What is Skimo? Ski Mountaineering: Olympics 2026 New Sport

by

When it comes to this Olympics 2026 sport, it’s about the climb—and the descent. 

Ski mountaineering, also known as skimo, is a brand-new event at the 2026 Olympics, joining the impressive roster of challenging athletic accomplishments already seen at the Milano Cortina Winter Games, which began on February 6th.

This year, 36 athletes—18 men and 18 women—will compete in the first-ever skimo events, starting February 19th in Bormio, Italy. The competition includes men’s and women’s sprint races, as well as a mixed-gender relay.

Skimo, a sport with roots in the 19th century before ski lifts existed, involves climbing a mountain with skis and then skiing back down. In a typical sprint race, athletes cover around 500 meters in under three minutes. This involves climbing uphill with special grips called “skins” attached to the bottom of their skis, briefly running with their skis on their backs, and then skiing downhill after removing the skins.

Team relay races involve athletes each running two laps of a 1500-meter track, passing the baton to their teammate, similar to how an individual sprint works. However, unlike a sprint, a relay race is much longer and can take around 30 minutes to finish.

In addition to the physical stamina required to finish the climb and descent, athletes are judged on how well they manage their equipment. Losing a ski skin or storing it improperly during the race can result in a penalty of up to 30 seconds added to their overall time.

This year, Anna Gibson and Cam Smith are representing the United States in the relay event.

Smith is a long-time professional skimo racer, while Gibson, a world bronze medalist in mountain and trail running, is new to the sport, having started just last year with help from her current teammate.

Gibson shared with Team USA that while he’s thrilled about the Olympics, he plans to approach the competition with the same relaxed mindset he had going into the World Cup. He wants to focus on learning and enjoying the experience without putting too much pressure on himself to achieve specific results.

With Gibson and Smith qualifying for the 2026 Olympics, and this being Gibson’s third skimo competition, the 26-year-old athlete is thrilled to simply be participating.

She explained that, for her, the most important thing isn’t necessarily winning, but having a great experience. She believes the team understands its potential and is now being taken more seriously than ever before.

For a deeper look into what has unraveled at the Olympics 2026 so far, keep reading…

Figure skater Amber Glenn became emotional after a difficult landing during her triple loop jump in the women’s short program.

Tom Wilson of Canada scuffles with Pierre Crinon of France in a rare Olympic hockey fight.

Brazilian skier Lucas Pinheiro Braathen was overcome with emotion after making history by winning Brazil’s first-ever gold medal at the Winter Olympics, taking the top spot in the men’s giant slalom.

Stevenson Savart, the first Haitian cross-country skier to compete in the Olympics, finished the men’s 10km race and received a standing ovation.

Spanish figure skater Tomas Guarino performs his short program dressed as a Minion, inspired by the movie Despicable Me.

A dog wanders onto the track during the women’s team cross country free sprint qualifiers.

Curler Marc Kennedy observed his teammate, Brad Jacobs, putting on lip balm during a men’s round robin game.

Ilia Malinin, the U.S. figure skater nicknamed “Quad God,” surprisingly fell during his free skate performance, which resulted in an eighth-place finish.

German bobsledder Laura Nolte prepares before practicing for the monobob, a one-person bobsleigh race for women.

After the women’s snowboard halfpipe event, Korean snowboarder Gaon Choi took a photo with American Chloe Kim and Japan’s Mitsuki Ono, captured on a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 Olympic Edition phone.

Nika Egadze, a figure skater from Georgia, took a photo with Simone Biles, the most decorated Olympic gymnast, while at the men’s singles figure skating competition.

A cameraman captured U.S. skiers Breezy Johnson and Mikaela Shiffrin embracing after completing their second runs in the women’s team combined slalom competition.

Biathlete Lou Jeanmonnot of France playfully posed with the stuffed mascots, Milo and Tina, from the Milan-Cortina Olympics. She received the plushies after winning a silver medal in the women’s 15km individual biathlon event.

After completing the super-G race, skier Dmytro Shepiuk wrote a message of support to his Ukrainian compatriots on a sticky note.

Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto is surprised by her score in the women’s singles free skating team event.

I was so moved watching Jutta Leerdam! Seeing her break the Olympic record in the 1,000-meter speedskating race and then seeing the tears well up in her eyes was just incredible. It was a really emotional moment, and I couldn’t have been happier for her.

China’s Eileen Gu competes in the women’s freestyle slopestyle—which earned her a silver medal.

Oh my gosh, it absolutely broke my heart seeing Maxim Naumov after his short program. He was holding a picture of his parents – his parents – so close, you could just feel how much he misses them. It was such a powerful, emotional moment, and honestly, it made me love him even more. It’s clear they mean everything to him, and he’s skating for them. I just… I can’t even talk about it without getting choked up.

A composite image shows off the many tricks seen in the women’s freestyle slopestyle. 

Figure skater Ekaterina Kurakova of Poland celebrated her performance with teammates, holding up a plush pierogi—a popular and well-loved Polish dish.

No, it’s Team Austria’s ski jumper Julia Muehlbacher.

Selina Egle and Lara Michaela Kipp of Austria zoom by during the luge women’s doubles.

The figure skating team who won the gold medal took a selfie with a special Olympic Edition of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 while celebrating on the podium.

Lindsey Vonn, a U.S. skier, appeared focused and determined while training just days after suffering a torn ACL in a crash.

American skater Alysa Liu performs a Biellmann spin during her short program at the women’s single skating event.

Jennifer Dodds of Team Great Britain showed a tense reaction during the mixed doubles curling round robin match against South Korea.

Snoop Dogg,serving as an Olympics correspondent for NBC, tries his hand at curling at a practice.

Evan Bates and Madison Chock, both U.S. figure skaters and a couple in real life, seem perfectly in sync when they perform their rhythm ice dance.

Laila Edwards, the first Black woman to play hockey for the U.S. in the Olympics, competes against Sara Cajanova of the Czech Republic during their game.

During the men’s snowboard big air qualifying round, Australian athlete Valentino Guseli embraced Jakub Hrones from Team Czechia.

Read More

2026-02-19 11:17