Organizers of traditional winter sports have expressed their opposition to the inclusion of events from summer federations in the Winter Olympics program. Suggestions to add cyclocross, cross-country running, and indoor sports to the 2030 Winter Games hosted in the French Alps and Nice have been deemed as unwelcome “piecemeal proposals” by the Winter Olympic Federations group.
The group, representing sports such as skiing, skating, biathlon, curling, luge, bobsled, and skeleton, emphasized that such additions would dilute the unique brand and identity of the Olympic Winter Games, which are known for celebrating sports practiced on snow and ice with their distinct culture, athletes, and venues.
Following the assumption of office by International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry in June, a review of the Winter Games program and related matters was initiated. With only 116 medal events, the Winter Games program has room for expansion compared to the more congested Summer Games, which featured 329 events in Paris last year.
Incorporating cyclocross and cross-country running, typically conducted on muddy terrain, would require amendments to the IOC’s Olympic Charter rules that mandate Winter Games sports to be played on snow and ice. Ivo Ferriani, the president of the bobsled and skeleton federation who represents winter sports on the IOC executive board, stressed the importance of evolving existing winter sports to attract wider participation and audiences while enhancing the appeal of the Olympic Winter Games.
While cyclocross and cross-country running have garnered support within Olympic circles, including from prominent figures like the presidents of cycling and track and field governing bodies, the proposal has not convinced the top official at the International Biathlon Union. Max Cobb, the American secretary general of the IBU, highlighted that any potential additions to the Winter Games should align with the existing family of snow and ice sports, as opposed to introducing sports that are not already popular fixtures in the Summer Games.