Where to Ski And Snowboard - Ski-mo proposed as new Olympic sport

Ski-mo proposed as new Olympic sport

22nd June 2021, by Abi Butcher

The Patrouille des Glaciers in Switzerland is one of the world's most famous ski mountaineering races

Ski mountaineering — a competitive version of ski touring often nicknamed “ski-mo” — has been proposed as a new event for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.

The proposal, initially put forward by the organizing committee of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympics — will be voted on next month by around 100 members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. This process is normally met with little or no opposition and is seen as more of a formality.

Ski mountaineering has been gaining traction around the world and is popular in Italy and among the world’s skiing nations. A faster version of ski touring using super light-weight kit, ski mountaineers ski and hike up and down mountain terrain as fast as they can — as teams and individuals. One of the best-known ski mountaineering events for amateurs and professionals alike is the Patrouille des Glaciers from Zermatt to Verbier in Switzerland, held every two years.

Ski mountaineering was included in the 2020 Youth Winter Olympics in Lausanne, Switzerland, and including the sport in the 2026 Olympics would require 48 athlete places — 24 men and 24 women. There would be five events, a men’s and women’s sprint and individual events, along with a mixed gender relay event.

In a statement, the IOC said: “Ski mountaineering is a particularly popular sport in Italy, with deep historical and sporting roots across the alpine regions.”