Summer Sports Would 'dilute' Winter Olympics

Proposals to see summertime sports successful nan Winter Olympics would "dilute" nan Games, according to nan assemblage which represents existing disciplines.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has established moving groups to reappraisal nan aspects of some nan summertime and wintertime Games arsenic portion of its 'Fit For The Future', external consultation nether caller president Kirsty Coventry.

World Athletics main Lord Coe previously indicated cross-country moving and cyclo-cross could beryllium added to nan programme for nan Winter Olympics.

However, Winter Olympic Federations caput wide Colin Grahamslaw told BBC Sport location are reservations astir introducing sports which are "visually" summertime sports.

"We deliberation nan Winter Games has a really bully beardown ocular personality of snowfall and ice. And we deliberation that is unsocial and is worthy preserving," Grahamslaw said.

"I deliberation nan concerns are, by bringing successful immoderate summertime sports that possibly hap successful nan wintertime but not connected snowfall and ice, you dilute that brand.

"You dilute that identity. And it's not visually very different from what you tin spot astatine nan summertime Games."

BBC Sport has approached nan IOC for comment.

The Olympics Charter presently states that "only those sports which are practised connected snowfall aliases crystal are considered arsenic wintertime sports".

In 2023, nan IOC said investigation showed only 10 countries will beryllium capable to big snowfall sports by 2040 because of nan effect of ambiance change, and accepted "a request to accommodate nan Olympic Winter Games".

Grahamslaw, who is besides caput of nan World Curling Federation, said if location was a desire from nan IOC to summation nan number of sports successful nan Winter Olympics past nan Winter Olympic Federations should beryllium consulted.

The Winter Olympic Federations collectively represents nan governing bodies of biathlon, bobsleigh and skeleton, crystal hockey, luge, skating, skis and snowboard and curling.

"If there's capacity wrong nan Winter games for much sports, much action, much dynamics, past we tin supply that from wrong nan snowfall and crystal community," nan Briton added.

"You're going to spot skis mountaineering for nan first clip successful Milan Cortina 2026, arsenic portion of nan Winter Olympic Games. That's a caller move athletics that I deliberation group tin get down and enjoy.

"If you look astatine crystal hockey, they person a shortened type of 3 connected three."

The Winter Olympic Federations said successful a connection earlier this week it was "fully committed" to "innovation, universality, and strengthening nan typical and intelligibly differentiated appeal" of nan Olympic Winter Games.

However, they said nan Games are "not amended served by piecemeal proposals" specified arsenic nan inclusion of summertime disciplines.