One Extraordinary Photo: Ski jumper glides through rain

By: Evgeniy Maloletka, The Associated Press Posted: 1:59 PM CST Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026

PREDAZZO, Italy (AP) — Evgeniy “Zhenya” Maloletka is an Associated Press staff photographer based in Kyiv, Ukraine. He has won numerous awards for his work covering the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He is covering his first Winter Olympics at the Milan Cortina Games.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/02/2026 (182 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Why this photo?

For me any photograph, including this one, must convey a sense of presence and evoke emotion and feeling — both in the person who took it and the person who will see it.

Kacper Tomasiak, of Poland, soars through the air during the ski jumping men's large hill individual at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Predazzo, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

How I made this photo

It’s always good in a photo when there’s something unfamiliar, something new, something you might not have seen before. This makes you stop for a a second and forces you to think and analyze what you’re seeing.

Why this photo works

In this case, the rain did a good job. My lens was covered in raindrops. At first, I considered removing them but once I saw what the effect was, I decided to leave them and use them in the photo. The result is as if your glasses are splattered with rain, and you’re forced to look into the light which creates glare from the tiny droplets.