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The International Ski Mountaineering Federation (ISMF), an independent International Federation recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has confirmed the formal acceptance of Snow Australia’s application at its Plenary Assembly that took place last weekend in Oviedo, Spain.

Ski Mountaineering (SkiMo) will be included in the Winter Olympic Games programme for the first time at Milano Cortina 2026, reflecting the recent international growth of a discipline that has a long, established tradition in Europe.

After the official inclusion of the sport in the Olympic programme, the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) started working with Snow Australia to find a suitable governance model and establish SkiMo in Australia, helping fund its development via the AOC National Federation Funding program.

Snow Australia Chief Executive, Michael Kennedy welcomed the announcement, adding that Snow Australia is well placed to provide leadership and advice to this new Olympic discipline given its existing operations and broad discipline framework.

Kennedy notes “this is a good outcome for the Australian SkiMo community and for our organisation.

“Our immediate priority is to provide input into the Olympic Qualification criteria via the ISMF encouraging regional representation, and to determine eligible athletes who may be targeted for Olympic qualification.

“More broadly, we want to increase awareness around the sport, building towards a national activity and the first ever SkiMo event to be held in Australia.”

A new SkiMo Discipline Committee has already been formalised by Snow Australia, following the activity of the SkiMo Working Group that over the last six months has been identifying the most efficient structure for Snow Australia to achieve formal recognition from the ISMF.

The SkiMo Discipline Committee members approved by the Snow Australia Board on Monday include:

• Andy Evans (Chair) - Former World Cup athlete, former Skiing Australia Director and former Director of the Mount Buller and Mount Stirling Resort Management Board
• Ed Fortey (Industry Representative) - Director of Rush Distributions (ski industry hardware) and President of the Snowsports Industries of Australia
• Brian Lichi (Australian SkiMo Community Contact) - Experienced Outdoor Education Program and Event Manager, former SkiMo competitor
• Kate Zander (Athlete Representative) - Elite athlete with international experience

Kennedy added “The SkiMo Discipline Committee members were carefully selected to bring a wide range of skills to the table. They have the experience and networks required to successfully establish the discipline in Australia.”

Standing invitations to participate and attend meetings were also provided to:

• Michael Kennedy (Snow Australia Chief Executive)
• Finn Marsland (Snow Australia Cross Country Skiing Program Director)
• Geoff Lipshut (Olympic Winter Institute of Australia Chief Executive)

Once officially convened, the SkiMo Discipline Committee will work to establish information and criteria relevant to international participation in SkiMo events.

The 2026 Olympic Winter Games program includes five new Ski Mountaineering medal events, two men’s events (sprint/individual), two women’s events (sprint/individual) and one mixed-gender relay event, with an athlete quota of 48 athletes equally divided between men and women.

All news and information about Ski Mountaineering will be available on Snow Australia website

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