BORMIO, Italy – Thursday marked a historic day for winter sports as ski mountaineering, known as SkiMo, made its Olympic premiere amid heavy snowfall in the Italian Alps.
The preliminary rounds for both men’s and women’s sprint competitions kicked off at Bormio’s renowned Stelvio slope, drawing 36 elite athletes from around the world. Despite challenging weather conditions, enthusiastic spectators filled the venue to near capacity for this groundbreaking event.
SkiMo represents the first addition to Winter Olympic competition since snowboarding was introduced in 1998. The discipline traces its origins to 19th-century mountain skiing, developed long before mechanical lifts existed to transport skiers uphill.
The sprint format features multiple challenging segments. Competitors begin by ascending steep terrain using specialized skis equipped with “skins” – adhesive strips that provide traction for uphill movement. Athletes then transition to running up stairs while carrying their equipment on their backs, return to uphill skiing, and conclude by removing the skins for a downhill slalom run to the finish line.
Each race lasts approximately three minutes, with seamless transitions between segments proving crucial for success. Competitors spend countless training hours perfecting these changeovers, as time penalties during transitions often determine race outcomes.
The competition structure begins with three preliminary heats containing six athletes each. The top three finishers from each heat advance to semifinals, joined by the three fastest remaining competitors. Semi-final races will also feature six participants each, with the fastest six earning spots in the medal rounds.
Women’s finals are set for 1:55 PM local time, followed by men’s competition at 2:15 PM.
France’s Emily Harrop enters as the favorite in women’s competition, currently holding the top ranking in International Ski Mountaineering Federation standings for 2025. Her main challengers include Spain’s Ana Alonso Rodriguez, who recently returned from injury, and Switzerland’s Marianne Fatton.
In men’s competition, Spain’s Oriol Cardona Coll leads the world rankings, with Switzerland’s Jon Kistler and France’s Thibault Anselmet considered strong medal contenders.
