Name: Nick Novack (competition name Nicholas Novak)

Country: Czech Republic

Sport: Freestyle skiing, aerials

Previous Olympic experience: None.

Social Media: Instagram, TikTok

Who is Nick Novak?

Novak has been competing in freestyle skiing on the world stage for about a decade. He’s competed for the United States, but he’s switched to represent the Czech Republic. His parents were both born and raised in the former Czechoslovakia, traveling gymnasts who were able to escape Communist rule on a trip to Portugal.

“Growing up, both of my brothers and I were high-level gymnasts, simply because we were a gymnastics family. But after some years, we all went on our own paths,” Novak told U.S. Ski and Snowboard years ago.

Thirsty Thursday

In high school, Novak was recruited by the Elite Aerial Development Program (EADP) in upstate New York, turning his attention to skiing and using those inherent gymnastic skills in aerials.

Competing in the United States, he won a bronze medal at the U.S. Championships in 2018. On the World Cup stage he’s had numerous top-10 finishes and this year finished 33rd overall (19th last year).

Novak has also become a huge star on social media, with nearly 1 million followers on TikTok and 131 thousand on Instagram. His fun, flirtatious nature — and yes, his dancing — on social media has made him a star there.

He also doesn’t mind taking off his shirt, which doesn’t hurt.

Over the last couple of years, he also hasn’t been shy on TikTok about his (at least recent) boyfriend, whom he identifies in various videos as Calvin. Novak is bi, and Calvin is, according to at least one video, gay.

https://www.tiktok.com/@pinkbanister/video/7414158736899460358

You’re able to financially support Novak in his sports journey on GoFundMe.

Nick Novak at the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics

This will be Nick Novak’s first Winter Olympics — He’s listed in competition material as Nicholas Novak. While living in the United States, he will be competing for the Czech Republic — Czechia to much of the rest of the world.

Back at it

He’ll compete in the aerials discipline of freestyle skiing. That competition for the men is scheduled to start February 17, meaning he’s got some time between now and the start of his actual Winter Olympics competition. The finals are February 19.

He is the only man competing for Czechia in aerials. Adéla Měrková is representing the country for the women.

Thanks for the set @saligiamen #saligiamen

He celebrated the moment he was selected for the Milan Olympics.

“I have been named to my first Olympic team to represent Czech Republic in the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan, Italy,” Nick Novak wrote on Instagram. “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.”

With five publicly out LGBTQ athletes, Team Czechia has one of the largest contingents of Team LGBTQ athletes at these Winter Olympics. The others we know of are figure skater Filip Taschler, ice hockey player Krystina Kaltounkova, and speed skaters (and couple) Martina Sablikova and Nikola Zdrahalova.

You can see all of the publicly out LGBTQ athletes competing at the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics on Outsports’ list of the Team LGBTQ athletes.

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