Ski mountaineering has been officially included as an additional sport on the programme for the Alpes 2030 Olympic Winter Games. The decision was taken by the 146th International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Lausanne.
This decision by the Session follows a recommendation from the IOC Executive Board, based on a proposal submitted by the French Alps 2030 Organising Committee (OCOG) and reviewed by the IOC’s Olympic Programme Working Group (OPWG).
In a presentation of the recommendation to the IOC Session, OPWG Chair Karl Stoss said: “We recognised the sport’s potential to add meaningful value to the programme, supported by its strong presence in Alpine regions, and its ability to enhance diversity, authenticity and appeal, while building on its growing Olympic momentum.”
He continued: “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.”
Ski mountaineering made its Olympic programme debut as an additional sport proposed by the Organising Committee at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. In his report, Stoss highlighted the success of this Olympic debut, which Alpes 2030 can build upon:
“The competition format delivered exciting head-to-head racing, even in challenging weather conditions – with strong engagement from spectators, a good atmosphere, a format that was easy to follow and observe, and clear competitive value.”
He continued: “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.”
He stated that since ski mountaineering was added to the Olympic programme in 2021, the number of participating National Olympic Committees has increased by over 45 per cent, and the number of International Ski Mountaineering Federation registered athlete club members has more than doubled.
The Working Group concluded that ski mountaineering would strengthen the overall Games concept while reflecting the identity of the host region.
A delegation from the French Alps 2030 Organising Committee, comprising President Edgar Grospiron, recently appointed Chief Executive Officer Vincent Roberti, Sports Director Mathilde Meurisse and French ski mountaineer Emily Harrop, an Olympic gold and silver medallist at Milano Cortina 2026, presented the OCOG’s proposal to include ski mountaineering as an additional sport at the IOC Session.
Grospiron explained the rationale behind the proposal:
“Ski mountaineering is rooted in the history of skiing, aligned with the identity of our Games, and focused on the future. In the Alps, ski mountaineering is not a guest – it is at home. It is part of the scenery. Part of our landscapes. Part of our culture.”
The intention for Alpes 2030 is to feature five ski mountaineering events across two disciplines, with a quota of 72 athletes. The proposed programme includes women’s and men’s individual race events, alongside the women’s, men’s and mixed relay sprint events that featured at Milano Cortina 2026.
Finalisation of discipline and event programmes
The IOC EB has adjusted the timeline for finalising the Alpes 2030 discipline and event programme, as well as athlete quotas, 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.
A programme review is currently underway to assess disciplines, events and athlete quotas for the Alpes 2030 Olympic Winter Games. The review is informed by data from Milano Cortina 2026
This revised timeline provides the IOC EB with additional time to evaluate all available data before taking final decisions on the Alpes 2030 programme.
Initial programme
The seven sports on the Alpes 2030 initial sports programme were approved by the 142nd IOC Session in Paris in July 2024, at the same time as the host election. These sports are biathlon, bobsleigh, curling, ice hockey, luge, skating and skiing/snowboarding.
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