Ski mountaineering made its Winter Olympics debut in Bormio, Italy, on Thursday, crowning its first champions in the individual sprint events. Switzerland's Marianne Fatton won gold in the women's race, edging out France's Emily Harrop for silver, while Spain's Oriol Cardona Coll took the men's title. The sport, featuring uphill climbs and downhill sprints, marked the first new addition since snowboarding in 1998.
The inaugural Olympic ski mountaineering events unfolded at the Stelvio Ski Centre amid heavy snowfall, testing athletes with a course that combined uphill skiing, climbing, and a final descent. Competitors started by jogging uphill with skis and grippy skins attached, transitioned to backpack carries for steep sections, and removed skins for the downhill sprint, covering the distance in about three minutes.
In the women's sprint, Marianne Fatton of Switzerland completed the course in 2:59.77, upsetting pre-race favorite Emily Harrop of France, who finished 2.34 seconds behind for silver. Spain's Ana Alonso Rodriguez earned bronze, having overcome an ACL injury and a recent bicycle accident. Fatton, a two-time world champion whose mother competed in cross-country skiing at the 1992 Olympics, described the day as 'magical' and 'history for our sport.' Harrop, a six-time world champion with English roots raised in the French Alps, transitioned to ski mountaineering after injuries ended her alpine skiing career. She called the sport a 'suffer-fest' but one that allows discovery of limits in the mountains.
The men's race saw Oriol Cardona Coll of Spain, the reigning world champion, win in 2:34.03 after closing gaps in transitions to overtake Swiss leaders. Nikita Filippov, competing as a neutral athlete (AIN), took silver 1.52 seconds back, becoming the first neutral medalist at these Games. France's Thibault Anselmet claimed bronze. Cardona Coll, celebrating Spain's first gold in the sport since 1972, said the Olympic feeling multiplies that of a world title.
American athletes Anna Gibson of Wyoming and Cameron Smith of Illinois advanced to the semifinals in their third and more professional races, respectively, but did not medal. Gibson, who entered ranked 18th, noted the thrill of seeing the Olympic rings. The mixed team relay follows on Saturday.
Ski mountaineering, or skimo, originated centuries ago for mountain travel and was formalized as a race in Italy in 1933. Its Olympic inclusion highlights endurance and alpine heritage.
