Why Olympic Ski Mountaineering Chose Mixed-Gender as Its Debut Format

A sport that traditionally takes hours to complete has been compressed into a 3.5-minute sprint. Ski mountaineering, making its Olympic debut at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, represents more than just another addition to the Winter Olympics roster—it's arriving with a format that signals a fundamental shift in how Olympic sports approach gender equality.

From Mountain Marathon to Olympic Sprint

Skimo, as it's known to enthusiasts, grew from a tradition of scaling mountains on skis for the pure reward of gliding down through untouched powder. The Olympic version distills this epic journey into a high-intensity relay. Athletes ascend steep slopes with special "skins" attached to their skis to prevent sliding backward, transition to hiking in ski boots while carrying their equipment, then strip off the skins for a final downhill sprint.

Sarah Cookler, head of sport for USA Skimo, describes the Olympic format as "contrived for the Olympic field." Each team pairs one man and one woman, with each athlete completing the course twice. It's a dramatic departure from the sport's contemplative origins, but it serves a larger purpose.

The Strategic Rise of Mixed-Gender Competition

Mixed-gender Olympic events aren't new—figure skating pairs and tennis mixed doubles have existed for over a century. But their recent proliferation represents a deliberate strategy. At Milan Cortina, every major sport category except ice hockey features mixed-gender events. The International Olympic Committee is marketing these as "the most gender-balanced Olympic Winter Games in history," with women representing 47% of athletes and competing in 53% of all events.

The numbers tell only part of the story. Women's sports consistently draw smaller audiences than men's competitions. Mixed-gender events create a bridge, forcing viewers to watch both male and female athletes compete. As Team USA's Cam Smith explains, "In events that feature both men and women, viewers are positioned to watch everyone compete."

The Visibility Paradox

This approach addresses a fundamental challenge in women's sports: the visibility paradox. Separate women's competitions ensure female athletes have space to excel without direct competition against men, who typically have physical advantages. But this separation often means reduced viewership and media attention.

Anna Gibson, who will represent Team USA alongside Smith, has experienced this firsthand. In trail running and gravel bike racing, "the talk has been all about giving women their own start in order to elevate women's competition rather than having women be buried in the men's field." Mixed-gender formats offer a third way—maintaining competitive integrity while creating shared spectator experiences.

The Details Matter

Even within mixed-gender events, equality requires constant attention to detail. Biathlon, which introduced mixed relays in 2014, initially had women always compete first, meaning a woman could never be the anchor. Following complaints about fairness, the sport restructured in 2019 so the anchor position rotates between genders.

These seemingly minor details reflect larger issues. Male athletes generally earn more across sports. In skimo, World Cup prize money is equal, but other races maintain unequal payouts. Sexual harassment and abuse remain problems even at the Olympic level. The Winter Olympics still includes one event where women cannot compete at all—Nordic combined, which combines ski jumping and cross-country skiing.

The Uncertain Future

Skimo's Olympic future isn't guaranteed. Its inclusion depends on host cities proposing it for their Games. Skimo enthusiasts hope future Olympics will feature longer events more representative of the sport's mountaineering roots. "Nobody got into skimo to do the sprint relay," Smith acknowledges. Yet he's found unexpected joy in the format: "It's really fun because we are accountable to each other. I'm racing all out because I know that she's doing the same for me."

The 2028 Los Angeles Games will feature 25 mixed-gender events, including new ones in golf, rowing, and artistic gymnastics. This expansion suggests the IOC views these formats as more than temporary experiments.

The answer may determine not just who wins medals, but who gets to be seen winning them.