Ski mountaineering: How to qualify for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026

Ski mountaineering is preparing for its grand debut at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, but an exciting field of competitors is needed to make the sport’s first-ever appearance at the Olympic Winter Games truly unforgettable.

Thankfully, a collection of 36 of the world’s best ski mountaineering athletes will be identified and called upon to charge up the steep inclines of the Stelvio Ski Centre, and nimbly navigate their way down its snowy slopes to chase history.

Of course, before the first starter’s gun sounds to signify the start of ski mountaineering competitions at Milano Cortina 2026, athletes must qualify to be amongst the select group invited to chase Olympic glory.

Qualification, like the sport itself, won’t be an easy task. With 18 athlete quotas reserved for male skiers, and a further 18 athlete quotas reserved for female skiers, competition to snag one of the highly coveted positions on the starting line will be fierce.

Read on to find out everything you need to know about the Olympic qualification system in ski mountaineering, including the number of athletes in each event and the qualification timeline.

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How to qualify for the ski mountaineering competition at Milano Cortina 2026

Before the first-ever Olympic champions in ski mountaineering can be crowned, athletes must qualify by earning a quota place for their respective NOCs through one of three opportunities: the 2025 ISMF World Championships, which will take place in Morgins, Switzerland from 2-9 March, the Olympic Mixed Relay Ranking List, and the Olympic Sprint Ranking List.

At the 2025 ISMF World Championships, there will be quotas available in each of the three ski mountaineering events on the Milano Cortina 2026 sports programme: Four (two men and two women) in the mixed relay, two in the women’s sprint and two in the men’s sprint.

Athletes will be given further opportunities to earn quotas through the Olympic Mixed Relay Ranking List and Olympic Sprint Ranking List during the qualification period lasting from 1 November 2024 to 21 December 2025.

For more details about the quotas and how to qualify for Milano Cortina 2026, please check the official documents here.

What are the key dates for ski mountaineering qualification for Milano Cortina 2026?

• 1 November 2024: Qualification period begins
• 2-9 March 2025: ISMF World Championships
• 21 December 2025: Qualification period ends
• 23 December 2025: Publication of Athlete Eligibility List, Olympic Mixed Relay Ranking List and Olympic Sprint Ranking List
• 26 January 2026: Milano Cortina 2026 Sport Entries deadline

How many athletes will compete in ski mountaineering at Milano Cortina 2026?

A total of 36 athletes will take part in the ski mountaineering competitions at Milano Cortina 2026, spread over the different events of the sport's Olympic programme as follows:

• Men's sprint: 18 athletes
• Women's sprint: 18 athletes
• Mixed relay: up to 18 teams (NOCs can enter a maximum of one team, consisting of one male and one female.)

Milano Cortina 2026 ski mountaineering competition format and schedule

The ski mountaineering competition at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 will include three events:

• Men's Sprint
• Women's Sprint
• Mixed Relay

The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 will take place from 6 to 22 February 2026.

As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Milano Cortina Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Milano Cortina.