List of Winter Olympic Games Sports in Milano Cortina 2026
Biathlon is one of the sports at the Winter Olympics
There were 16 sporting disciplines (officially 8 sports) on the Winter Olympics program for Milano Cortina 2026. Compared to 2022, ski mountaineering was a new sport added to these Games. There were also seven events added to the program.
Some of the Changes:
- Added the sport of ski mountaineering
- Added men's and women's dual moguls in freestyle skiing
- Added men's and women's doubles in luge (returning to the program, replacing the open doubles event)
- Added men's and women's team combined events in alpine skiing
- Added women's large hill individual in ski jumping
- Added mixed relay team event in skeleton
List of Sporting Disciplines
- Bobsled: Teams of two or four athletes race down a twisting and turning ice track in a gravity-powered sled. There is a pilot that steers the sled while the brakeman or brakemen provide additional propulsion at the start and help steer through the course.
- Luge: Athletes lie face-up on a small sled as they slide down an icy track, reaching speeds of up to 90 miles per hour. Competitors control their trajectory and speed with slight shifts in body weight and subtle movements of the legs.
- Skeleton: Similar to luge, though the athletes slide down the track headfirst on a small sled. Competitors navigate the course at breakneck speeds, enduring gravitational forces up to five times their body weight while steering with subtle shifts in body position.
- Ice Hockey: A fast-paced team sport played on ice, where players use sticks to maneuver a puck and score goals by shooting it into the opposing team's net.
- Figure Skating: Figure skating combines athleticism, artistry, and grace as athletes perform jumps, spins, and intricate footwork on ice following choreographed routines set to music. Competitions include singles, pairs, and ice dancing events.
- Speed Skating: Speed skaters using specialized long-bladed skates race on a long oval track, competing for the fastest time over various distances.
- Short Track Speed Skating: Short track speed skating takes place on a smaller, hockey-sized rink with tight turns. Athletes race in close quarters, jostling for position and relying on agility and quick reflexes to navigate the course and outmaneuver opponents.
- Curling: Curling is a strategic team sport where players slide granite stones down a sheet of ice towards a circular target area called the "house." Teammates use brooms to sweep the ice in front of the moving stone, altering its trajectory and speed.
- Alpine Skiing: Involves racing down snow-covered slopes at high speeds, navigating a series of gates spaced along the course. Athletes compete in various disciplines, including downhill, slalom, giant slalom, super-G, and combined events.
- Freestyle Skiing: Freestyle skiing encompasses a range of aerial and mogul events where athletes perform tricks and maneuvers on skis. Competitions include aerials, where skiers launch themselves off ramps to perform flips and twists, moguls, which involve skiing over a series of bumps while performing jumps and turns, and ski cross, where skiers race downhill on a course with jumps, bumps, and banked turns.
- Snowboarding: Snowboarding involves riding a single board down snow-covered slopes, performing tricks and maneuvers on various terrain features. Competitions include half-pipe, where riders perform aerial tricks in a U-shaped snow feature, slopestyle, which combines jumps, rails, and other obstacles into a single run, and snowboard cross, where riders race downhill on a course with jumps, berms, and other features.
- Cross-country skiing: Cross-country skiing involves racing over long distances on skis across varying terrain, including flat tracks, uphill climbs, and downhill descents. Athletes use a combination of classic and skate skiing techniques, employing powerful strides and efficient glide to propel themselves forward.
- Ski Mountaineering: Ski mountaineering involves climbing uphill on skis or carrying them over steep terrain, then skiing back down. It tests endurance, strength, and alpine skills, with athletes competing over varied mountain courses that include both ascents and descents.
- Biathlon: Biathlon combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting, requiring athletes to ski over long distances with stops at shooting ranges to fire at targets.
- Ski Jumping: Ski jumping involves launching off a a ski jump ramp, and soaring through the air in a controlled flight. Athletes aim for maximum distance, with judges scoring based on style and distance.
- Nordic Combined: Nordic combined combines ski jumping and cross-country skiing into a single event. Athletes compete in both disciplines, with results from the ski jumping portion determining start times for the cross-country skiing race.
Notes
- From 2002 until 2022, the sports at the Winter Olympic sports were unchanged. In 2026, Ski mountaineering was added.
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Winter Olympic Games
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