A drone view shows twin brothers Robin and Thomas Bussard climbing up during a ski mountaineering training session in Rougemont, Switzerland, December 18, 2025. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
Jan 22 (Reuters) - Skiing began as a way to survive in the mountains long before it became a sport and now its oldest form -skimountaineering -will make its Olympic debut next month in Milano Cortina.
To make the spectacle fit the fast-paced rhythm of the Games, organisers have however only included the sprint version of the gruelling endurance race, condensing hours of climbing and descending into a mad dash for gold.
As a sport, ski mountaineering began as a form of training used by alpine soldiers. Today, it involves climbing uphill in two ways: either on skis fitted with special “skins” that grip the snow or on foot in a steep section, known as boot‑packing.
After reaching the top, athletes ski back down.
Though the more classic individual races can take around two hours, the sprint races, lasting about three minutes per heat, are the ones being staged at next month's Olympics.
"When people imagine ski mountaineering they think of big mountains and endurance but in Milano Cortina it will be only the quick formats,” said Alba de Silvestro, who will compete in Bormio for Italy."With the Olympics you’ll only see the fast disciplines of ski mountaineering."
ALPINE MILITARY HISTORY
The first ski mountaineering races were chiefly military events, particularly in Alpine countries such as Austria and Switzerland. Before lifts, ski racers would trudge up mountains on foot before speeding down.
"In principle, ski mountaineering is the foundation of skiing," said Georg Woerter, the Austrian team's Athletic Director.
The sport began to evolve in the 1980s, when recreational races started to appear, but remained relatively niche compared with downhill or cross‑country skiing.
Its profile grew steadily, leading to the first Ski Mountaineering World Championships in Serre Chevalier, France, in 2002. The sport debuted at the 2022 Youth Olympic Games.
ONLY SPRINT EVENTS ADDED
At this year's Winter Games, women's and men's ski mountaineering sprint races take place on February 19, with the mixed gender relays scheduled for two days later.
While there is excitement about the Olympics, experts have questioned the focus on the sprint form, which is better suited for broadcasting.
"I do agree that it has nothing to do with real ski mountaineering," said Austria's Johanna Hiemer, who is nonetheless excited that the sport has made it to the highest level.
The World Cup calendar for SkiMo has already tilted towards the faster format, with more sprints and fewer individual races planned to allow athletes to prepare.
Italian champion Michele Boscacci, who is married to De Silvestro and whose father won gold at the sport's first World Cup, is less negative.
“The sprint is a different kind of effort but it’s still real SkiMo - at the Games you’ll see the speed, the transitions and the tactics in just a few minutes.”
The discipline’s Olympic future remains open but De Silvestro hoped the spotlight offered by the Milano Cortina Games could lift the whole sport, including the longer races.
"I certainly hope that we can showcase a few more of the disciplines," said Cookler, who is looking forward to the Winter Games in the U.S. in 2034.
"Some of the longer races would be really cool to showcase in Utah."
(Reporting by Marleen Kaesebier and Lisa Jucca; Editing by Ken Ferris)
