Quick Facts

Specialty: Men's Ski Jumping
Son of Maureen and Tom Bickner
Has two sisters, Brandalyn and Kailey
Father is a member of the USA Nordic Sport Board of Directors
Named the 2016 USSA Ski Jumping Athlete of the Year
Began skiing at age 9
Enjoys hiking, skiing and traveling

Biographical Information

Kevin Bickner discovered ski jumping at age 9 at Norge Ski Club in Fox River Grove, a historic jumping facility that has produced multiple Olympians. What began as childhood curiosity transformed into a lifelong passion, nurtured by a family deeply invested in the sport. Bickner's father, Tom, serves on the USA Nordic Sport Board of Directors, while his sisters embraced the family tradition—one becoming a member of the USA Women's Development Team and the other serving with the Peace Corps.

By age 11, Bickner was tackling Norge's 70-meter hill, and at 16, he earned a spot on the U.S. developmental team, prompting a move to Park City, Utah, that was initially intended to be temporary. The move became permanent as Bickner fell in love with the mountain community, eventually bringing his entire family to Park City. His early career showed promise, accumulating 10 podium finishes on junior national teams. In March 2017, at Vikersund, Norway, Bickner shattered the U.S. ski flying distance record with a jump of 244.5 meters. That same year, he competed at his first Nordic World Championships. He made his Olympic debut at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, where his 18th-place finish in the normal hill marked the best result by an American man at the Olympics in 16 years.

Despite early success, Bickner's career trajectory faltered. His world cup rankings declined from 39th in 2018 to 51st in 2019 and 54th in 2020. The constant travel between the United States and Europe, combined with diminishing results, took a toll. At the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, his second Games, Bickner struggled through competitions, finishing 39th and 43rd in individual events. Burned out and questioning whether he had reached his ceiling, Bickner made the difficult decision to retire at age 25, stepping away from the sport that had defined his life since childhood. He was close friends with fellow Norge Ski Club jumper Patrick Gasienica, who competed alongside him at Beijing 2022 before tragically passing away in a motorcycle accident in June 2023—a loss that Bickner carries with him.

Retirement proved short-lived. Shortly after Bickner stepped away, Team USA entered a groundbreaking partnership with Norway's ski jumping program, the sport's longtime powerhouse. The collaboration provided American athletes access to Norwegian coaching expertise, cutting-edge technology including force plates and AI-driven training analysis, and the opportunity to train full-time in Norway alongside the world's best. As Bickner watched his former teammates thrive under the new system, achieving career-best results, curiosity turned to determination. Encouraged by coaches, sponsors, and friends in the ski jumping community, he realized he would regret not discovering what he could accomplish with access to such resources. In 2024, Bickner returned to competition.

Bickner describes the first year back as challenging, essentially relearning ski jumping through Norway's analytical approach that scrutinizes every movement and position. The investment paid dividends in his second season back. During the 2024-25 campaign, Bickner achieved personal bests across every major metric: 28th in the world cup, 29th in world rankings, and 19th in the Grand Prix. His performances helped the U.S. men's team secure eighth place in the Nations Cup—America's highest finish in nearly 40 years. The transformation reignited his love for the sport, making competitions enjoyable again and providing the motivation to continue pushing his limits.

Named to the U.S. roster for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, Bickner returned to the Olympic stage with something to prove. Based primarily in Lillehammer, Norway, while maintaining deep connections to Park City's ski jumping community, the DeVry University graduate remains committed to inspiring the next generation of American jumpers. He regularly mentors young athletes at Norge Ski Club when home, remembering how he once looked up to Olympians as a junior jumper. Bickner's goals extend beyond personal achievement—he dreams of helping establish ski jumping as a popular sport in the United States and creating a pathway for future American jumpers to reach the podium, breaking a medal drought that has lasted since 1924.

Olympic Experience

2-time Olympian
- Olympic Games Beijing 2022, 10th (Team - Large Hill - Men), 39th (Individual - Large Hill - Men), 43th (Individual - Normal Hill - Men)
- Olympic Games Pyeongchang 2018, 9th (Team - Large Hill - Men), 18th (Individual - Normal Hill - Men), 20th (Individual - Large Hill - Men)

World Championships Experience

Most recent: 2025 – 6th (Team - Large Hill - Mixed), 8th (Team - Large Hill - Men), 32th (Individual - Large Hill - Men, Individual - Normal Hill - Men)
Years of participation: Individual - Large Hill - Men 2017, 2019, 2025; Individual - Normal Hill - Men 2017, 2019, 2025; Team - Large Hill - Men 2017, 2019, 2025; Team - Large Hill - Mixed 2025; Individual - Ski Flying - Men 2018, 2024; Team - Ski Flying - Men 2024; Team - Normal Hill - Mixed 2017, 2019
Top finish: 6th – 2025 (Team - Large Hill - Mixed)

Education

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