Ski Mountaineering Set to Remain in the Winter Olympics
14th June 2026
It made its debut at the Milan-Cortina Games in 2026 and looks set to be included and expanded for France 2030. NEW
The organising committee for the next Winter Games has asked the International Olympic Committee to include ski mountaineering in the programme, and to expand it to feature individual men’s and women’s events.
Skimo made its Olympic debut at the Milan-Cortina Olympics at the Stelvio Ski Centre with the individual sprint and the mixed relay.
France finished on the podium in all three events, taking the bronze in the men’s sprint, silver in the women’s sprint and gold in the mixed relay.
“Ski mountaineering is an integral part of our vision for the Games,” said the committee president, Edgar Grospin, to French newspaper L’Équipe.
“It’s a sport that’s gaining momentum and showcases another, wilder side of the mountains.
“We want three events, including the individual, which is the flagship event with 1,000 meters of vertical gain and requires both endurance and technical skill.”
Supporters stress its alpine identity, youth appeal and the use of existing venues.
Ski mountaineering. Image c/o Simon Perry
The ski mountaineering events would take place in the Southern Alps in the Briançonnais region.
The venue could be shared with another discipline, such as freeride, which is expected to be proposed to the IOC during the executive board meeting later this month or join freestyle skiing in Serre Chevalier.
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The decision will be informed by a review of data from Milan-Cortina.
This includes 14 indicators across television, digital, public interest, spectatorship, and media coverage, providing assessment of sport, discipline and event popularity.
All data is collected and validated by an independent third party.
This methodology, which has been reviewed by all Winter International Federations and was approved by the IOC Executive Board in June 2025, is based on four core principles:
- Fairness
- Robustness
- Thoroughness
- Consistency
Ice climbing had been hoping to be included in the 2030 Games but has already been rejected.
Other disciplines seeking inclusion include telemark skiing and snow polo.
Nordic Combined and Snowboard Parallel Giant Slalom are awaiting their fate and could be excluded.
Winter Olympic Games. Image c/o PlanetSKI
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