{{Short description|Czech-American freestyle skier (born 1996)}} {{about|the Czech-American skier|the American football player|Nick Novak}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Nicholas Novak | image = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1996|3|15}} | birth_place = Richmond, Virginia, U.S. | nationality = Czech, American | height = | weight = | country = {{CZE}} <br> {{USA}} | sport = Freestyle skiing | event = Aerials | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's freestyle skiing}} {{MedalCountry|the {{USA}}}} }} '''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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Aerial Skier of Circus Descent|url=https://www.usskiandsnowboard.org/news/aerial-skier-circus-descent |date=September 15, 2019 |website=U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association |language=en}}</ref>
== 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Snowboard, Freeski, Freestyle Teams for 2019 World Championships|url=https://www.usskiandsnowboard.org/news/us-snowboard-freeski-freestyle-teams-2019-world-championships |date=January 29, 2019 |website=U.S. Ski & Snowboard |language=en}}</ref> 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”.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Caldwell Second, U.S. Fourth in China|url=https://www.usskiandsnowboard.org/news/caldwell-second-us-fourth-china |date=March 3, 2019 |website=U.S. Ski & Snowboard |language=en}}</ref>
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."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nick Novak on Instagram|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/DT3lAXNEmmR/?hl=en&img_index=1 |date=January 23, 2026 |website=Instagram |language=en}}</ref> 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.<ref>https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/bisexual-olympic-skier-nick-novak-223834078.html</ref> He has developed a large following on social media, with almost one million followers on TikTok, and 131,000 on Instagram.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Out TikTok star Nick Novak is competing at the Milan Winter Olympics|url=https://www.outsports.com/2026/2/6/24127755/nick-novak-tiktok-instagram-skier-milan-winter-olympics/ |date=February 6, 2026|first=Cyd|last=Ziegler|website=Outsports |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Nick Novak|url=https://bi.org/en/famous/nick-novak/ |access-date=February 16, 2026|website=American Institute of Bisexuality |language=en}}</ref>
==Career results== ===Olympic Games=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:centre; font-size:95%;" |- ! align=center | Year ! Event ! Location ! Result ! Position ! Ref |- | 2026 | Men's aerials | {{flagicon|ITA}}Livigno | 76.11 | 22nd | <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://data.fis-ski.com/pdf/2026/FS/8202/2026FS8202RLQ.pdf|title=Freestyle Skiing – Men's Aerials – Qualifications – Results|website=fis-ski.com|date=20 February 2026|access-date=20 February 2026}}</ref> |- |}
===World Championships=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:centre; font-size:95%;" |- ! align=center | Year ! Event ! Location ! Result ! Position ! Ref |- | colspan=6 align=center| Representing {{USA}} |- | 2019 | Men's aerials | {{flagicon|USA}}Utah | 43.33 | 25th |<ref>[http://medias1.fis-ski.com/pdf/2019/FS/8800/2019FS8800RLQ.pdf Qualification results]</ref> |- | colspan=6 align=center| Representing {{CZE}} |- | 2023 | Men's aerials | {{flagicon|Georgia}}Bakuriani | 81.40 | 20th |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://medias1.fis-ski.com/pdf/2023/FS/8073/2023FS8073RLQ.pdf|title=Men's Aerials – Results – Qualification|publisher=FIS|date=23 February 2023|access-date=23 February 2023}}</ref> |- | 2025 | Men's aerials | {{flagicon|Switzerland}}Corviglia | 63.99 | 22nd | <ref>{{cite web|url=https://medias3.fis-ski.com/pdf/2025/FS/8229/2025FS8229RLQ.pdf|title=Men's Aerials – Results – Qualification|publisher=FIS|date=29 March 2025|access-date=29 March 2025}}</ref> |- |}
===World Cups (Men's aerials)=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:centre; font-size:95%;" |- ! align=center | Year ! Location ! Result ! Position |- | colspan=6 align=center| Representing {{USA}} |- | 2016 |rowspan=3|{{flagicon|USA}}Deer Valley |68.78 |30th |- |2017 |79.78 |23rd |- |rowspan=3|2018 |76.55 |32nd |- |rowspan=3|{{flagicon|USA}}Lake Placid |102.66 |13th |- |260.00 |10th |- |rowspan=5|2019 |{{N/A}} |DNF |- |{{flagicon|Russia}}Moscow |75.66 |22nd |- |{{flagicon|Belarus}}Minsk |120.00 |19th |- |rowspan=2|{{flagicon|China}}Shimao Lotus Mountain |73.30 |17th |- |400.00 |6th |- |2020 |rowspan=2|{{flagicon|USA}}Deer Valley |53.10 |12th |- |2021 |24.33 |25th |- | colspan=6 align=center| Representing {{CZE}} |- |rowspan=4|2021 |rowspan=4|{{flagicon|Finland}}Ruka |67.63 |35th |- |104.49 |14th |- |84.64 |30th |- |108.85 |23rd |- |rowspan=2|2022 |{{flagicon|Canada}}Le Relais |130.00 |18th |- |{{flagicon|USA}}Deer Valley |102.66 |22nd |- |rowspan=5|2023 |rowspan=2|{{flagicon|Canada}}Le Relais |84.64 |16th |- |87.49 |9th |- |{{flagicon|USA}}Deer Valley |75.33 |29th |- |{{flagicon|Georgia}}Bakuriani |81.40 |20th |- |{{flagicon|Finland}}Ruka |96.46 |15th |- |rowspan=3|2024 |{{flagicon|USA}}Deer Valley |320.00 |8th |- |rowspan=2|{{flagicon|Canada}}Lac-Beauport |59.13 |28th |- |73.45 |26th |- |rowspan=9|2025 |{{flagicon|USA}}Lake Placid |81.40 |24th |- |rowspan=2|{{flagicon|Canada}}Lac-Beauport |78.31 |27th |- |88.05 |21st |- |{{flagicon|USA}}Deer Valley |89.50 |12th |- |{{flagicon|China}}Beidahu |92.48 |18th |- |{{flagicon|Kazakhstan}}Almaty |99.22 |8th |- |{{flagicon|Italy}}Livigno |68.14 |19th |- |{{flagicon|Finland}}Ruka |82.21 |22nd |- |{{flagicon|China}}Secret Garden |70.80 |32nd |- |rowspan=4|2026 |rowspan=2|{{flagicon|Canada}}Lac-Beauport |81.42 |25th |- |73.45 |32nd |- |rowspan=2|{{flagicon|USA}}Lake Placid |52.24 |37th |- |80.59 |26th |}
===European Cups=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:centre; font-size:95%;" |- ! align=center | Year ! Location ! Result ! Position |- |rowspan=4|2015 |rowspan=2|{{flagicon|Switzerland}}Airolo |70.40 |12th |- |160.10 |9th |- |rowspan=2|{{flagicon|Italy}}Chiesa in Valmalenco |168.48 |7th |- |166.37 |10th |}
===Nor-Am Cups===
===US National Championships (Men's aerials)=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:centre; font-size:95%;" |- ! align=center | Year ! Location ! Result ! Position |- |2012 |{{flagicon|USA}}Stratton, Vermont |46.80 |18th |- |2013 |{{flagicon|USA}}Heavenly, California |57.60 |15th |- |2014 |{{flagicon|USA}}Deer Valley, Utah |90.00 |5th |- |2015 |rowspan=2|{{flagicon|USA}}Steamboat Springs, Colorado |144.00 |6th |- |2016 |116.00 |6th |- |2017 |{{flagicon|USA}}Lake Placid, New York |64.80 |14th |- |2018 |{{flagicon|USA}}Park City, Utah |174.00 | bgcolor="#c96" | 3rd |- |2019 |{{flagicon|USA}}Lake Placid, New York |144.00 |6th |- |2021 |{{flagicon|USA}}Park City, Utah |{{N/A}} |DNS |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{FIS freestyle skier|179450}} * [https://www.olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/results/athlete-details/46655 Nicholas Novak] at Milano Cortina 2026 * {{Olympics.com|nicholas-novak}} * {{Olympedia}} * {{ČOV}} * {{TikTok}}<!-- per WP:ELMINOFFICIAL, choose one official website only -->
{{DEFAULTSORT:Novak, Nicholas}} Category:Living people Category:1996 births Category:21st-century American sportsmen Category:21st-century Czech sportsmen Category:American bisexual sportspeople Category:American male freestyle skiers Category:American TikTokers Category:Bisexual sportsmen Category:Czech male freestyle skiers Category:Sportspeople from Richmond, Virginia Category:Freestyle skiers at the 2026 Winter Olympics Category:LGBTQ skiers Category:LGBTQ TikTokers Category:American people of Czech descent Category:Olympic freestyle skiers for the Czech Republic