When people ask how many sports will be included in the winter games, they are usually asking about the Olympic Winter Games. The current Olympic Winter Games program includes 16 sports or disciplines.
For the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, the official Olympic program featured 16 disciplines, with ski mountaineering making its Olympic debut. The Games included more than 100 medal events across these winter sports.
The number is much smaller than at the Summer Olympics because the Winter Games are focused on sports that depend primarily on snow or ice. However, those 16 sports contain many different events and disciplines, so there are still hundreds of individual competitions to follow.
How Many Sports Are Included in the Winter Games?
The 2026 Olympic Winter Games included 16 sports:
- Alpine skiing
- Biathlon
- Bobsleigh
- Cross-country skiing
- Curling
- Figure skating
- Freestyle skiing
- Ice hockey
- Luge
- Nordic combined
- Short track speed skating
- Skeleton
- Ski jumping
- Ski mountaineering
- Snowboarding
- Speed skating
The International Olympic Committee lists these 16 disciplines as the sports contested at Milano Cortina 2026.
It is worth noting that the IOC sometimes uses the terms sports and disciplines differently. For example, skiing is a broad sport category that contains alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, freestyle skiing, ski jumping, Nordic combined and ski mountaineering. This can make the total number appear different depending on how Olympic sports are counted.
What Are the 16 Winter Olympic Sports?
Alpine Skiing
Alpine skiing includes events in which athletes race down snow-covered courses at high speed. Olympic alpine skiing includes events such as downhill, slalom, giant slalom and super-G.
It is one of the most recognizable sports in the Winter Olympics and tests a combination of speed, balance, technique and control.
Biathlon
Biathlon combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting.
Athletes ski around a course and stop at shooting ranges during the competition. Accuracy is critical because missed targets can result in penalties or additional distance.
Bobsleigh
Bobsleigh involves teams racing through an icy track in a specialized sled.
Athletes must generate speed at the start before steering the sled through a series of curves and turns. The sport is known for extremely high speeds and precise driving.
Cross-Country Skiing
Cross-country skiing is based on endurance rather than downhill speed.
Athletes race across snow-covered courses using skis and poles. Olympic competitions include different distances, techniques and relay formats.
Curling
Curling is one of the most strategic Winter Olympic sports.
Players slide stones across an ice sheet toward a target called the house. Teammates can sweep the ice to influence the stone’s speed and direction.
The sport requires precision, strategy, communication and teamwork.
Figure Skating
Figure skating combines skating skills with jumps, spins, choreography and artistic performance.
Olympic figure skating includes individual and pairs competitions as well as ice dance and team competition.
Freestyle Skiing
Freestyle skiing includes several disciplines involving jumps, tricks, speed and technical ability.
Depending on the event, athletes may perform aerial maneuvers, race through moguls or compete in terrain-park events.
Ice Hockey
Ice hockey is one of the most popular Winter Olympic team sports.
Players compete on an ice rink while attempting to score goals with a puck. Olympic hockey is known for its speed, physical play, skating ability and tactical teamwork.
Luge
Luge athletes race down an icy track while lying on their backs on a small sled.
The sport requires extremely precise steering because athletes travel at high speeds while making small body movements to control the sled.
Nordic Combined
Nordic combined is unusual because it combines ski jumping and cross-country skiing.
Athletes first compete in ski jumping and then take part in a cross-country race. The results from the jumping competition help determine the starting positions for the skiing portion.
Short Track Speed Skating
Short track speed skating takes place on a relatively small oval ice track.
Several athletes compete simultaneously, making positioning and tactical decisions particularly important. Races can involve rapid changes in position and close finishes.
Skeleton
Skeleton is a sliding sport in which athletes race headfirst down an ice track on a small sled.
Competitors lie face down with their heads pointing toward the bottom of the track. Steering is performed through subtle body movements.
Ski Jumping
Ski jumping involves athletes launching themselves from a large ramp and traveling through the air before landing on a snow-covered hill.
Distance and technique are both important, with judges also evaluating the quality of the jump.
Ski Mountaineering
Ski mountaineering, sometimes called ski mountaineering or skimo, made its Olympic debut at Milano Cortina 2026.
The sport combines uphill skiing with downhill skiing and requires athletes to move efficiently through mountainous terrain. The 2026 program included men’s and women’s sprint events and a mixed relay.
Its addition demonstrated that the Winter Olympic program can continue to evolve by introducing new forms of winter competition.
Snowboarding
Snowboarding includes several Olympic disciplines, including events based on racing, jumps, tricks and technical riding.
Depending on the event, competitors may race directly against each other or be judged on the quality and difficulty of their performances.
Speed Skating
Speed skating involves athletes racing around an oval ice track.
Unlike short track, traditional Olympic speed skating uses a much larger track. Events range from shorter races to long-distance competitions, requiring different combinations of speed and endurance.
Why Are There Fewer Sports in the Winter Olympics?
The Winter Olympics have fewer sports because the Games are built around a more specialized environment.
Many Olympic sports require snow, ice or cold-weather conditions. This limits the types of activities that can realistically be included.
For example, swimming, athletics and most outdoor field sports cannot be staged naturally in the winter environment. Winter Olympic organizers therefore focus on sports that have developed specifically around snow and ice.
The number of sports can also change when the IOC approves new events or disciplines.
Is Ski Mountaineering a New Winter Olympic Sport?
Yes. Ski mountaineering was the major new addition to the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic program.
The IOC describes it as the only completely new sport or discipline added for those Games. Athletes compete while moving uphill and downhill, combining skiing with mountaineering techniques.
The Olympic debut included three medal events:
- Men’s sprint
- Women’s sprint
- Mixed relay
Its inclusion gives athletes from a growing winter endurance discipline an opportunity to compete on the world’s biggest winter-sports stage.
How Many Events Are in the Winter Olympics?
The number of sports is different from the number of events.
Milano Cortina 2026 featured 116 medal events across its 16 disciplines. The official Olympic materials describe the Games as having 16 disciplines and 116 medal events.
That means there were far more opportunities to win medals than the number of sports might suggest.
For example, speed skating contains numerous individual distances and formats. Alpine skiing also has several separate events, while freestyle skiing contains multiple disciplines.
This is why saying there are 16 Winter Olympic sports does not mean there are only 16 competitions.
How Are Winter Olympic Sports Organized?
The Olympic program can be confusing because a broad sport can contain several disciplines.
For example, the skiing portion of the Games covers:
- Alpine skiing
- Cross-country skiing
- Freestyle skiing
- Nordic combined
- Ski jumping
- Ski mountaineering
Snowboarding is also part of the overall winter sports program.
Similarly, skating includes:
- Figure skating
- Short track speed skating
- Speed skating
This organization explains why different Olympic sources can sometimes describe the same program using terms such as sports, disciplines and events.
For a simple answer, however, the current Winter Olympic program can be described as having 16 sports/disciplines.
Does the Number of Winter Olympic Sports Always Stay the Same?
No.
The Olympic program can change from one edition to another.
The IOC considers factors such as global participation, sporting development, athlete opportunities, gender balance, venue requirements and the overall size of the Games when determining the program.
Milano Cortina 2026 is a good example. Ski mountaineering was added to the Olympic program, while several existing sports received additional medal events. The official IOC information identifies ski mountaineering as the new Olympic discipline for those Games.
Future Winter Olympics could therefore have a different number of sports or disciplines.
Winter Olympics vs. Summer Olympics
The difference between the two Olympic Games is substantial.
The Summer Olympics contain many more sports because they can use a much wider range of environments and facilities. The Winter Olympics concentrate on snow and ice sports.
The Winter Games nevertheless offer considerable variety.
A viewer can watch:
- High-speed downhill racing
- Endurance skiing
- Team sports
- Ice skating
- Sliding sports
- Snowboarding
- Ski jumping
- Precision sports such as curling
- Combined disciplines such as biathlon and Nordic combined
This makes the Winter Olympics much more diverse than the relatively small number of sports might suggest.
FAQ
How many sports will be included in the Winter Games?
The current Olympic Winter Games program includes 16 sports or disciplines. Milano Cortina 2026 featured 16 disciplines.
What is the newest Winter Olympic sport?
Ski mountaineering was the new Olympic discipline at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games.
How many medal events were at the 2026 Winter Olympics?
Milano Cortina 2026 featured 116 medal events across its 16 Olympic disciplines.
Is ice hockey in the Winter Olympics?
Yes. Ice hockey is one of the 16 disciplines on the Winter Olympic program.
Is curling an Olympic sport?
Yes. Curling is included in the Winter Olympic program and is one of the 16 disciplines at Milano Cortina 2026.
Why are there fewer Winter Olympic sports than Summer Olympic sports?
Winter sports are more specialized because they generally require snow, ice or cold-weather conditions. That limits the range of sports that can be included compared with the Summer Olympics.
Can new sports be added to the Winter Olympics?
Yes. The Olympic program can change between Games. Ski mountaineering’s addition to Milano Cortina 2026 is an example of a new discipline being introduced.
Conclusion
So, how many sports will be included in the winter games? The current Olympic Winter Games program features 16 sports or disciplines.
Those include alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsleigh, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, freestyle skiing, ice hockey, luge, Nordic combined, short track speed skating, skeleton, ski jumping, ski mountaineering, snowboarding and speed skating.
Although 16 may seem like a small number compared with the Summer Olympics, each winter sport contains multiple events and disciplines. At Milano Cortina 2026, athletes competed for medals across 116 medal events, demonstrating how much competition can fit within the Winter Games program.
The Winter Olympics can also evolve over time. Ski mountaineering’s Olympic debut at Milano Cortina 2026 shows that new winter sports can become part of the Olympic movement as the program develops.