Olympic Skiing Explained: Every Discipline and the 2026 Winners (2026)
Seven ski sports and about 60 medal events: here's how each Olympic skiing discipline works, who won at Milano Cortina 2026 and what changes for the French Alps in 2030.
The Seven Olympic Ski Sports at a Glance
Skiing makes up roughly half of the Winter Olympics. Milano Cortina 2026 had 116 medal events in total, and by our count 60 of them were ski events.
| Sport | What It Is | Olympic Debut | 2026 Events |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine skiing | Timed downhill racing through gates | 1936 | 10 |
| Cross-country skiing | Endurance racing on groomed trails | 1924 | 12 |
| Ski jumping | Distance and style off a jump | 1924 | 6 |
| Nordic combined | Ski jumping plus cross-country | 1924 | 3 |
| Freestyle skiing | Moguls, aerials, ski cross and park events | 1992 (medal events) | 15 |
| Biathlon | Cross-country skiing plus rifle shooting | 1960 | 11 |
| Ski mountaineering | Uphill and downhill racing on skis and on foot | 2026 | 3 |
Snowboarding is a separate Olympic sport; see snowboarding facts for its Olympic history.
Alpine Skiing
Alpine skiing is downhill racing through gates, timed to the hundredth of a second. The disciplines range from the fast "speed" events to the twisty "technical" events. Learn more about the sport itself in types of skiing.
| Event | Type | How It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Downhill | Speed | The longest, fastest course with few gates; one run |
| Super-G | Speed | Shorter than downhill with more turns; one run, no training runs |
| Giant slalom | Technical | Wider-set gates; two runs, times combined |
| Slalom | Technical | Tight, quick gates; two runs, times combined |
| Team combined | Both | A speed skier's downhill plus a teammate's slalom; times added |
Alpine skiing joined the Olympics in 1936 at Garmisch-Partenkirchen with only a combined event. Downhill and slalom followed in 1948, giant slalom in 1952 and super-G in 1988. In 2026, the mixed parallel team event was dropped and the individual combined was replaced by the two-person team combined.
2026 Alpine Results
Men raced on the Stelvio course in Bormio and women on the Olimpia delle Tofane in Cortina d'Ampezzo.
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's downhill | Franjo von Allmen (SUI) | Giovanni Franzoni (ITA) | Dominik Paris (ITA) |
| Men's super-G | Franjo von Allmen (SUI) | Ryan Cochran-Siegle (USA) | Marco Odermatt (SUI) |
| Men's giant slalom | Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (BRA) | Marco Odermatt (SUI) | Loïc Meillard (SUI) |
| Men's slalom | Loïc Meillard (SUI) | Fabio Gstrein (AUT) | Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR) |
| Men's team combined | von Allmen / Nef (SUI) | Tie: Austria and Switzerland | Not awarded |
| Women's downhill | Breezy Johnson (USA) | Emma Aicher (GER) | Sofia Goggia (ITA) |
| Women's super-G | Federica Brignone (ITA) | Romane Miradoli (FRA) | Cornelia Hütter (AUT) |
| Women's giant slalom | Federica Brignone (ITA) | Tie: Sara Hector (SWE) and Thea Louise Stjernesund (NOR) | Not awarded |
| Women's slalom | Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) | Camille Rast (SUI) | Anna Swenn Larsson (SWE) |
| Women's team combined | Rädler / Huber (AUT) | Weidle-Winkelmann / Aicher (GER) | Wiles / Moltzan (USA) |
Switzerland's Franjo von Allmen won three golds. Mikaela Shiffrin won the slalom by 1.50 seconds for her third Olympic gold, the most by any US alpine skier, after leaving Beijing 2022 without a medal. Federica Brignone won two golds on home snow. Lindsey Vonn's comeback ended with a crash seconds into the women's downhill.
Cross-Country Skiing
Cross-country skiers race on groomed trails using two techniques: classic, with skis moving straight in parallel tracks, and freestyle (skate), a faster skating motion. Olympic events include sprints, a team sprint, a skiathlon (half classic, half free), relays, an interval-start race and a 50 km mass start. In 2026, women raced the same distances as men at the Olympics for the first time.
Norway's Johannes Høsflot Klæbo won all six men's events at Tesero, the most golds by anyone at a single Winter Games. Sweden's Frida Karlsson won the women's 10 km free and skiathlon, Ebba Andersson won the 50 km classic, and Jessie Diggins took bronze in the 10 km for the USA.
Ski Jumping
Jumpers launch off a normal or large hill and are scored on distance plus style points from judges. Women's ski jumping has been on the program since 2014. In 2026, at Predazzo, the women's large hill was added and the men's team event became a two-person "super team." Norway's Anna Odine Strøm won both women's individual events, Slovenia's Domen Prevc won the men's large hill, and Austria won the first super team title.
Nordic Combined
Athletes ski jump first, then race cross-country, with start times based on the jumping results, so the first across the finish line wins. It's the only Olympic ski sport without a women's event. Norway's Jens Lurås Oftebro won both individual events in 2026, and Norway won the team event. The IOC dropped Nordic combined from the 2030 program in July 2026.
Freestyle Skiing
Freestyle grew from the "hot dog" skiing of the 1960s and became an Olympic medal sport in 1992 with moguls. It now has 15 events: moguls, dual moguls (new in 2026), aerials, mixed team aerials, ski cross, halfpipe, slopestyle and big air. Judged events reward difficulty and execution, while ski cross is a four-skier race.
At Livigno in 2026, Eileen Gu won halfpipe gold plus slopestyle and big air silver, Mikaël Kingsbury and Jakara Anthony won the first dual moguls titles, and Italy went one-two in men's ski cross. See our full guide to freestyle skiing.
Biathlon
Biathlon combines skate-style cross-country skiing with rifle shooting at targets 50 meters away, prone and standing. Missed shots cost a penalty loop or added time, depending on the event. Formats include individual, sprint, pursuit, mass start and relays. France topped the biathlon medal table at Anterselva in 2026 and won the men's, women's and mixed relays.
Ski Mountaineering (New in 2026)
The only new sport at Milano Cortina, ski mountaineering, or skimo, sends racers uphill on skins, through a bootpack section with skis on their packs, and back down. In Bormio:
- Men's sprint: Oriol Cardona (Spain).
- Women's sprint: Marianne Fatton (Switzerland).
- Mixed relay: France (Emily Harrop and Thibault Anselmet).
Read more in our ski mountaineering guide.
How Skiers Qualify for the Olympics
Each sport has its own FIS-run qualification system with limited quota places. Alpine skiing at Milano Cortina 2026 is a good example:
- Total places: 306 alpine skiers, 153 men and 153 women.
- Per country: up to 22 skiers (11 men and 11 women), with no more than four men and four women in any one event.
- World Cup route: a skier ranked in the top 30 of the World Cup start list in an event earns a quota place for their country.
- FIS points route: remaining places go down a list of skiers in the top 500 of the Olympic FIS points list, based on results from July 1, 2024, to January 18, 2026.
- Host places: Italy received two men's and two women's places automatically.
Places go to national Olympic committees rather than individual athletes, so each country decides who fills them, often through its own selection criteria.
Olympic Skiing Timeline
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1924 | Chamonix: cross-country, ski jumping and Nordic combined at the first Winter Games |
| 1936 | Garmisch-Partenkirchen: alpine skiing debuts with a combined event |
| 1948 | Downhill and slalom added |
| 1952 | Giant slalom added |
| 1960 | Biathlon added |
| 1988 | Super-G added; freestyle is a demonstration sport |
| 1992 | Moguls becomes a medal event |
| 1994 | Aerials becomes a medal event |
| 2010 | Ski cross added |
| 2014 | Ski halfpipe, ski slopestyle and women's ski jumping added |
| 2022 | Ski big air and mixed team aerials added |
| 2026 | Ski mountaineering, dual moguls, team combined and women's large hill added |
| 2030 | Nordic combined dropped; freeride and more ski mountaineering events planned |
For the full story of the sport, see the history of skiing.
Most Decorated Olympic Skiers
| Athlete | Country | Sport | Medals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marit Bjørgen | Norway | Cross-country | 15 (8 gold) |
| Ole Einar Bjørndalen | Norway | Biathlon | 14 (8 gold) |
| Johannes Høsflot Klæbo | Norway | Cross-country | 13 (11 gold) |
| Kjetil André Aamodt | Norway | Alpine | 8 (4 gold) |
| Janica Kostelić | Croatia | Alpine | 6 (4 gold) |
Bjørgen holds the record for most Winter Olympic medals. Klæbo's 11 golds are the most by any Winter Olympian; among all Olympians, only swimmer Michael Phelps has more. Aamodt has the most Olympic medals in alpine skiing, and Kostelić is the only woman with four alpine golds.
What Changes at French Alps 2030
- Dates: February 1 to 17, 2030.
- Alpine venues: Courchevel and Val d'Isère.
- Freestyle venues: Serre Chevalier and Montgenèvre.
- Freeride skiing joins the program for the first time.
- Nordic combined is out.
- Ski mountaineering is planned to grow from three to five events with men's and women's individual races; the final schedule may still change.
Alpine vs. Nordic: What's the Difference?
| Alpine | Nordic | |
|---|---|---|
| Heel | Locked to the ski | Free to lift |
| Terrain | Downhill, lift-served | Flats, hills and jumps |
| Olympic sports | Alpine skiing (freestyle and skimo descents use alpine-style turning) | Cross-country, ski jumping, Nordic combined, biathlon |
Try the Olympic Sports Yourself
- Alpine: start with how to ski, then find a mountain in the best US ski resorts.
- Freestyle: learn safely with our ski tricks for beginners.
- Cross-country: many resorts have Nordic centers with rentals and lessons.
- Ski mountaineering: start with resort uphill routes and avalanche education; see ski mountaineering.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many skiing events are in the Winter Olympics?
By our count, Milano Cortina 2026 had 60 ski medal events across seven sports: alpine 10, cross-country 12, ski jumping 6, Nordic combined 3, freestyle 15, biathlon 11 and ski mountaineering 3. Snowboarding is a separate sport.
What are the different types of Olympic skiing?
Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, Nordic combined, freestyle skiing, biathlon and, since 2026, ski mountaineering.
When did skiing become an Olympic sport?
Cross-country skiing, ski jumping and Nordic combined were on the program at the first Winter Olympics in 1924. Alpine skiing joined in 1936 with a combined event, and biathlon was added in 1960.
Who is the most decorated Olympic skier?
Cross-country skier Marit Bjørgen of Norway has 15 Winter Olympic medals, the most of any Winter Olympian. Johannes Høsflot Klæbo of Norway holds the record for golds with 11 after winning six at Milano Cortina 2026.
Who won the downhill at the 2026 Olympics?
Franjo von Allmen of Switzerland won the men's downhill, and Breezy Johnson of the USA won the women's downhill by 0.04 seconds.
Is ski mountaineering an Olympic sport?
Yes. Ski mountaineering made its Olympic debut at Milano Cortina 2026 in Bormio with men's and women's sprints and a mixed relay, and it's confirmed for the French Alps 2030 Games.
What is the team combined in alpine skiing?
A 2026 format that replaced the individual combined: each country pairs a speed skier, who races the downhill, with a technical skier, who races the slalom, and their times are added together.
Is Nordic combined still in the Olympics?
Nordic combined was held for men at Milano Cortina 2026, but the IOC removed it from the 2030 program in July 2026.
How do skiers qualify for the Olympics?
Through FIS qualification systems based on World Cup rankings and FIS points. For alpine skiing at Milano Cortina 2026, each country could send up to 22 skiers, with a maximum of four men and four women per event.
Where are the 2030 Winter Olympics?
The 2030 Winter Games are in the French Alps, scheduled for February 1 to 17, 2030, with alpine skiing planned for Courchevel and Val d'Isère.