Ski mountaineering made its Olympic debut at the Milano Cortina Winter Games in 2026 after being added through the IOC’s Host City Rule, which allows organizers to introduce sports that resonate with local audiences. The discipline, which enjoys huge popularity in Italy, became the first brand-new sport added to the Winter Olympics since skeleton returned at Salt Lake City in 2002. The experiment proved to be a success, quickly winning over fans and athletes alike. Now, it is set to return at the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps.

Karl Stross, who heads the Olympic Program Commission, emphasized that bringing Skimo — as the sport is popularly known — to the French Alps was important because of its strong local following, with France following Italy’s lead in using the IOC’s Host City Rule to keep the discipline on the Olympic program.

“We all recognized the sport’s potential to add meaningful value to the program, supported by its strong presence in Alpine regions, and its ability to enhance diversity, authenticity, and appeal, while building on its growing Olympic moment,” Stross said per NBC.

This move, which was approved by IOC members, came a couple of weeks after the executive board gave the green light for the 2030 games to feature Skimo. But that said, there’s no guarantee that it will remain on the schedule of 2034, which is when the Games return to Utah in the United States.

The Host City Rule has already had a big impact on the Olympic program in recent years. At Tokyo 2020, sports such as surfing, skateboarding, and karate were added because of their popularity in Japan, while Los Angeles 2028 will feature cricket, baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse, and squash. Like those sports, Skimo’s future at the Olympics could come down to whether future host cities continue to back it.

Logistics were one of the biggest hurdles to bringing Skimo to the Olympics. Races can last close to two hours, with athletes climbing steep slopes before switching gears and racing back down. Following the action from start to finish would have been difficult for broadcasters, and the long stretches of climbing were unlikely to keep viewers engaged.

To make the sport more TV-friendly, organizers introduced a sprint format for the Olympics. The uphill section was cut to around 70 meters, while the downhill race lasts just three to four minutes.

For 2030, there are reports that the number of events in Skimo will rise from three to five. Longer men’s and women’s individual races could join the men’s and women’s sprints and the mixed relay. It’s a clear sign that the 2030 Games want to build on the success of Milano Cortina.

Ski Mountaineering Was a Huge Success at Milano Cortina

Fans packed the Stelvio Ski Center in Milano Cortina to watch ski mountaineering make its Olympic debut. With the course shortened to a sprint format and kept under 700 meters, the venue was packed, and the atmosphere was electric.

The sport’s Olympic debut also produced some memorable moments. Switzerland’s Marianne Fatton claimed the first-ever Olympic gold medal in ski mountaineering by winning the women’s sprint. France, meanwhile, enjoyed a strong showing. World champion Emily Harrop won silver in the sprint before teaming up with Thibault Anselmet to take gold in the mixed relay. Anselmet also added a bronze in the men’s sprint, helping France finish with three medals and establish itself as one of the early powers in the sport at the Games. Spain, meanwhile, had their greatest Winter Olympics in half a century, thanks to skimo.

Spain also had plenty to celebrate. Oriol Cardona won the men’s sprint after making up ground during the transition and downhill sections of the race. It was Spain’s first Winter Olympic gold medal in 54 years.

Cardona later teamed up with Anna Alonso to win bronze in the mixed relay, helping Spain record its most successful Winter Olympics in decades thanks to a sport that was making its debut.

“It’s a pleasure to be competing in the big leagues,” Cardona said about Skimo being at the Games with Olympics.com. “I hope that everyone around the world enjoyed it and can see that there is much more to this sport.”

For now, Skimo’s place at the Olympics is safe. What happens after 2030 is anyone’s guess, but the sport has done enough in its first two Games to keep the conversation going.