Rapid runs & heavy snowfall – Skimo’s Olympic debutMedia caption, Fatton wins first ever gold medal in ski mountaineeringByJess AndersonBBC Sport journalistPublished25 minutes ago4 Comments
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Rapid runs & heavy snowfall – Skimo’s Olympic debutMedia caption, Fatton wins first ever gold medal in ski mountaineeringByJess AndersonBBC Sport journalistPublished25 minutes ago4 Comments
Rapid uphill sprinting with skis on, lung-busting runs up steps with boots on and a downhill ski race to the finish line.
The new Winter Olympic sport of ski mountaineering – or skimo for short – made its highly anticipated debut on Thursday in blizzard conditions in Bormio.
Switzerland’s Marianne Fatton added Olympic gold to her world title in the women’s sprint event and France’s Emily Harrop, who could have competed for Team GB, took silver.
“It’s a magical day. It’s history for our sport, and for us as athletes, and it’s wonderful,” reported Fatton.
“It was so emotional. I was like, ‘did I really do it?’ It was amazing, and I was totally exhausted after the race.”
Spain’s Oriol Cardona Coll took top spot in the men’s sprint, the nation’s first gold medal at a Winter Olympics in 54 years with their previous one won by Alpine skier Francisco Fernandez Ochoa at Sapporo in 1972.
Silver in the men’s event went to Russian athlete Nikita Filippov, who was competing under the neutral banner.
Despite the relentless snowfall, fans poured in and lined the course to cheer on the athletes at the nearly sold-out event with much intrigue surrounding the sport’s inaugural Olympic appearance.
Spectators who had braved the conditions were treated to a thrilling competition as athletes pushed themselves to the limit to hike to the top of the hill then ski back down.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe skimo event begins with a hike uphill wearing skis
The first new sport added to the Winter Olympics since snowboarding in 1998, skimo is rooted in the 19th Century, before lifts to take skiers up mountains had been invented.
So, how does it all work?
The sprint events consist of both an ascent and descent, with athletes sprinting uphill with skins on their skis to provide traction, navigating a diamond-shaped obstacle on their way up to a stairway in the mountain.
They then remove the skis, placing them in their backpack, and continue climbing on foot, before a further uphill section on skis.
Once they reach the top of the course, they remove the skins, and ski downhill to the finish line.
The average duration of a race is about three minutes.
The speed and format of the competition meant fans were quickly invested in the absorbing contest and generated a lively atmosphere.
BBC commentator Matt Chilton reported: “The ski mountaineering event has been so well-received.
“Televisually, it is superb. For the [in person] fans, they can see everything from the grand stand. They don’t miss a moment watching the action directly and on the big screen.”
Similar to the summer Olympic sport of triathlon, the transitions are key to a successful race.
That is ultimately what let Harrop down as she struggled in the second transition, getting the skins caught instead of ripping them off in one clean motion.
Harrop has English parents and could have represented Team GB but opted to compete for France, where she was born and bred.
She had topped both her heat and semi-final and looked on course for gold in the final but, after the second transition, was trailing behind Fatton and could not catch up on the downhill segment.
“It means a lot. When I look back to when I started the sport, it wasn’t even on the (Olympic) programme,” Harrop, who started out as an Alpine skier, reported.
“I had an Olympic dream when I was an Alpine skier, and then when I stopped, it was just game over. So now to be here on this stage is mad.
“The atmosphere is good. The slope itself isn’t super technical, but today they made the downhill a little bit more technical than usual, so that was fun.”
A mixed relay event will take place on Saturday, where one man and woman from each nation completes two laps of the course each with a race typically lasting 30-40 minutes.
Image source, Getty ImagesAthletes had to navigate a diamond-shaped obstacle on the uphill ski segment of the course
Winter Olympics 2026
6-22 February
Milan-Cortina
Watch two live streams and highlights on BBC iPlayer (UK only), updates on BBC Radio 5 Live and live text commentary and video highlights on the BBC Sport website and app.
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