Ski mountaineering (skimo) has been officially approved for inclusion in the Alpes 2030 Olympic Winter Games by the 146th International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Lausanne, Switzerland. The IOC executive board is conducting a full discipline program review, using data from the 2026 Olympics to determine which sports and disciplines should be included in the 2030 lineup. The French Alps 2030 Organizing Committee (OCOG) proposed adding ski mountaineering to the 2030 Olympics because of its potential to add meaningful value to the program. The OCOGs now have the opportunity to propose one or more additional sports for inclusion in their specific edition of the Games only.
Skimo is an intense, multi-disciplinary mountain sport where competitors ascend a mountain on skis equipped with skins, removing them and climbing on foot if the terrain becomes too steep. Competitors then must lock back into their skis before skiing downhill through a marked course. The sport merges the endurance of cross-country skiing with the precision of alpine skiing. This will be the second time that ski mountaineering will be featured at the Winter Games; it debuted as an additional sport at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. The approval of ski mountaineering for the 2030 Alps Winter Games will continue to build and promote the sport on the Olympic stage.
There has been strong support and appeal for ski mountaineering since its success at the Milano Cortina Games in 2026. That momentum continues in the Alps and France with the hopes of increasing its appeal to a broader audience, particularly younger generations. “The OCOG also highlighted the sport’s youth appeal, distinct identity, and strong relevance to the Alpes 2030 context, supported by its continued growth in recent years,” Stoss said.
The Olympic Program Working Group (OPWG) recognized the sport’s potential to add meaningful value to the program. “We 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 momentum,” Karl Stoss, OPWG Chair, said at the IOC session. “The emphasis for the French Alps [OCOG] is on the individual discipline and its events, which they consider to best represent the core of the sport and the character of the Alps.”
function sbSubscribe() {
var email = document.getElementById(‘sb-email’).value;
if (!email || !email.includes(‘@’)) {
document.getElementById(‘sb-email’).style.borderColor = ‘#D7424E’;
return;
}
var url = ‘https://snowbrains.us5.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=1f247afab0a546e393c022f9a&id=bcbf6caf6b&f_id=003bf2e0f0’;
var data = new FormData();
data.append(‘EMAIL’, email);
data.append(‘tags’, ‘2188762’);
data.append(‘b_1f247afab0a546e393c022f9a_bcbf6caf6b’, ”);
fetch(url, { method: ‘POST’, body: data, mode: ‘no-cors’ });
document.getElementById(‘sb-form-wrap’).style.display = ‘none’;
document.getElementById(‘sb-success’).style.display = ‘block’;
}
The French Alps have a strong Alpine identity, with ski mountaineering growing in popularity in the region. At the 2026 Winter Games, France led the skimo medal standings in 2026 with three medals, including one gold. The first ski mountaineering World Championships were held in 2002 in Serre Chevalier, France — a venue that will also host events at the 2030 Games. “Ski mountaineering embodies the very essence of the Alps: exertion, nature, commitment, and pushing one’s limits,” Edgar Grospiron, French Alps 2030 President, said before the IOC sessions. “We are also fortunate in France to have some of the world’s best athletes. They are exceptional ambassadors for ski mountaineering, embodying the sport’s values and helping to introduce it to the general public and new generations every day.”
The finalization of discipline and event programs has adjusted the timeline by the IOC Executive Board in order to separate this process from the Fit for the Future discussions at the 146th IOC Session. These decisions are expected to be taken by the IOC EB in the weeks following the 146th IOC Session.
