at the 2025 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, Jessica Malsiner said she is looking forward to developing together with her young team, where her 25-year-old sister is the oldest member.
“In the last years, our team has grown a lot because when I think about two years ago, it was just me and my sisters,” Jessica said.
“Now we are six athletes who are travelling together and growing together. It is quite cool to also see the younger athletes grow.”
Growing up in South Tirol, it was natural for the sisters to start with winter sports. Ans after Manuela, born in 1997, started with Ski Jumping, making her Viessmann FIS Ski Jumping World Cup debut in 2013, the younger sisters joined her.
“We live near ski slopes so we started to ski when you were really younger and our other sister started ski jumping, then Lara started and then I started,” Jessica said, appreciating having Lara with her on the Ski Jumping circuit.
It’s quite cool. When you’re travelling the world, you are also travelling with your family and you’ve always got somebody from your family by your side, someone who knows you the best, for good and bad moments, and it’s quite cool.
Jessica made her World Cup debut in the penultimate World Cup competition of Maunela’s career in Ljubno, Slovenia, in February 2020. Her best individual result in her five years on the tour is a Normal Hill 13th place in Rasnov (ROU) two years ago.
Lara Malsiner made a strong 2024/2025 season, making it into the top-10 five times and finished in 16th place in the overall World Cup standings. Only the overall 15th place from the 2019/2020 season has been better in the middle sister’s nine years on the World Cup circuit.
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