Ski mountaineering added to 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina
Ski mountaineering will make its debut at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, becoming the first new sport added to the programme since 2002.
The endurance discipline, commonly known as ‘skimo’, involves athletes ascending mountains on skis and on foot before descending across technical alpine terrain.
It will feature at the Milan-Cortina Games, ending a 24-year wait for a fresh standalone sport to join the winter roster alongside skeleton.
How the format works
Thirty-six competitors are set to challenge for medals at the Stelvio Ski Centre in Bormio.
The Olympic schedule includes two specific events: an individual sprint and a mixed relay competition.
Races require participants to alternate between climbing with skins attached to their skis and ‘boot-packing’ sections where they must carry equipment on foot.
Sprint contests are designed to be frantic exhibitions of speed, lasting just three to four minutes of intense exertion.
The mixed relay offers a longer challenge, testing competitors over more demanding courses that require significant stamina.
A test of vertical endurance
Often described as comparable to biathlon but without the shooting element, skimo demands rapid transitions and technical descending prowess.
The discipline distinguishes itself from cross-country skiing through a severe focus on vertical ascent rather than horizontal motion.
Success in the sport relies heavily on high-altitude pacing and strategic energy management under extreme physical duress.
While alpine skiing focuses on gravity-assisted speed, this new addition emphasizes human-powered climbing efficiency.
Wider changes to the Games
While skimo is the only new standalone sport, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has approved several other medal events for 2026.
Additions include women’s doubles luge and a women’s large hill individual ski jumping competition.
Freestyle skiing will see a dual moguls event added, alongside an alpine skiing team combined contest.
These updates come despite questions regarding the saturation of skiing events, which accounted for 55 of the 109 medals awarded at Beijing 2022.