Worldwide sports lovers, and even those less athletically inclined, have been glued to our screens watching the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Games. And while we love the classics of figure skating and downhill skiing, there’s been some new events added to this year’s Olympics, including ski mountaineering (skimo) and dual moguls.
In addition to completely new sports, this year has more events for women, and it’s the most gender-balanced Winter Games ever. Another new aspect is the decentralization, spreading the games across 13 venues in Northern Italy. Grab an espresso (or a spritz, we are in Italy, after all) and learn more about the new additions that are currently in the Dolomites.
What is Ski Mountaineering (Skimo)?
Imagine combining backcountry skiing, uphill climbing, with downhill racing and you’ll have ski mountaineering, also abbreviated skimo. So, where did this so-called new sport come from?
Skimo is actually an ancient form of travel in Scandinavia and Siberia. It emerged thousands of years ago (evidence dates back to 8,000 to 5,000 BCE) out of necessity and survival to traverse the Altai Mountains. For centuries, it was how locals hunted and went from location to location.
Ancient skis were made from wood and, sometimes, the bottoms were covered in fur for traction when climbing or to reduce speed during the descent. Early people used only one pole to balance, steer, and navigate.
It became a recreational activity and was formalized into a sport in the late 19th century. Equipment also improved with technology and, again, out of necessity, when mountain military patrolling during World War I became part of the warfare.
How it works: Athletes start with a mass-start sprint. They have “skins” on the bottom of their skis (long strips of fabric that let the ski glide forward but grip the snow so they don’t slide backward).
They sprint up a designated track, then reach a “transition zone” where they have to rip those skins off, click their heels into downhill mode, and sometimes even strap their skis to their backpacks to run up a vertical staircase of snow. Then, they click back in and plummet down a slalom course.
The whole thing is over in about three minutes. The athletes cross the finish line and immediately collapse. It’s the kind of sport that makes you want to take a nap just watching it. It’s fast, it’s visual, and it showcases the rugged side of the Italian Alps that traditional alpine skiing sometimes misses.
What Do I Need to Know About Dual Moguls?
Mogul skiing is a sport where people navigate a field of snow bumps while trying not to crash. There are also two air jumps integrated into each course.
It’s impressive, but it’s always been a solo effort. But in 2026, instead of one skier going down at a time, you have two skiers side-by-side in a bracket-style elimination.
Scoring for moguls is based on three components:
- 60% for turns
- 20% on air jumps
- 20% on speed
The criteria for dual moguls are similar, but there’s more emphasis on speed. Plus, there’s the direct comparison between the opponents.
The Overdue Women’s Large Hill Ski Jumping Comes to the Olympics in 2026
Finally, gender bias and stereotypes, outdated medical concerns, and systemic discrimination have lost. Women athletes are now allowed to do the “Large Hill” (the K-120), which was exclusively reserved for men until this year.
For reference, women’s ski jumping has been restricted since the beginning:
- The “Normal Hill” (the K-90) was only open to women at the Winter Olympics in 2014.
- And women were only included in the World Cup in 2011-12 after female jumpers filed a lawsuit against the Vancouver organizing committee.
However, this formal excursion at official award-winning events didn’t stop women from making their mark. As early as 1863, Norwegian women competed unofficially (and often in skirts). Between 1930 and the 1970s, women were achieving remarkable distances considering the equipment and techniques of the time.
Why it matters: This isn’t just about participation. It’s about the fact that some of the world’s best jumpers are women. Names like Nika Prevc are putting up distances that would make any pro nervous. By adding the Large Hill, the Olympics are finally acknowledging that the flight is the point of the sport, regardless of gender. Seeing the women launch off the same ramp as the men has brought a level of legitimacy and hype to the Predazzo venue that’s been missing for a long time.
New Mixed Team Events & Women’s Double
Not only are women getting their fair shot on the Large Hill, but this year’s Olympics are leaning heavily into mixed teams. Mixed means that the teams are composed of both men and women, and they foster:
- Increased inclusivity
- Improved communication
- Accelerated skill development
So, what sports are going to be mixed at the 2026 Winter Olympics? Skeleton, freestyle skiing, and ski jumping.
If you’re unfamiliar with the sport of skeleton, here’s a quick rundown. Skeleton is even scarier than the name sounds.
And while this writer’s initial thought was that it was named because that’s how the first participants ended up, it actually got its name because the racing sled resembled a bony, skeletal frame in 1892.
Skeleton is when athletes race down an icy track head-first, face-down on a small sled. As a mixed sport, it’s a relay format where a man and a woman from the same country each take a heat, and their times are added together.
Another addition to this year’s Winter Olympics is the women’s double luge. For decades, doubles luge was just men’s doubles. Although it was technically open to women, female athletes would need to compete against males.
However, there was a soft launch in 2020 at the Winter Youth Olympics when 11 teams competed.
Germans Jessica Degenhardt and Vanessa Schneider took the first-ever gold medal in this discipline, followed by Canadians Caitlin Nash and Natalie Corless, and Latvians Viktorija Ziediņa and Selīna Elizabete Zvilna.