COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — The 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony is just days away, and while you're probably familiar with figure skating and hockey, there are several fascinating sports that deserve your attention.
Here's the breakdown of four Olympic sports that might become your new favorites once you understand what makes them special.
Ski mountaineering makes its Olympic debut
Ski mountaineering, also called skimo, is making its Olympic debut with three events: women's sprint, men's sprint and mixed relay.
The sport combines an ascent and descent. During the ascent, athletes hike up a mountain using skins that stick to the bottom of their skis to prevent sliding backward. Once they reach the top of the course, they rip off the skins and begin the descent, racing downhill through a marked course.
Each race lasts roughly three minutes, making it an incredibly fast-paced spectacle.
Nordic combined blends two classic sports
Nordic combined takes two sports you've probably heard of, ski jumping and cross country skiing, and combines them into one competition.
Athletes first complete a ski jump, receiving points for both distance and style. They earn two points per meter on a normal hill and 1.8 points per meter for a large hill. Style is scored from one to 20.
The ski jumping results determine the starting order for the cross country race, with jump points converted into time penalties. For example, 15 points equals a one-minute penalty, and the ski jump winner starts first in the cross country race.
This process is called the "Gunderson Method." The three races include individual Gundersen normal hill/10 km, large hill and 10 km, and team sprint.
Skeleton: One of winter's oldest and fastest sports
Skeleton is one of the oldest winter sports in existence and among the most thrilling to watch.
The race starts with a 30-meter sprint before athletes launch themselves onto their sleds. They can reach speeds up to 140 kilometers per hour while steering with their shoulders, knees and toes.
Athletes complete the track four times, with combined time determining winners in men's, women's and the new mixed team race categories.
Skeleton differs from luge because athletes ride on their stomachs rather than their backs, with their faces about five centimeters from the ice.
Biathlon combines skiing precision with rifle accuracy
Biathlon originated in Scandinavia in the 18th century and features 11 events in the 2026 Winter Olympics, each with slight variations.
The sport mixes cross country skiing with rifle shooting. Athletes use freestyle technique on a cross country track, stopping each lap for shooting tests — one standing and one lying on their stomachs.
They fire five shots during each shooting segment. Missing a shot means skiing a 150-meter penalty loop or having one minute added to their overall time in individual races.
The fastest overall time wins.
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Buc-ee's withdraws annexation application from Palmer Lake
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