IOC set to remove two sports from 2030 Winter Olympics as replacements emerge
The 2026 Milan-Cortina Games were brought to a close on Sunday.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) are reportedly considering removing two Winter Olympics sports from the 2030 Games, while five replacements have supposedly already been identified.
Just one day after the closing ceremony of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games, organisers will no doubt be looking ahead to the 2030 French Alps Games.
The 2030 Games will take place across four main areas: Haute-Savoie, Savoie, Briançon and Nice.
Before then, the French Alps 2030 committee will be tasked with deciding on the discipline programme, which effectively decides which sports are included.
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Several traditional winter sports such as curling, bobsleigh, various types of skating, hockey, luge and skeleton will likely be included, but could some sports be removed?
The IOC will carry out a discipline programme review to decide which sports will take centre stage, with the IOC Executive Board deciding to push back any formal decision to June of this year.
Seven initial sports – biathlon, bobsleigh, curling, ice hockey, luge, skating and skiing – have already been approved at the 142nd IOC session in Paris back in 2024.
However, according to Powder, two sports may be set to be removed from the Games in four years, with snowboard parallel giant slalom and Nordic combined events reportedly at risk.
Czech snowboard star Ester Ledecka voiced her concerns at the proposed removal of snowboard parallel giant slalom earlier in February and claimed: “The Olympics is not about athletes. It's about the show, it's about the races, it's about money, it's about politics."
Meanwhile, up to five events could be added to the French Alps Games.
President of the French Alps Organising Committee Edgar Grospiron suggested that six proposals were being considered for the next Winter Games.
Speaking to French outlet Le Dauphiné in 2025, he said: “We will work calmly and study everything on the table with ski mountaineering, speed skiing, telemark, even cross-country or cyclo-cross and why not ice-cross. After that, we will have to budget."
Of course, as some fans will know, ski mountaineering featured at the 2026 Games, meaning five new sports remain as possible additions for the next event.
President of World Athletics Seb Coe has also suggested that he’d like to see cross-country running and cyclo-cross added to the Winter Games.
“I think there’s a good chance it’ll happen,” Coe said in October.
“And I think it’s come at the right moment, because Kirsty is certainly prepared to think differently about the programme, and what could go out of the stadium, and that mix between winter and summer.
“I’ve always wanted to see cross-country back in for all sorts of reasons. Some are emotional. But it also gives Africa a proper presence in the Winter Games, which, if we are being honest, it doesn’t really have.
“And sharing the same course in 2030 with cyclo-cross is really where our thinking is going. We’ve already had good conversations."
Topics: Olympics
Luke Davies