Six new countries could enter next Winter Olympics as IOC decision expected
A total of six countries could have a realistic chance of entering their first Winter Olympics in 2030, pending an IOC vote.
The Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympics closed on Sunday evening, with the baton passed on to the French Alps ahead of their staging of the Games.
It will be held across four departments and regions in the French Alps - Nice, Briancon, Savoie and Haute-Savoie.
A total of 92 nations - along with the Individual Neutral Athletes team - competed at the 2026 Winter Olympics, including a number of returning nations.
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All of those returning nations took one athlete to the Games, with the exception of South Africa, who took five athletes.
In October 2025, World Athletics president Seb Coe announced plans to expand the Winter Olympics in future editions, with two new sports on the table.
Coe is involved in the IOC's 'fit for future' programme, and told The Times that there was a 'good chance' that cross-country running, alongside cross-country cycling, will become new events for French Alps 2030.
While cross-country running might not necessarily be thought of as a traditional Olympic 'winter' sport, the World Athletics Cross Country Tour is held annually between the months of October and March.
As part of the reasoning behind the proposal, according to Coe, is that the new sport additions would give more opportunities for African nations to participate in the Winter Olympics.
Africa as a continent sent 15 athletes to Milano-Cortina 2026 - their highest-ever delegation at a Games.
If accepted by the IOC, the new proposal would give Burundi, Uganda, Rwanda, Congo and Botswana, who are all part of Africa and have never previously competed at a Winter Olympics, potential entry into the Games.
Athletes who represent all five nations have competed in gold level races - the highest level - during the 2025/26 World Athletics Cross Country Tour season.
Bahrain, who have also never competed in a Winter Olympics, have also been represented this season.
Aside from the countries mentioned above, there are 31 other African nations (as per Olympedia) who have never competed at a Winter Olympics - albeit they have no gold or silver-level presence in the current cross-country season.
Of course, with four years between now and French Alps 2030, there would be plenty of time for emerging athletes from those nations to establish themselves.
"I've always wanted to see cross-country back in, for all sorts of reasons," Coe said.
"Some are emotional, but I actually think it's a really important part of the progression for our endurance-based athletes.
"I think some of the younger coaches have slightly overlooked the role cross-country plays.
"It would give Africa a proper presence in the Winter Games, which, if we're being honest about it, it doesn't really have. And sharing the same course in 2030 with cyclocross is really where our thinking has gone.
"We've already had good conversations. I mean, David [Lappartient, president of cycling's governing body UCI]'s up for it. I'm up for it. Obviously, the IOC has to agree. There'd have to be a variation in the charter."
Topics: Olympics
Ryan Smart