The 2030 Winter Olympics will be a central topic of discussion at the 146th IOC Session on June 24 and 25. The agenda will include approving the sports program and deciding on the additional sports proposed by the French Alps organizing committee. In recent months, the possibility of including sports such as cyclo-cross and cross-country has been raised. Edgar Grospiron has even expressed support for this idea. However, Kirsty Coventry made the final decision on Thursday afternoon: there will be no major changes to the 2030 program.
"Pogacar or Wout van Aert would be something."
In December 2024, the IOC had stated six fundamental criteria For the development of the program: reduce cost and complexity; ensure the health and safety of athletes; consider the interests of the host country; promote gender equality; and consider the interests of young people. in order to attract new audiences and athletes "; integrity and fairness in order to support "clean" sports; environmental sustainability. Edgar Grospiron mentioned several possibilities: ski mountaineering, speed skiing, telemark skiing, ice cross, but also… cross-country or cyclo-cross.
#Hulst2026 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬. 🧡
— UCI Cyclocross (@UCI_CX) February 4, 2026
Catch the pinnacle of #CycloCross. 🌈
𝗦𝗲𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗻 𝗢𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟳.
🎥 Nick Nixon pic.twitter.com/hh1reNn5f9
World Athletics and the UCI have pleaded their case, both publicly and behind the scenes: the two sports are already practiced in winter, and they bring together countries rarely seen in traditional ice and snow sports, particularly on the African continent. The Winter Games are fantastic, but the real stars are NHL players or Lindsey Vonn… There aren't many of them. But if tomorrow you had Pogacar or Wout van Aert, that would be something. " said Grospiron in December. However, a procedural obstacle had to be overcome: the modification of the Olympic Charter, which stipulates that all sports present at the Winter Games must necessarily be practiced on snow or ice.
More disadvantages than advantages at this stage
The Winter Olympic Federations – IBU, IBSF, IIHF, FIL, ISU, FIS, World Curling – raised their voices in November, “ firmly convinced that such an approach would dilute the brand, heritage and identity that make the Winter Olympic Games unique The IOC is on the same page: there will be no sport outside of snow or ice in the French Alps in 2030.
« This could blur the clear distinction between winter and summer sports., Jiri Kejval, president of the Czech Olympic Committee and member of the IOC, tells us. Furthermore, this would call into question the fundamental principle that has traditionally defined the Winter Games. I acknowledge that there are arguments in favor of such an approach—notably innovation, flexibility, and the potential to attract new audiences—but I believe that at this stage, the disadvantages outweigh the potential benefits. In particular, it could introduce a degree of uncertainty and ongoing debate that would not be beneficial to the long-term clarity and stability of the Olympic Movement. Preserving a clear and consistent identity for the Winter Olympic Games remains, in my view, of fundamental importance. »
In four years' time, we will therefore have to consider potential additions such as freeride, which has never been included, or ski mountaineering, which hopes to remain after its debut in Milan-Cortina. However, the doors opened by the IOC within the framework of the Fit for the Future process are not completely closed: Kirsty Coventry clarified that this decision applies to the 2030 edition, but that the working group on the Olympic program will study the issue for the Winter Games that follow.
