Skimo debuts at the 2026 Winter Olympics, combining uphill climbing and downhill skiing in a fast-paced endurance competition format.
What is skimo? Learn about the newest Olympic sport debuting at the 2026 Winter Olympics and its unique race format.
Winter Olympics 2026: The 2026 Winter Olympics are going to include an exciting new sport called skimo, short for ski mountaineering. The Olympic program presents its latest sport to the world through skimo, which showcases athletes' endurance abilities, speed skills, and mountain expertise. This sport, Skimo, will make its debut at the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. This will mark a major milestone for winter sports fans.
Skimo refers to ski mountaineering, which requires athletes to ascend mountains through skiing and descend mountains through racing while they walk on snow-covered ground. The athletes use lightweight skis, which have special bindings that let their heels lift during their climbing activities. To ascend, they use climbing skins, which they attach to their ski bases to stop their skis from sliding during uphill travel. After reaching the summit, they take off their skins and perform downhill skiing at high speeds.
The sport evaluates three main components, which include endurance performance and technical abilities, and quick movement skills for switching between climbing and descending activities. The skimo race format requires athletes to complete both uphill and downhill portions of the course, which differs from traditional alpine skiing races.
The 2026 Winter Games will feature skimo as a competition, which includes sprint and mixed relay events. The sprint race requires athletes to complete a brief competition that demands extreme physical effort, but the mixed relay requires teams that consist of one male and one female athlete to work together. The sport uses these formats to create a playing environment that maintains a rapid pace while making the sport easier for viewers to understand.
The organizers included skimo as a new sport to attract younger viewers while showing sports that relate to mountain culture. The event highlights endurance-based competition, which resembles cross-country skiing except that it requires athletes to climb higher and tackle more challenging ascents.
Skimo has become a popular sport that people practice throughout Europe and North America. The sport will gain worldwide recognition because of its upcoming Olympic debut.
