Nicholas Novak (born March 15, 1996) is a Czech-American freestyle skier. He was born in Richmond, Virginia and won a bronze medal for the US at the 2018 National Championships and achieved several top-10 finishes at World Cups, as well as several podium finishes at the Nor-Am Cup. He switched to representing the Czech Republic, the birth country of his parents, in 2021. He competed at the 2026 Winter Olympics as the Czech team's sole male freestyle skier.
Early life Novak was born in Richmond, Virginia to Jaroslav and Jaroslava Novak, who were both former national trampolinists for Czechoslovakia during the 1980s but were prevented from competing in the Olympic Games due to the country being under Communist rule. After having Nick's older brother, Lukas, his fled Czechoslovakia in 1985 by joining a traveling circus and fleeing to Switzerland after a finishing show in Portugal. The Novaks subsequently moved to West Germany before applying for asylum in the United States, where they worked in gymnastics and the family moved between the US and Australia for several years, with Jaroslava later giving birth to another boy, Thomas. A few years after Jaroslav secured a job in Virginia, Nick was born. All three Novak brothers were high-level gymnasts, but Lukas and Thomas eventually switched to different athletic careers, while Nick was accepted to an Elite Aerial Development Program in New York City which in high school, which allowed him to combine his gymnastic background with skiing, leading to the beginning of his aerial career.
Career Novak was recruited to the United States Ski Team. In January 2019, he was named to the United States Ski Team for the Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships alongside Jonathon Lillis, Christopher Lillis, Alex Bowen, and Eric Loughran. He finished in last place, with a total of 43.33 points. During the 2019 Freestyle World Cup, Novak gradually improved throughout the season's four events, placing 22nd, in Moscow, 19th in Minsk, and 17th in China. During the final aerial event of the Cup on March 3, 2019, which also took place in China, Novak came sixth, the highest placement for an American male athlete in that event. Of his achievement, U.S. Ski & Snowboard Head Aerials Coach Todd Ossian stated, “Nick was one of the great stories about today, to come back from his crash yesterday and be our top man”.
Novak began representing the Czech Republic as of the 2021–22 FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup. He was named to the Czech Republic Olympic Team as the only male freestyle skier on January 23, 2026. Posting on Instagram, Novak stated, "I have been named to my first Olympic team to represent Czech Republic in the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan, Italy. It’s been a wild ride and I’m so excited to be able to share this experience with my father and coach. From teaching me to ski, to sharing the Olympic stage, it’s been an honor to be on this journey together." Novak competed in the men's aerials event on February 20, 2026, and scored a total of 76.11 during the qualification, placing 22nd in total.
Personal life Novak is openly bisexual.https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/bisexual-olympic-skier-nick-novak-223834078.html He has developed a large following on social media, with almost one million followers on TikTok, and 131,000 on Instagram.
Career results Olympic Games Year Event Location Result Position Ref 2026 Men's aerials Livigno 76.11 22nd
World Championships Year Event Location Result Position Ref Representing 2019 Men's aerials Utah 43.33 25thQualification results Representing 2023 Men's aerials Bakuriani 81.40 20th 2025 Men's aerials Corviglia 63.99 22nd
World Cups (Men's aerials) Year Location Result Position Representing 2016Deer Valley68.7830th201779.7823rd201876.5532ndLake Placid102.6613th260.0010th2019DNFMoscow75.6622ndMinsk120.0019thShimao Lotus Mountain73.3017th400.006th2020Deer Valley53.1012th202124.3325th Representing 2021Ruka67.6335th104.4914th84.6430th108.8523rd2022Le Relais130.0018thDeer Valley102.6622nd2023Le Relais84.6416th87.499thDeer Valley75.3329thBakuriani81.4020thRuka96.4615th2024Deer Valley320.008thLac-Beauport59.1328th73.4526th2025Lake Placid81.4024thLac-Beauport78.3127th88.0521stDeer Valley89.5012thBeidahu92.4818thAlmaty99.228thLivigno68.1419thRuka82.2122ndSecret Garden70.8032nd2026Lac-Beauport81.4225th73.4532ndLake Placid52.2437th80.5926th
European Cups Year Location Result Position2015Airolo70.4012th160.109thChiesa in Valmalenco168.487th166.3710th
Nor-Am Cups
US National Championships (Men's aerials) Year Location Result Position2012Stratton, Vermont46.8018th2013Heavenly, California57.6015th2014Deer Valley, Utah90.005th2015Steamboat Springs, Colorado144.006th2016116.006th2017Lake Placid, New York64.8014th2018Park City, Utah174.00 3rd2019Lake Placid, New York144.006th2021Park City, UtahDNS
References
External links
Nicholas Novak at Milano Cortina 2026