Oldest winter sport SkiMo finally joins Games, with a twist

Jan 22 : Skiing began as a way to survive in the mountains long before it became a sport and now its oldest form - ski mountaineering -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