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A new Olympic sport will debut at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
The Games got eight new events this year, but ski mountaineering will be in the spotlight on the international stage as the only new sport.
It will be the first time a new sport has been added since 2002, when skeleton made its return to the Winter Games after a 54-year absence.
The sport, also known as Skimo, involves hiking up and skiing down a mountain. The Games will have three different events: women's sprint, men's sprint and mixed relay.
During these events, athletes must navigate a set course amidst rugged terrain. They will attach lightweight climbing skins for grip to the base of their skis as they ascend up the mountain and move quickly to remove their skis for a period of time to work through part of the course in boots.
After reaching a set destination, athletes will then place their skis back on to scale down the mountain.
According to the Olympics' website, “Sprint heat races can take around 3.5 minutes per heat.”
In the mixed relay, both athletes complete the course twice. The woman races her laps first before tagging her male teammate to complete the same task. The medals will be awarded to those who finish with the fastest cumulative time.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ski mountaineering set to debut as new Winter Olympics sport
Continue reading...
The Games got eight new events this year, but ski mountaineering will be in the spotlight on the international stage as the only new sport.
It will be the first time a new sport has been added since 2002, when skeleton made its return to the Winter Games after a 54-year absence.
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What is ski mountaineering?
The sport, also known as Skimo, involves hiking up and skiing down a mountain. The Games will have three different events: women's sprint, men's sprint and mixed relay.
During these events, athletes must navigate a set course amidst rugged terrain. They will attach lightweight climbing skins for grip to the base of their skis as they ascend up the mountain and move quickly to remove their skis for a period of time to work through part of the course in boots.
After reaching a set destination, athletes will then place their skis back on to scale down the mountain.
According to the Olympics' website, “Sprint heat races can take around 3.5 minutes per heat.”
In the mixed relay, both athletes complete the course twice. The woman races her laps first before tagging her male teammate to complete the same task. The medals will be awarded to those who finish with the fastest cumulative time.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ski mountaineering set to debut as new Winter Olympics sport
Continue reading...
