Ski Mountaineering at the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics—Everything You Need To Know

What Is Ski Mountaineering?

Ski Mountaineering, or SkiMo as it is often referred, will make its much-anticipated debut as the newest Winter Olympic sport at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

Olympic SkiMo will bring together 36 competitors (18 men, 18 women) competing for their sport’s first Olympic medals across three events: men’s and women’s sprint races, followed by a longer distance mixed gender team relay. 

The two sprint events will surely provide a series of edge-of-your-seat, thrilling, and unpredictable contests. Athletes battle shoulder-to-shoulder across three phases: climbing uphill and through obstacles with skins fastened to their skis, boot-packing up steps, and finally, after clicking their heels into specialized race bindings, charging downhill to the finish line. 

Skimo sprints vastly differ from more traditional and grueling races that entail steep ascents up mountain peaks in the alpine backcountry. However, the fast-paced races, which typically last three minutes and involve approximately 70 meters of vertical ascent, are a tactical showcase of speed and explosiveness. 

Competition for the sport’s first Olympic medals will consist of two elimination heats and a six-person finale. Those who embrace the moment and rise to the occcasion will forever be known as the  first class of Skimo Olympic champions.

Team USA: Cam Smith and Ana Gibson

The Team USA Skimo duo of Cam Smith and Anna Gibson delivered a clutch victory in the the mixed team relay at the IBSF World Cup opening and Olympic qualifer races in Solitiude, Utah, Dec. 6-7. The U.S. skiers quickly overtook their Canadian opponents in what had been a tight battle to secure an Olympic quota spot.

Smith and Gibson built a decisive lead over the 12-team field and topped the podium with a blistering time of 32:17.6, 51 seconds faster than their nearest challengers from Italy, Alba De Silvestro and Michele Boscacci.

Smith, 29, has established himself as the leading American racer on the World Cup, pushed hard by his significantly younger teammate and world junior champion Griffin Briley, 20. Gibson, 26, is a proven multi-sport endurance athlete, but entirely new to the sport of Skimo, making the duo’s performance that much more impressive. 

“Nothing about this was planned. I had no expectations about the result,” said Smith. “I had a feeling something great would happen, and I didn’t know if that would be succeeding in our goal of making it to the Olympics, or failing objectively.”

The proud day in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains marked a historic first World Cup Skimo victory for a U.S. athlete(s). Smith took advantage of racing on home snow in Utah, while Gibson, who is originally from Jackson, Wyoming, skied like an experienced racer beyond her years.

Hard not to miss on the mountain with his distinguished red beard, Smith elaborated upon preparation for Olympic sprints versus traditional ski mountaineering.

“The training for that involves climbing mountains and skiing powder, whereas the training for sprints and relays involves more time sprinting on the piste, practicing transitions and working out in the gym,” Smith explains. “I really enjoy sprint racing now – it is very dynamic and super exciting to watch. “Focus on performance has made my body and mind both feel really good as opposed to grinding out slower-paced volume, so I’m super excited for February 2026,” he said.

Smith exudes supreme confidence and is excited to represent Team USA in Italy, as they’ll compete against top Skimo athletes from France, Switzerland, Italy, and Spain.

“We are at the top level and now can compete with anyone,” Smith asserts.

When Was Ski Mountaineering Added to the Olympic Program?

Ski Mountaineering was unanimously approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for inclusion in the Milan Cortina 2026 program, in July 2021. The fast-paced sprint races and event format were initially tested at the Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games, passing with flying colors.

Where and When Will SkiMo Take Place at Milan Cortina 2026?

Races will be contested in Bormio at the Stelvio Ski Centre on the lower Stelvio slope, in Italy’s upper Valtellina Valley, on February 19 and 21 2026. The SkiMo athletes will takeover the lower section of the revered slope also used for the men’s Alpine skiing events, which conclude three days prior. An Olympic test event was held on Bormio’s Stelvio course last February, with strong reviews from top athletes and officials.

Ski Mountaineering’s Longstanding Tradition and Classic Races

Powerhouse countries traditionally leading the sport’s competitive charge are Italy, France, and Switzerland, while Spain has also surged lately in the new format.

Ski mountaineering’s classic races, like the Trofeo Mezzalama in Italy, first contested in 1933, and the Patrouille des Glaciers in Switzerland, in 1943, are rooted in the Alps. They symbolize early progression of the sport following the origins of recreational skiing, and brave mountaineers ascending snowy peaks and traversing high mountain passes prior to ski lifts.

The Best SkiMo Athletes/Olympic Medal Contenders

Medal contenders in Bormio include France’s Emily Harrop, who has been dominant on the women’s tour, winning four consecutive sprint and overall World Cup titles. World Champion Marianne Fatton of Switzerland ruined Harrop’s near perfect season and should be her toughest competition in Italy. 

On the men’s side, Frenchman Thibault Anselmet, Spaniard Oriol Cardona Coll, Swiss Jon Kistler, and Belgian Maximilien Drion du Chapois are expected to lead the charge for medals.

SkiMo’s Olympic Future

SkiMo’s Olympic debut and the worldwide media coverage that it will receive should propel the sport’s continued growth, both recreationally and competitively.

If SkiMo impresses as it is expected in the Italian Dolomites, then it will most likely be on course for a second Olympic helping, which would probably include longer form individual races, in the French Alps 2030. 

It appears that the sky is the limit, and if so, you’ll probably see Olympic SkiMo dazzle once again come the Utah 2034 Olympic Games.