If you’ve been looking forward to watching the Winter Olympics, then you will also be excited to find out that the Games have added several new events, giving you even more to cheer for.

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina are bringing several updates to the competition schedule, including one entirely new sport and several fresh events across existing disciplines. Slated for February 6-22, it is shaping up to be one of the most event-packed Winter Games ever. Here’s a look at what’s new and why you don’t want to miss it.

Ski Mountaineering Makes Its Olympic Debut

The biggest addition to the 2026 Olympic program is ski mountaineering, or “skimo” as it is known by fans, which will make its debut as a full medal sport. Already a well-known sport in alpine regions, ski mountaineering blends uphill endurance with fast, technical downhill skiing.

Milano Cortina will feature three ski mountaineering events: the men’s sprint, the women’s sprint, and a mixed relay. Sprint races consist of both an ascent, which begins on foot, and a descent to the finish line on skis. The mixed relay will feature two ascents and two descents.

All three events will take place in the Stelvio area, where rugged terrain and dramatic elevation changes are a natural fit for ski mountaineering.

New Events Added to Existing Sports

Beyond ski mountaineering, several long-established winter sports are expanding their programs with new events.

One of the biggest updates comes to alpine skiing with the introduction of the Team Combined event. This new format pairs two specialists from each competing nation: a downhill skier and a slalom skier. Since few athletes now train both disciplines at the highest level, this event allows elite racers in each to join forces. The times of each skier are added together for the final result.

Freestyle skiing has also added dual moguls for both men and women. Rather than traditional moguls, which competitors run one at a time, this format places the skiers head-to-head on parallel courses, highlighting direct competition and aggressive, high-energy racing. It’s no doubt going to be one of the most exciting competitions to watch.

For even more excitement on skis, ski jumping will now include a women’s large hill event, after women’s normal hill was added at Sochi 2014. Until now, large hill competition at the Olympics has been available only to men, even though it has been contested at the World Cup level for many years. Elite female ski jumpers will finally get a chance to showcase their talent on the biggest stage.

Luge is expanding as well, with the addition of a dedicated women’s doubles event. While doubles luge has always technically been open to women, it has almost exclusively been contested by men. Adding a dedicated women’s doubles category opens more competitive opportunities for women in the sport.

Finally, another sliding sport, skeleton, is introducing a mixed team event. In this format, one male and female athlete pair will each complete a run, and their combined times will determine their final standings.

From ski mountaineering to expanded opportunities across these other disciplines, the 2026 Winter Olympics lineup offers a wider range of performances to enjoy and guarantees more memorable moments for athletes and fans alike.