2026 Winter Olympics Debuts New Sport in Milan

The winter Olympics will feature a new sport. In ski mountaineering, called “skimo” for short, athletes race both up and downhill, alternately wearing and carrying their skis in backpacks. This became an official sport in the 1980s. Switzerland, France, and Italy are likely to dominate the competition.

However, an American is competing in Milan-Cortina. Cameron (Cam) Smith, from Crested Butte Colorado, is an 11-time USA ski mountaineering national champ. Other members of the USA Skimo team include Ann Gibson, a 26-year-old athlete who has a strong background in trail running, Alpine, and Nordic skiing. Your first chance to watch Smith and the other “skimo” athletes if Feb. 19.

Skimo was first introduced at the Youth Winter Games Lausanne 2020, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) board approved it for the 2026 Winter Games in July 2021 as part of the overall sport planning, according to NBC.

How Will Ski Mountaineering Be Featured in the 2026 Games?

The competition will include three sprint events:

• Men’s sprint
• Women’s spring
• Mixed relay

Each race is about 3.5 minutes long. Athletes start by climbing the hill with their skis on backpacks, and then they strap on their skis and sprint to the finish line. Individual races can last between one to two hours.

How is ‘Skimo’ Different from Backcountry Skiing?

While similar backcountry skiing is considered easier and skimo requires more technical skills.

NBC’s New AI Assistant for the Olympics

There’s much to watch during the Olympics and it can be hard to catch all the great competitions. NBC launched a new AI-assistant, OLI, to provide event times, channels, and streaming platforms to specific events.