IOC considering five-sport expansion for 2030 Winter Olympics

February 18, 2026 Oliver Obel

Cross-country running and cyclo-cross could be added to the programme for the 2030 Winter Olympics in France, as organisers explore whether the Games should expand beyond their traditional alpine and ice-based disciplines.

Under Olympic rules, host organisers can propose additional events, but any changes require approval from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and must meet financial and logistical requirements. Cost control and venue planning are expected to weigh heavily on the final decision.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe has publicly backed the inclusion of cross-country running a discipline typically associated with the Summer Games arguing it would broaden representation and modernise the Winter Olympic format.

“I think there’s a good chance it’ll happen,” Coe said in October.

“And I think it’s come at the right moment, because Kirsty is certainly prepared to think differently about the programme, and what could go out of the stadium, and that mix between winter and summer.”

He added: “I’ve always wanted to see cross-country back in for all sorts of reasons. Some are emotional. But it also gives Africa a proper presence in the winter Games, which, if we are being honest, it doesn’t really have.

“And sharing the same course in 2030 with cyclocross is really where our thinking is going. We’ve already had good conversations."

Coe indicated discussions have taken place with IOC president Kirsty Coventry and UCI president David Lappartient, suggesting there is at least some high-level openness to the concept.

Broader Programme Review

The endurance events are part of a wider list under examination by French organisers.

Edgar Grospiron, president of the French Alps Organising Committee for the 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, told French newspaper Le Dauphiné last year that several disciplines were being studied.

"We will work calmly and study everything on the table with ski mountaineering, speed skiing, telemark, even cross-country or cyclo-cross and why not ice-cross. After that we will have to budget," Grospiron said.

In this context, “cross-country” refers to cross-country running rather than cross-country skiing, which is already a core Winter Olympic sport.

Ski mountaineering is set to make its Olympic debut at the 2026 Winter Games in Italy. The remaining disciplines remain under consideration for 2030.

Venues for the French Games are planned across clusters in Nice, Briançon, Haute-Savoie and Savoie, with organisers balancing sporting ambition against infrastructure demands and long-term cost commitments. Winter sport federations have historically guarded the Olympic programme closely, meaning any expansion beyond snow and ice disciplines could prompt debate.

Momentum After 2026

The 2030 Winter Olympics are scheduled for 1 to 17 February in the French Alps. Planning is already underway as the current Olympic cycle nears its conclusion.

The 2026 Games in Italy, featuring 116 medal events across 16 disciplines and eight sports, have been described by organisers as the most watched Winter Olympics to date, citing broadcast and digital audience data.

Whether that commercial momentum translates into structural change remains uncertain. Adding summer-style endurance races to the Winter Games would mark one of the clearest shifts yet in how the Olympics define a “winter” sport and could test how far tradition is willing to bend.

Sources: Le Dauphiné, public comments from Sebastian Coe, organising committee statements.