There’s one new sport in the Olympics. Here’s how it works

The world’s top athletes in winter sports will showcase their skills and go head-to-head in competitions at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.

Athletes will face off in 15 returning disciplines, ranging from alpine skiing to bobsled and figure skating.

But this year, there’s a new addition to the lineup, and it’s one many fans may not have heard of: ski mountaineering.

Here’s what ski mountaineering – often shortened as SkiMo – entails.

Ski Mountaineering Explained

Ski mountaineering combines elements of Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, skinning (uphill skiing) and boot packing into a single race, according to NBC Olympics.

The Olympics website called the sport “exciting, intense and adrenaline-filled sport,” saying it allows participants “to connect with nature and pristine landscapes.”

According to the U.S. Ski Mountaineering Association, specialized equipment enables racers to “run” uphill with lightweight skis and skins on their feet, transition to bootpacking in seconds and then move again to downhill skiing.

Athletes complete a set course, consisting of an ascent, descent and a foot section. 

Three disciplines are debuting at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games: a men’s and women’s sprint event and a mixed relay event.

Sprint

The sprint, which is faster than most SkiMo races, consists of one uphill section, one on-foot section and one downhill section. It includes an elevation change of up to 70 meters.

Mixed Relay

The mixed relay features teams of one man and one woman, contains two ascents and two descents. According to NBC Olympics, each athlete completes the course twice.

The woman starts the race while the man finishes it. After a loop ends, an athlete tags in their teammate to do the same. The winner is the team with the fastest cumulative time.

History of ski mountaineering

SkiMo has deep historical roots in the Alpine regions and is particularly popular in Italy, according to the Olympics website.

Other countries in the Alps, including France and Switzerland, are also dominant in ski mountaineering.

Who are the top athletes?

Spain’s Oriol Cardona Coll is the reigning world champion. He is a gold medal favorite in Milan Cortina, having won the ISMF World Cup title in the sprint and claiming victory at the Olympic test event in Bormio.

Emily Harrop swept every World Cup women’s sprint event during the 2024-25 season and has obtained four consecutive cup titles.

Harrop and her partner, Thibault Anselmet, won the mixed relay at the 2025 World Championships. The biggest threat facing Harrop and Anselmet is Coll and Ana Alonso Rodriguez, , Spain’s top mixed relay tandem.

SkiMo in the United States

SkiMo is a relatively young sport in the United States but has gained traction in recent years.

While Team USA did not qualify for the sprint, it will be competing in the mixed relay. At the last possible moment, Cam Smith and Anna Gibson qualified with a historic win at the ISMF World Cup event in Solitude, Utah in December. 

According to USA Skimo, growth in the U.S. and worldwide served as a catalyst to bring the sport to the Olympic stage.

“While Skimo has been popular in Europe for many years, the growth in the US and other countries has all helped establish ski mountaineering as a unique and respected sport worldwide,” the association said, in part.

Competition Schedule

Competitions will feature three events: women’s sprint, men’s sprint and mixed relay.

Ski mountaineering will begin with Women’s Spring Heats at 2:50 on Feb. 19.

The full schedule can be found below:

Thursday, Feb. 17

• Women’s sprint heats – 2:50 a.m. CST
• Men’s sprint heats – 3:30 a.m. CST
• Women’s sprint semifinals – 5:55 a.m. CST
• Men’s sSprint semifinals – 6:25 a.m. CST
• Women’s sprint final – 6:55 a.m. CST
• Men’s sprint final – 7:15 a.m. CST

Sunday, Feb. 21

• Mixed relay – 6:30 a.m. CST

How to Watch

Beginning Thursday, ski mountaineering will air on USA Network, and stream live on Peacock and NBC Olympics platforms. Here’s how to watch the competition on television and streaming.