Organizers of traditional snow and ice sports expressed their opposition on Wednesday to the inclusion of events from summer federations in the Winter Olympics program. Suggestions to add sports like cyclocross and cross-country running, including indoor sports, to the 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps and Nice were deemed as unwelcome “piecemeal proposals” by the Winter Olympic Federations group of governing bodies. The group emphasized the importance of maintaining the unique brand, heritage, and identity of the Olympic Winter Games as a celebration of sports practiced on snow and ice, with distinct culture, athletes, and fields of play.
International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry initiated a review of the Winter Games program and other related matters upon assuming office in June. The Winter Games program, currently featuring 116 medal events, has potential for expansion compared to the more crowded Summer Games, which had 329 events in Paris last year.
The addition of sports like cyclocross and cross-country running, traditionally raced on mud, would require amendments to the IOC’s Olympic Charter rules, which mandate Winter Games sports to be played on snow and ice. Ivo Ferriani, representing winter sports on the IOC executive board as president of the bobsled and skeleton federation, emphasized the importance of innovating existing winter sports to broaden participation and viewership, thereby enhancing the appeal of the Olympic Winter Games. Ferriani highlighted the inclusion of ski mountaineering, or skimo, in the upcoming Milan Cortina Winter Games as an example of such evolution.
Supporters of cyclocross and cross-country running within Olympic circles, including the presidents of the cycling and track and field governing bodies, David Lappartient and Sebastian Coe respectively, contributed to the momentum behind the proposal for 2030. However, not all officials were convinced, with the top official at the International Biathlon Union, Max Cobb, expressing skepticism. Cobb questioned the popularity of the suggested sports, noting that if they were widely popular, they would already be part of the Summer Games. He emphasized the importance of any Winter Games additions coming from the “family of snow and ice sports.”
Overall, the debate around expanding the Winter Olympics program to include non-traditional sports remains a topic of contention among various stakeholders in the sporting community.