Chinese ski mountaineers hope to make debut 2026 Olympic breakthrough

CGTN Europe

China's ski mountaineering team have been training in the Italian Alps ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics. The sport will debut for the first time at the Milano-Cortina games in February.   Ski mountaineering - or SkiMo - is physically challenging. Participants must climb mountains on foot wearing specialist ski equipment, including modified skins on the bottom of their skis enabling them to climb at an angle.   Read more ⬇️ https://tinyurl.com/mstaatmc

Transcript

00:00This is one of the most physically challenging winter sports.

00:05Ski mountaineering, or Ski Mo for short, involves climbing up mountains on foot before descending

00:10at speed skiing.

00:13The sport's first ever races took place around 100 years ago, and in 2026 it's finally going

00:18to be featured in the Winter Olympic Games for the first time.

00:22China's Ski Mo team is preparing for the Milano Cortina Olympics in the Italian Alps.

00:28These athletes have been training for months in the town of Paso del Tonale, ahead of the

00:32last stages of qualifying.

00:37Under the guidance of Italian coach Andrea Gianni, some of the team have come from only learning

00:42to ski to the brink of Olympic qualification in just a few years.

00:48China has put a lot of effort in the training for Ski Mo in the last, let's say, ten years.

00:55I am confident that there are good chances for a good placement in the Olympics.

01:06The six Chinese athletes practice sprints and quick equipment changes every day.

01:11In Ski Mo competitors have to carry skis on their back to be able to quickly put them on

01:15during the race.

01:17They then use special skins to ascend up the mountain on ski, which enables the athletes

01:21to climb at an angle without sliding back down.

01:24When they reach the top, they ski down like traditional alpine skiers, reaching speeds of

01:29up to 80 kilometres an hour.

01:32They have put a lot of determination and willingness to learn.

01:38I think this is also what has made it possible to get at this level of international high

01:47competition.

01:49There are two different Ski Mo events at the Olympics, the men and women sprints and mixed

01:54relay.

01:55Only 18 men and women can qualify.

01:57It takes years of sacrifice to get near the Olympic Games.

02:00I feel so proud to be representing China in an international competition.

02:08I really want to work hard so I can stand on that podium and hear the Chinese anthem.

02:17Final qualification stage, the Ski Mountaineering World Cup, is on April the 12th in Tromsø,

02:22Norway.

02:23After that, these athletes will find out if they made it to the Olympics.

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