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American ski jumper Ben Loomis luckily avoided what could have been a disaster at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games on Thursday after he was hit by a leaf blower on his jump attempt.
Loomis was part of the Nordic combined team sprint on Thursday, where he was going down the track to attempt his big jump, when he was hit by one of the leaf blowers on the side of the track.
Workers at the Olympics are stationed at the side of the track to blow off excess snow, ensuring that competitors have a clean jump where they are also not slowed down. The weather conditions have also required several leaf blowers to ensure the course is clear.
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Benjamin Loomis of Team United States reacts during the ski jumping competition of the Nordic Combined Individual Gundersen Large Hill/10 km on day eleven of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at the Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium on February 17, 2026 in Val di Fiemme, Italy. (Tom Weller/Getty Images)
However, one of the leaf blowers was not paying attention as Loomis was coming down and the 27-year-old American collided with it.
“I have never experienced anything like this,” Loomis told NRK. “Fortunately it happened at the top so I just tried to convince myself to make a good jump.”
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Loomis added, “If it had hit me in the face, it would have been a completely different story.”
Loomis was able to get a 116-meter jump on that attempt despite the obstacle at the top of the course.
Benjamin Loomis of Team United States competes in the ski jumping competition round of the Individual Gundersen Large Hill/10 km on day eleven of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at the Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium on February 17, 2026 in Val di Fiemme, Italy. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
Loomis reportedly received apologies from Olympic officials for the incident, but he said he did not want to redo his jump.
“It was good that it didn’t happen more, but it shouldn’t have happened,” competition director Lasse Ottesen told the New York Post. “The person has apologized to the jury and [International Ski and Snowboard Federation] apologize to the United States.”
In the end, Loomis and teammate Niklas Malacinski finished seventh, failing to medal in the team event.
Meanwhile, Norway won gold in the event, while Finland and Austria took silver and bronze respectively.
Benjamin Loomis of Team United States jumps in the Nordic Combined Team Sprint ski jumping competition on day thirteen of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at the Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium on February 19, 2026 in Val di Fiemme, Italy. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The United States has collected 26 total medals in Milan, including the most recent gold medal for the women’s ice hockey team in a thrilling 2-1 overtime win over Canada. The U.S. now has eight gold medals, and the closing ceremony is set for Sunday.
The 26 medals are equal second among the participating countries, as Italy also has the same number as the USA, Norway leads with 34 medals.
