American Annika Belshaw disqualified from Olympic event

American ski jumper Annika Belshaw was disqualified for the same reason as Austrian Daniel Tschofenig from the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Belshaw was disqualified from the women’s large hill competition for having skis that were too long. Authorities determined that the length of his skis was 1 centimeter longer than the correct size. She was expected to compete in the final after making it through the qualifying round.

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But his hopes of getting on the podium were dashed.

Norwegians Anna Odine Strom and Eirin Maria Kvandal won the gold and silver medals respectively. Slovenia’s Nika Prevc won the bronze medal.

Belshaw, 23, was competing in his first Olympic Games. She was named the 2022 Ski Jumping Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Federation. She competed in the normal hill competition and finished 21st.

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Annika Belshaw of the United States walks away after her final jump in the women’s individual large hill ski jumping event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Predazzo, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

The United States also finished in seventh place in the mixed team normal hill event.

A similar incident happened with Tschofenig.

The Austrian star was disqualified from the event because his shoes did not meet Olympic requirements. His boots were four millimeters larger than the norm.

Annika Belshaw of the United States brakes in the finish zone during her first jump in the women’s individual normal hill ski jumping event at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Predazzo, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

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“I used new shoes in training, which I didn’t like very much, but I kept them,” he explained to AFP. “Unfortunately, I was naive and didn’t check the sizes. It was incredibly stupid of me.”