Looking to reach peak popularity

The Olympic Council of Asia followed suit in 2023 to include it in the program for Harbin 2025, a move welcomed by the International Ski Mountaineering Federation (ISMF), which has been dedicated to promoting the sport's profile using the exposure of major multisport events since it was officially recognized by the IOC in 2016.

Held at the Yabuli Ski Resort, which is about 200 kilometers from downtown Harbin, the skimo program at the Winter Asiad kicks off with the quarterfinal rounds in the individual sprint, beginning at 10:30 am on Feb 9, followed by semis and finals on the same day, before the mixed relay caps off its Asiad debut three days later.

The sprint discipline involves athletes racing in three phases: skiing uphill from the start, climbing with skis attached to their back for a steep ascent, usually 70 meters above the start line, before switching back to skiing and racing down a giant slalom-like course to the finish line — all in under four minutes.

Since it was established in 2022, China's ski mountaineering national team has collected an impressive medal haul from international events, achieved mainly by athletes selected from the high-altitude areas in Xizang and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous regions.

The strong results include 22 gold, three silver and seven bronze medals in multiple disciplines, such as individual, sprint and vertical, from seven ISMF World Cup events, four Youth World Cup legs, and the 2023 World Championships.

The young and ambitious Chinese team has completed a two-month training and competition program in Europe. It returns to home snow in full confidence and ready to prove its continental dominance in the tactical test of speed and endurance.

With 10 national associations from Asia having joined the ISMF, including provisional members, skimo is expanding to new territories, however, none seem quite strong enough yet to threaten the host's medal ambitions.