Ski mountaineering’s Olympic debut: the races and first champions
Milano Cortina 2026 brought skimo to the Winter Games, with sprint and mixed-relay titles won by Spain, Switzerland and France.
Ski mountaineering made its Olympic debut at Milano Cortina 2026. Competition took place in Bormio on February 19 and 21, with 36 athletes: 18 women and 18 men. The program comprised men’s sprint, women’s sprint and mixed relay. The Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations’ account.
Often called skimo, the sport combines climbing on skis, transitions between uphill and downhill equipment, and descents. The Olympic formats brought those elements into compact races.
The first champions
- Men’s sprint: Oriol Cardona Coll, Spain.
- Women’s sprint: Marianne Fatton, Switzerland.
- Mixed relay: Emily Harrop and Thibault Anselmet, France.
The three races established skimo’s first Olympic champions while introducing the discipline’s combination of uphill effort, rapid transitions and descending to the Winter Games.
