What to Know When Ski Mountaineering Makes its Olympic Debut in 2026

This article originally appeared on Ski Mag

Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITALY--The early April air was crisp and the competition was fierce as Italy crowned its newest champions in Ski Mountaineering: Nicolo Ernesto Canclini and Giulia Compagnoni.

Despite Canclini and Compagnoni's status as elite, world-class athletes among the top ten in the ski mountaineering world, neither is a household name in Italian sport or even across the winter sports playground of the Italian Dolomites.

However, all of that could change in February 2026, should either of the 26-year-old athletes win Olympic gold medals on home snow in Italy.

The sport of Ski Mountaineering, or 'Skimo' as often referred to, will make its Olympic debut in Northern Italy, at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games. The duo of Italian athletes will have golden opportunities to become sporting heroes in their country, should they excel in the thrilling, unpredictable, and fast-paced discipline of Ski Mountaineering sprint racing.

Back on the competition ground Skimo competitors navigated a tricky 1673-foot-long course, nestled in the Col Gallina area of the Cortina d'Ampezzo Dolomiti Ski Resort. A touch of fresh snow provided ideal conditions, as six skiers raced side-by-side, per heat, in the progression to the finals. A small jump approaching the finish enhanced the challenge. The athletes raced at a gnarly altitude of 7,513 feet, challenging a piste rising nearly 393 vertical feet.

"It's a big dream of mine for sure - I live 300 meters [984 feet] from the Olympic slope, which will be in Bormio," Canclini said, after his victory at the Cortina Skimo Cup "Everyone is working with a much better spirit to improve ski mountaineering now that we have this new chance in the Olympics."

The sprint discipline is comprised of three distinct phases - running uphill from the start with skis on an athlete's back, then attaching skins to the bottom of the skis for an ascent to the top of the course, and lastly securing Skimo race bindings for a final descent down and a mad dash to the finish.

Skimo is not epic alpine climbing in the traditional sense. Nothing compared to the decades-old, ski mountaineering classic races like Italy's Trofeo Mezzalama or Switzerland's Patrouille des Glaciers. However, the all-out sprint race is undoubtedly an exhilarating, tactical, test of speed and explosiveness.

"More classical alpine skiers believe that ski mountaineering is the Mezzalama, but I believe ski mountaineering has nothing to do with the races, it is enjoying the mountains," Canclini said. "Most of the young guys and the new federations are working almost entirely on this (sprint) format."

Ski Mountaineering's Journey to the Olympic Winter Games 2026

The International Olympic Committee Executive Board approved the Olympic qualification system proposed by the International Ski Mountaineering Federation (ISMF) In June 2021, another major step for the sport's Olympic inclusion. The sport was unanimously approved for Milano Cortina 2026, boosted by a successful showing at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games.

"This sport is a combination between the history of skiing and contemporary times," said Italian cross-country skiing legend and IOC member Manuela Di Centa. "It is fashionable, sustainable, lovable, and something that you can do by yourself in total and complete freedom."

Eighteen male and 18 female athletes will chase the first-ever Olympic medals to be awarded in the sport. The competition will be spread across three medal events: Men's Sprint, Women's Sprint, and Mixed Gender Relay. The more complex Individual and Vertical discipline racing did not make the cut.

The venue for Skimo's 2026 Olympic debut will be in the Italian Alps of Bormio, where men's alpine ski races will also be contested. The games will have widespread events and Skimo is no exception, the slopes will be over a four-hour drive from Cortina.

The determined Italian national champions believe that ski mountaineering - both recreationally and competitively - will gain greater visibility and develop rapidly along the journey to Milano Cortina 2026, and beyond.

"We are not a rich sport, but the Olympics is a great opportunity for new sponsors, and that will inspire our young athletes to work harder," Compagnoni said.

Canclini, Compagnoni, and rivals will continue to hone their skills over an expanding ISMF World Cup schedule next winter. Competitions are scheduled across six countries: France, Andorra, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, and two events in Italy.

Follow Brian on Instagram: @brian.pinelli

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