IOC Closes Door on Summer Sports at 2030 Winter Games—But Not Permanently

The International Olympic Committee's Executive Board dealt a setback to efforts to revolutionize the Winter Olympics, rejecting proposals to include summer disciplines such as cross-country, trail running, cyclo-cross and gravel cycling in the 2030 Games.

The Olympic leadership has ruled out including track and field and cycling events in the French Alps Games, though officials signal they may revisit the debate before Salt Lake City 2034

The decision was announced Thursday by IOC President Kirsty Coventry, who made clear the position applies specifically to the next Winter Games in the French Alps. "For 2030, we have taken the decision, no crossover sports, no summer sports," she said at a press conference following the board meeting. "We will vote on the programme in June, but we have already decided that no summer sport and no all-season sport will be included. It will only be snow and ice."

The ruling effectively closes—at least temporarily—a debate that has gained significant traction in recent months among Olympic stakeholders seeking to expand the Winter Games' international appeal and create opportunities for nations without strong winter sports traditions. The proposal had attracted high-profile supporters, including World Athletics President Sebastian Coe, who argued that adding cross-country events would give African nations a meaningful presence at the Winter Olympics.

Yet the IOC stopped short of slamming the door permanently. When asked whether the discussion might resurface before Salt Lake City 2034, Coventry suggested it would. "You're exactly right," she said, explaining that a group of Olympic programme experts would examine "all avenues" in Phase 2 of their review, potentially opening the possibility for 2034.

Coverty framed the debate within a larger effort to reassert IOC control over the Olympic brand. "We feel we need to regain the control of the programme. We're the leaders. This is our product, so we should regain that control," she said, while cautioning that Olympic growth could not continue indefinitely. "We just can't continue to just get bigger, bigger, bigger. That's not the answer either."

Why the Proposal Gained Momentum

The push to include summer-style disciplines gained momentum in October 2025 when Coe wrote in The Guardian advocating for a joint formula for cross-country and cyclo-cross. He suggested that integrating track and field events would strengthen African representation at the Winter Games, which currently lack a meaningful presence from the continent.

France itself explored the concept, with Frenchman Edgar Grospiron proposing low-cost outdoor events utilizing mountain terrain between 1,000 and 2,500 meters altitude where snow is less reliable. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee also voiced support. "It's logical and it's the right thing to do," said Sarah Hirshland, the committee's chief executive.

The Opposition Speaks

The proposal faced stiff resistance from traditional winter sports federations, which warned that expansion would "dilute the brand, heritage, and identity that make the Olympic Winter Games unique." Concerns also centered on revenue distribution and the growing logistical complexity of the Games.

The French Alps 2030 programme will stick to classical winter sports—biathlon, bobsleigh, curling, ice hockey, luge, skating and skiing—according to IOC Sports Director Pierre Ducrey, who noted that event details and athlete quotas will be finalized in June. He added that the IOC aims to develop a new procedure for adding or excluding sports that will apply to both Summer and Winter Games, providing organisers, federations and athletes greater advance certainty.