This year’s Olympic Games will feature a new sport that’s a mix of climbing mountains and racing down them.Ski mountaineering will make its debut at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics as its 16th sport. Here’s everything you need to know about the sport nicknamed “skimo.”3 minute raceThis is roughly the time it takes athletes to complete knockout heats in the sprint race. The sprint is a condensed, explosive version of long-format ski mountaineering races. It features core elements of the sport broken into four sections: an ascent, a diamond section, a portage and a descent. During the ascent, athletes will ski uphill with skins on skis. The skins allow the skis to grip the snow and prevent them from sliding backwards. The diamond section is a variation of the uphill slalom in which athletes climb in a zig-zag pattern. The portage is a section during which athletes remove their skis and carry them on their backs while running. Finally, the descent is when athletes remove their skins and ski downhill through turns and gates. “It is extreme what these athletes are able to put their body through — elevated heart rate for long distance of time and the ability to not only run uphill but then ski downhill very fast,” Sarah Cookler, head of sport for USA Skimo.230-foot climbThis is the total vertical distance athletes must climb in the sprint. It is similar to climbing the stairs of a 23-story building and it requires considerable endurance.Two race formats will make their Olympic debut: the sprint race and the mixed relay course. Each format brings different challenges for skimo athletes.The mixed-relay course is nearly double, at 443 feet. In that event, a pair of athletes (one male, one female) take turns climbing and descending the sprint course. Each lap can take around seven to nine minutes, Cookler said. 2.5-pound gearSkiing equipment is heavy. An average all-mountain ski boot alone weighs about 4 to 6 pounds, depending on size. And so, skimo athletes face the challenge of keeping their equipment light. Skimo equipment weighs about half as much as skiing equipment, roughly 2.5 pounds for boots and skis combined. That is about the average weight of a laptop.”Skimo gear is very specific. It’s very, very lightweight, their boots are made out of full carbon fiber. They have a lot of, ankle mobility, almost essentially like a running shoe,” said Cookler.Skimo athletes also use skins, synthetic fibers that allow them to glide uphill without slipping backward. They use skins on their skis during the ascent and remove them for the descent. 36 athletesThirty six (18 male, 18 female) of the world’s best ski mountaineering athletes will be competing in the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina on Feb. 19 and 20. Day one at the steep inclines of the Stelvio Ski Centre will be devoted to the women’s and men’s sprint heats. While day two will showcase the mixed relay. Qualifying athletes include skimo star and four-time International Ski Mountaineering Federation World Cup champion, France’s Emily Harrop. As well as elite trail runner turned ski-mountaineer Anna Gibson. Gibson first attended a USA Skimo team training camp in Utah in August and was later asked to join the team. She then competed with two-time world cup podium finisher Cameron Smith at the ISMF World Cup Solitude 2025 in December in Utah, and won in the final mixed relay qualification event. This was also the first time that an American team won a World Cup mixed relay race.”She’s a very seasoned athlete in trail running, Nordic skiing, has a background in alpine skiing. So she’s not new to skiing but new to skimo racing,” Cookler said.
NEW YORK —
This year’s Olympic Games will feature a new sport that’s a mix of climbing mountains and racing down them.
Ski mountaineering will make its debut at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics as its 16th sport. Here’s everything you need to know about the sport nicknamed “skimo.”
3 minute race
This is roughly the time it takes athletes to complete knockout heats in the sprint race. The sprint is a condensed, explosive version of long-format ski mountaineering races. It features core elements of the sport broken into four sections: an ascent, a diamond section, a portage and a descent.
During the ascent, athletes will ski uphill with skins on skis. The skins allow the skis to grip the snow and prevent them from sliding backwards. The diamond section is a variation of the uphill slalom in which athletes climb in a zig-zag pattern. The portage is a section during which athletes remove their skis and carry them on their backs while running. Finally, the descent is when athletes remove their skins and ski downhill through turns and gates.
“It is extreme what these athletes are able to put their body through — elevated heart rate for long distance of time and the ability to not only run uphill but then ski downhill very fast,” Sarah Cookler, head of sport for USA Skimo.
230-foot climb
This is the total vertical distance athletes must climb in the sprint. It is similar to climbing the stairs of a 23-story building and it requires considerable endurance.
Getty ImagesFrancesco Scaccianoce
Two race formats will make their Olympic debut: the sprint race and the mixed relay course. Each format brings different challenges for skimo athletes.
The mixed-relay course is nearly double, at 443 feet. In that event, a pair of athletes (one male, one female) take turns climbing and descending the sprint course. Each lap can take around seven to nine minutes, Cookler said.
2.5-pound gear
Skiing equipment is heavy. An average all-mountain ski boot alone weighs about 4 to 6 pounds, depending on size. And so, skimo athletes face the challenge of keeping their equipment light.
Skimo equipment weighs about half as much as skiing equipment, roughly 2.5 pounds for boots and skis combined. That is about the average weight of a laptop.
“Skimo gear is very specific. It’s very, very lightweight, their boots are made out of full carbon fiber. They have a lot of, ankle mobility, almost essentially like a running shoe,” said Cookler.
Skimo athletes also use skins, synthetic fibers that allow them to glide uphill without slipping backward. They use skins on their skis during the ascent and remove them for the descent.
Getty ImagesFrancesco Scaccianoce
36 athletes
Thirty six (18 male, 18 female) of the world’s best ski mountaineering athletes will be competing in the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina on Feb. 19 and 20. Day one at the steep inclines of the Stelvio Ski Centre will be devoted to the women’s and men’s sprint heats. While day two will showcase the mixed relay.
Qualifying athletes include skimo star and four-time International Ski Mountaineering Federation World Cup champion, France’s Emily Harrop.
As well as elite trail runner turned ski-mountaineer Anna Gibson. Gibson first attended a USA Skimo team training camp in Utah in August and was later asked to join the team. She then competed with two-time world cup podium finisher Cameron Smith at the ISMF World Cup Solitude 2025 in December in Utah, and won in the final mixed relay qualification event. This was also the first time that an American team won a World Cup mixed relay race.
“She’s a very seasoned athlete in trail running, Nordic skiing, has a background in alpine skiing. So she’s not new to skiing but new to skimo racing,” Cookler said.
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