MILAN CORTINA, Italy – Tate Frantz, a 20-year-aged ski jumper from Lake Placid, Modern York, competed in the Men’s Super Team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Monday, marking his Olympic debut. The event saw Frantz representing Team USA against the world’s top ski jumping nations.
Frantz’s journey to the Olympics began in his childhood, building snow ramps to practice flips off his family’s deck. He has been nicknamed “Fly Guy” by friends and family, a testament to his passion for the sport. He officially qualified for the U.S. Olympic Ski Jumping Team two weeks prior to the opening ceremony, receiving the news while training in Lillehammer, Norway, with a Norwegian coach. “Getting that call was the best feeling in the world,” Frantz said, adding, “Competing in the Olympics was something I wanted more than anything else. How friggin’ cool is this?”
The Lake Placid native is a three-time national champion and finished last season ranked 22nd globally among ski jumpers, achieving the highest World Cup point total for an American man in a single season. He made his World Cup debut at Lake Placid in February 2023, though he did not advance past the qualification round. He secured his first World Cup points in November 2023, finishing 30th in Ruka, Finland, and later achieved a career-best 16th place finish at Vikersund, Norway.
Frantz’s mother, Mimi Wacholder, a former U.S. Figure skating team member, expressed her pride and gratitude for her son’s accomplishment, noting the strong support from their community in Lake Placid. At 6-foot-1 and 138 pounds, Frantz competes in a sport demanding both physical prowess and precision. He currently trains at the elite NTG sports academy in Norway.
In the Men’s normal hill individual event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Frantz finished 21st. He was one of three men and three women who qualified for the American ski jumping team. Alongside Erik Belshaw, Frantz previously achieved 7th place in the Super Team World Cup event in Wisła.
Frantz’s personal best jump is 231.5 meters, achieved in Planica on March 30, 2025. He also secured medals at the 2025 Junior World Championship in Lake Placid, winning individual and team normal hill events, as well as the mixed team normal hill competition.
