News · 10 February 2026
Why do we rarely see world records at the Winter Olympics?
Photo by Greg Rosenke on Unsplash
World records remain scarce at Winter Olympics as venue layouts fluctuate drastically. The 2026 men's alpine downhill course spans 2.14 miles, surpassing the 1.96-mile track from 2022, preventing consistent speed comparisons. While Norway's Sander Eitrem shattered the men's 5,000m speed skating Olympic record in 2026 on a standardized track, judged events like Big Air utilize subjective 100-point scoring systems rather than time, rendering cross-competition records largely impossible.
Reported by BBC · How we write briefs