His career began in 1995. For two consecutive seasons, he was moderately successful in the Ski Jumping World Cup (7th and 10th in the overall standings respectively). He re-emerged in the 2000/01 season when he won the Four Hills Tournament and the world championship in in the individual normal hill while finishing second in the individual large hill. 2002 saw Małysz claim a silver in the individual large hill and a bronze in the individual normal hill at the Salt Lake City Olympic Games. In 2003 he won both world championships titles and added another Ski Jumping World Cup (his third).

His success contributed to his enormous popularity not only among ski jumping fans but throughout Poland as well. Most of all he has won 3 World Cups in a row, an unprecedented achievement.

Additionally, Malysz is the only four-time winner of the ski jumping event at the Holmenkollen ski festival (1996, 2001, 2003, and 2006). He earned the Holmenkollen medal in 2001 for his ski jumping successes (Shared with Bente Skari and Thomas Alsgaard.).