The possibility of adding cyclo-cross and cross-country running to the 2030 Winter Olympics program may appeal to some, but not to everyone.
The Winter Olympic sports federations – skiing, skating, biathlon, curling, luge, bobsleigh and skeleton – have opposed the idea of adding these two disciplines to the program, which would see the event take place in the French Alps from February 1-17, 2030.
"The Winter Olympic Federations firmly believe that such an approach would dilute the brand, heritage and identity that make the Winter Olympic Games unique - a celebration of snow and ice sports with their own distinctive culture, athletes and venues," the federations said in a statement.
International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry launched a review of the Winter Olympics programme when she took office in June. Later that month, the possibility of cyclo-cross and cross-country running becoming Winter Olympic disciplines was raised after local authorities and businesses in the Planche des Belles Filles region put forward a plan to stage 'cross' events at the 2030 Games.
In October, IAAF president Sebastian Coe told The Guardian that he believed cross-country and cyclo-cross had a good chance of making it onto the programme, especially after a conversation with UCI president David Lappartient.
However, Max Cobb, a representative of the International Biathlon Union, said that the decision on which sports should be included in the Winter Olympics should be made by the "snow and ice sports themselves." "If they were hugely popular sports, they would already be in the summer games - but they are not," he said.
The International Olympic Committee's Olympic Charter currently requires that sports at the Winter Olympics be held on snow and ice. While cyclo-cross and cross-country running are sometimes held on ice and snow, they are also competed on grass, trails, or muddy park areas.
The Winter Olympics currently have 116 medal events on the program, compared to 329 at the Summer Games last year. Cyclo-cross and cross-country were among four new disciplines being considered for inclusion in the program, some of which are indoor events.
Some countries are already preparing for the possibility of cyclo-cross being included in the 2034 Winter Olympics in Utah. USA Cycling's Brendan Quirk said he thinks the discipline would be "superpowerful" at the Salt Lake City Winter Games.
"From the conversations I've had, I'd say the odds [of cyclo-cross making its debut] at the 2030 Games are over 50%. It's a big priority for Sebastian Coe and David Lappartient. I really appreciate the UCI's perseverance in making this happen," Quirk said.
