Ski Mountaineering, a new sport making its debut at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.
“A new extreme sport?” you might think, but it’s nothing like that. Unlike skateboarding or breakdancing, skimo is a sport rooted in military training.
So why did the IOC adopt this seemingly low-key sport for 2026?
Behind this decision lie the modern Olympics’ construction cost issues and the host nation Italy’s intense nostalgia.
For basic rules and event explanations of ski mountaineering, please see this article.
Return to the 1924 Chamonix Games
Often called a “new sport,” historically it marks a return after 102 years since the first Winter Olympics.
Its origins lie in “reconnaissance.”
102 years ago in 1924, the first Winter Olympics, the historic Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Games, were held.
The event conducted at that time, the “Military Patrol,” is the competition that should be considered the ancestor of ski mountaineering.
This event, involving traversing snowy mountains on skis and rifle shooting, later disappeared from the Olympics amid the peaceful atmosphere following World War II.
Afterwards, the “Military Patrol” split into two paths.
- As a sport specializing in “shooting,” biathlon was born.
- As a sport focused on “skiing technique,” skimo (ski mountaineering) was born.
In other words, the inclusion of ski mountaineering in 2026 marks a historic moment: the reunion of two sibling sports that once diverged, reunited after a century apart.
A revival story where the IOC and Italy’s intentions intersect
Why was ski mountaineering reinstated for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games?
Behind it lay benefits the IOC desperately sought and Italy’s long-cherished wish.
The IOC was overjoyed at the “zero construction costs.”
The core of the IOC’s Olympic reform plan, “Agenda 2020+5,” is sustainability and cost reduction.
While the Milan-Cortina bid faced difficulties over the bobsleigh track construction issue, Skimo was the perfect model student.
- It can be held on existing mountain resorts, eliminating the need for new massive stadium construction.
- Its electricity consumption is extremely low, resulting in an environmental footprint (carbon footprint) that is virtually zero.
This “environmentally friendly” characteristic perfectly aligns with the needs of the modern Olympics.
For details on the bobsled track construction that became a major issue shaking the IOC and Italian government at the Milan-Cortina Games, please see this article.
The long-cherished aspiration of the Italian Alpine troops, the Alpini
Another reason was the intense push from host nation Italy.
Italy has a tradition of elite mountain troops known as the Alpini. For the Alpini, ski mountaineering—dashing across snowy peaks—holds a position akin to a national soul or national sport.
Moreover, the areas around Bormio and Cortina, two of the host locations, are the heartland of this mountain skiing tradition.
For the organizing committee, adopting ski mountaineering was a national project symbolizing “national prestige” and a “return to tradition.”
The Ultimate Fan’s Guide: “The Fourth Discipline” – Transition
Now, what should ski mountaineering beginners focus on when watching? It’s not the climbing or the skiing—it’s the time spent on “transitions” (changing clothes).
Busier than an F1 pit stop
Ski mountaineering athletes attach climbing skins to the underside of their skis for ascents, then peel them off to switch to gliding mode for descents.
This switching process is called a “transition.”
Top athletes, operating at extreme levels with heart rates exceeding 180 beats per minute, instantly peel off the skins without removing their skis, tighten their boot buckles, and attach the skis to their backpacks… completing this entire sequence in just tens of seconds.
Any hesitation costs precious seconds. Rivals overtake them in the blink of an eye.
Transition—often called the fourth discipline alongside climbing, descending, and flat terrain. Soldiers protecting the snowy mountains must be not only ski experts but also masters of equipment handling. This inherited craftsmanship is the greatest spectacle of ski mountaineering.
The Astonishing Carbon Gear
The equipment used by athletes is also worth noting.
While standard ski boots weigh about 2kg per pair, ski mountaineering boots—especially those for sprinting—utilize carbon fiber to achieve an astonishing weight reduction of just 600g per foot. That’s about the weight of a plastic bottle filled with liquid.
This relentless pursuit of lightness is one reason behind the speed that has earned it the nickname “F1 on snow.”
Check out the new sport: Ski Mountaineering!
What we witness in “Skimo” is not merely a new race.
The movement techniques honed at the risk of their lives by soldiers who once roamed the Alps freely have returned after a century, transformed into a sustainable sport alongside cutting-edge technology.
The more you learn about the rules, the more you’ll be drawn into its depth. To prepare for the competition rules, please review this article.
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