Ski Mountaineering Debuts at 2026 Winter Olympics

The new Olympic sport of skimo combines cross-country skiing, alpine racing, and endurance hiking.

Feb. 4, 2026 at 5:31pm

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The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina will feature a new event called ski mountaineering, or skimo for short. Skimo races involve both uphill and downhill skiing, with competitors using specialized equipment like skins on their skis to grip the snow during the ascent and then removing them for the downhill sections. There will be men's and women's sprint events as well as a mixed relay competition.

Why it matters

Skimo is a growing sport that originated in the Alps and has become popular in Europe. Its inclusion in the Olympics will bring more attention and legitimacy to the discipline, which combines elements of several winter sports into a unique test of endurance and skill.

The details

In a skimo race, competitors start at the bottom of the hill and use skins on their skis to race uphill. As they near the top, they'll have to remove their skis and hike up a steeper section in their boots. At the summit, they'll quickly strip off the skins and ski down through a series of gates to the finish line. The sprint events will be completed in under 3 minutes, while the mixed relay will take around 30 minutes total.

  • The men's and women's sprint events will take place on Thursday, February 19, 2026.
  • The mixed relay final will be held on Saturday, February 21, 2026.

The players

Oriol Cardona Coll

The current men's world champion in skimo and the gold medal favorite for the men's sprint event at the 2026 Olympics.

Emily Harrop

The favorite to win the women's skimo sprint event at the 2026 Olympics, as the current women's world champion.

Anna Gibson

A 26-year-old from Jackson, Wyoming who will represent the United States in the mixed relay skimo event. She and her partner Cam Smith became the first American team to win a World Cup mixed relay competition.

Cam Smith

A 30-year-old from Rockford, Illinois who will partner with Anna Gibson in the mixed relay skimo event for Team USA. He is an 11-time US Ski Mountaineering national champion and a 5-time North American Ski Mountaineering champion.

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What’s next

The judges will determine the final team rosters for the mixed relay event in the weeks leading up to the 2026 Olympics.

The takeaway

The inclusion of skimo in the 2026 Winter Olympics will bring more global attention to this unique winter sport that combines elements of cross-country skiing, alpine racing, and mountaineering. It will be exciting to see which countries and athletes rise to the top in this new Olympic discipline.