The Olympic Bureau (EB) has recommended seven winter sports for the initial sports programme of the 2030 Olympic Winter Games, based on a recommendation from the Olympic Programme Commission. These sports include biathlon, bobsleigh, curling, ice hockey, luge, skating, and skiing, all overseen by their respective winter international sports federations as outlined in the Olympic Charter.
According to Karl Stoss, Chair of the Olympic Programme Commission and an IOC member, these seven sports have been part of the initial winter sports programme since Nagano 1998 and have contributed significantly to the success of Beijing 2022. In fact, the success of Beijing 2022 as the most digitally engaged edition of the Olympic Winter Games can be largely attributed to their inclusion.
While these seven sports have been proposed, there remains flexibility for reviewing associated disciplines, events, and athlete quotas. Organizing committees for the Olympic Games (OCOGs) also have the opportunity to propose additional sports if they wish. For example, Milano Cortina 2026 was the first winter OCOG to include an additional sport – ski mountaineering – which was approved by the IOC Session in July 2021.
In a new process similar to that adopted for LA28, the EB has approved an intermediary step to determine disciplines within each sport in 2025. This step will give athletes more time to prepare for the Games and provide clarity on final venue masterplans to OCOGs earlier on. Evaluation criteria for these disciplines will be finalized in Q4 2024 with input from relevant stakeholders to ensure a balanced and relevant programme that promotes gender equality, innovation
