Skimo Arrives at the Olympics

Day 14: Ski Mountaineering mixes climbing, scrambling, and racing

Feb 19, 2026

Only one new sport is debuting at these Olympics, and it’s a good one. Ski Mountaineering (other than having the coolest nickname - Skimo) combines uphill climbing and downhill racing - all on skis. Athletes start by ‘skinning’ uphill with special strips called ‘skins’ attached to their skis to aid climbing. As they near the top of the course they will take off their skis, tie them to their back, and scramble up a mountainside on foot. Finally, they will strap their skis back on and ski down the mountain to the finish line. Exhausted yet? Now imagine doing all that in 3-4 minutes. That’s how long a Skimo sprint race lasts.

Ski Mountaineering is probably as old as skiing. Before the advent of ski lifts in the 1930s (roughly 8000 years after the advent of skis) skinning was the only way up a hill in order to ski down it. In the 19th century, Italy equipped those skiers with guns and created the world’s first alpine infantry corps, the Alpini. At the 1924 Winter Games in Chamonix the sport of Military Patrol - a sort of Skimo/Biathlon combo - made it’s only Olympic appearance, and eventually Biathlon became a regular Winter Olympics sport in 1960.

Ski Mountaineering took longer to get going, but by the 1980s it was an established sport in Europe, and the first governing body was organized in the mid-90s. Today there are continental championships in Europe, Asia, and North and South America. Even with the growth Skimo’s place in future Olympics is not guaranteed , so don’t miss it this week. (And if you want to sound smart while watching with friends, pay close attention to the transitions when they take the skins on and off - that’s where the race can be won or lost.)

What To Watch Today

(All times Eastern. Full event replays available on-demand on Peacock)

It’s Team USA vs Team Canada once again for Women’s Ice Hockey Gold. American Figure Skater Alysa Liu is in 3rd heading into the free skate.

3:50 am - Ski Mountaineering: Sprint Heats 🇺🇸
4:30 am - Freestyle Skiing: Men’s Halfpipe Qualifications 🇺🇸
5:30 am - Freestyle Skiing: Men’s Aerials Finals 🥇 🇺🇸
6:55 am - Ski Mountaineering: Sprint Semifinals 🇺🇸
7:55 am - Ski Mountaineering: Sprint Finals 🥇 🇺🇸
8:00 am - Nordic Combined: Men’s Team Cross Country 🥇
8:40 am - Ice Hockey: Women’s Bronze Medal Game - SUI vs SWE 🥇
10:30 am - Speed Skating: Men’s 1500m 🥇 🇺🇸
1:00 pm - Figure Skating: Women’s Single - Free Skate 🥇 🇺🇸
1:05 pm - Curling: Men’s Semi-Final Matches
1:10 pm - Ice Hockey: Women’s Gold Medal Game - USA vs CAN 🥇 🇺🇸
1:30 pm - Freestyle Skiing: Women’s Halfpipe Qualifications 🇺🇸