Italy's Malsiner sisters use therapy and eye training to look for Olympic success at home
Apr 18, 2025·Ski Jumping
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.
They live one hour from Val di Fiemme, with the hills of Predazzo, where the Ski Jumping competitions start on 7 February 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.
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.
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.
"She has a lot of potential and she's a very strong athlete. In the last year she had some troubles on the hill but this season she is really strong and has had some top-10 finishes so I'm looking forward to the next year and the Olympics," Jessica Malsiner said.
Lara Malsiner, who finished in 25th place in the 2022/2023 overall standings and in 32nd place the year after that, is clear about what has improved.
"From last year we've changed the whole coaching staff," said the 25-year-old, whose best result the past winter was a Normal Hill seventh place in Hinzenbach (AUT) .
"From the physio, to the head coach and second coach – we changed everyone. And in addition to that, we have a project which is local and which allows my sister and me to work with a therapist and we make exercises with the eyes and extra things, so we have a very complete training and that's pushing us."
The eye exercises are meant to improve their vision as they jump off the hill.
"We are making exercises where we are looking far, looking close and changing that fast," Lara said.
"It has basically helped me to jump straight. I tended to jump to the right and since I started making those exercises I jump more straight in the line."
Now she hopes to see her shape continue upwards into the Olympic season.
"Ski jumping sometimes goes so fast. Already in the summer, I jumped well and I kept going in the winter. In the winter I even grew competition by competition. For now I'm positive but about next year it's hard to say," Lara said.
"I think that my level in general is growing, it is stable, and if you look at one year ago, I've improved a lot."
Lara's only previous Olympic Games experience was at PyeongChang 2018, where she landed a 15th place in the Normal Hill. Now she dreams about a medal on home snow.
"I think everyone does. So like everyone, I'm dreaming about a medal," Lara said.
"For now, it is still a bit far because even the podium is not yet in reach, but in Ski Jumping it can go so fast and from one jump to the other, you find that something more and it works out."
Her best individual result at Trondheim 2025 was also a 15th place in the Normal Hill. But when the action starts at Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium next year, however, she will have the advantage of competing at home, with friends and family there supporting her.
"For us, it is really special because we've never had a competition at home. We live close to Austria, so they came to see some competitions there, but it hasn't really been at home so it will be exciting," Lara said, looking forward to the ski jumping hill to be ready.
"I hope that we can start training there soon so that we can prepare like Norway did (in Trondheim). I hope that we will have those possibilities."
With a summer of preparations coming up, she is well aware of what she needs to do to get closer to the podium next season.
"I still can improve in the take off because there is often a lot of power but then I miss a bit of the technique. So I would like to be able to put the two things together better and if I can improve in the take off, a big part of the flying is already improved because you rotate more of the skis and it's easier to control the skis," Lara said.
She was just about to turn six years old at Torino 2006, the last time that Italy hosted an Olympic Games, and does not remember anything from that.
"I started ski jumping one year later, so not really, no," Lara said.
As she puts the 2024/2025 season behind her and starts to focus on the next winter, where she will get the unique chance to create her own Italian Olympic memories in front of friends and family, she is happy to have Jessica with her on that journey.
"I find it cool because you've always got someone with you who knows you more than anyone else," Lara said.
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