Which Events and Sports Should be Included in the Winter Olympics?

[saskriders]

What sports and events that are not in the Winter Olympics do you think should be added?

First a few quick notes:

The IOC defines the following:

Sport: All events operated by a governing body (ex. skating)
Discipline: Basically what we would call a sport in everyday language (ex. short track speed skating)
Event: A single medal event (ex. Men's 500m)

Getting a new sport in would be most difficult, as the IOC would need to recognize the governing body
New disciplines and events are regularly added to the program

The 2022 Olympics have not confirmed any new events or sports, but the ones being considered are:

-Women's competitions in Nordic Combined
-Mixed Team Ski Jumping
-Big Air (freestyle skiing)
-Natural Luge Track (singles)
-Women's Doubles Luge
-Luge sprint (singles and doubles)
-Bandy

Here is a list of all the remaining winter sports and events at world championships run by IOC recognized governing bodies that I could find:

Climbing and Mountaineering
(showcases have been held ahead of the 2014 and 2018 Olympics, they are trying to be a demonstration at 2020 Youth Olympics, and a sport at the 2022 Olympics)

Disciplines: Ice Climbing
Events: Speed, Lead

Speed: Win a race against a competitor




Lead (Not clear on how this works, a set course with a time limit. Must be some sort of judging involved???)



Orienteering
(A quick search shows that the IOF has made attempts in the past to include it in the Olympics, but not much recent info is out there)

Disciplines: Ski Orienteering
Events: Long, Middle, Sprint, Relay, Mixed Sprint Relay

Cross country ski to a bunch of points given on a map (in the right order) without any trails defined



Ski Mountaineering
(Will have competitions at the 2020 youth olympics)

Ski a course that has uphill and downhill portions, and even portions that require you to take off the skis and carry them

Events: Team, Individual (2020 YOG), Sprint (2020 YOG), Relay (2020 YOG), Vertical

Team:
Ski Mountaineering - World Championship 2017 Team Race

Vertical:
ISMF Skimountaineering World Cup 2016 - Font Blanca - Vertical Race

Luge

Doubles and Team events on Natural Track

Nordic Combined

Team - Normal Hill

Freestyle Skiing

Dual Moguls

Snowboarding

Parallel Slalom
Snowboard Cross Team

Ski Jumping

Ski Flying

Alpine Skiing

Telemark Skiing (Sprint, Parallel Sprint, Classic, Giant Slalom)
Speed Skiing

Speed Skating

500m

Short Track Speed Skating

3000m

Figure Skating

Synchronized Skating

Click to read more...

 

[Habs76]

Skating - Red Bull Crashed Ice - Same as they do it normally

 

[Soliloquy of a Dogge]

Dog sled racing.

Skijoring.

Polar Bear swimming.

 

[Purple Phart]

Ski Patrol Rescue teams. This could involve exercises like First Aid Evacuations or Heavy Avalanche Rescue, where a rescue beacon is used and retrieved in a timed competition.

 

[Zegras Zebra]

Red Bull Crashed Ice (Downhill Ice Cross) would be perfect for the Winter Olympics. Its fast, dangerous, highly competitive, and draws a good sized crowd when events are held. The only concern I would have is if the IOC would recognize a governing body because of Red Bull's heavy involvement with the sport.

A form of 3 on 3 ice hockey would be welcomed as well.

 

[MMC]

Ice hockey featuring NHL players.

 

[Cloned]

Ringette would be pretty awesome but apparently there aren't enough male players at a high enough talent level to make it an Olympic sport... although I'm not sure how you could then reasonably justify the initial inclusion of women's hockey in 1998.

 

[Eisen]

I miss long range cross country, classical style.
Oh, and some more competitions for women, like ski jumping and nordic combined. Women still only have one ski jumping competition (despite usually being technically better than their male counterparts, according to Toni Innauer).

 

[Daisy Jane]

Ringette would be pretty awesome but apparently there aren't enough male players at a high enough talent level to make it an Olympic sport... although I'm not sure how you could then reasonably justify the initial inclusion of women's hockey in 1998.

right? like there were a lot of "men only" sports, so having just one woman only sport shouldn't be that bad.

 

[Boutette]

Yukigassen - Japanese Snowball Fighting - there are now more than a hundred teams around the world and championships in Europe, Russia, Japan and North America.

 

[saskriders]

right? like there were a lot of "men only" sports, so having just one woman only sport shouldn't be that bad.

They do have a few (at least in the summer). Synchronized swimming, rhythmic gymnastics, and heptathlon off the top of my head..

 

[Daisy Jane]

They do have a few (at least in the summer). Synchronized swimming, rhythmic gymnastics, and heptathlon off the top of my head..

yah so ringtte shouldn't be an issue

 

[saskriders]

yah so ringtte shouldn't be an issue

I don't think being basically a solo gender sport is the primary thing prohibiting ringette from being included. The IRF has only six members. Also it would likely require at least one additional rink (one of the most expensive venues).

 

[SJSharksfan39]

I heard tug of War used to be an Olympic event. It should be again.

 

[awfulwaffle]

I like the idea of the ice climbing. More speed skating would always be awesome, love speed skating(the bigger one, short track is too much of a cluster for me).

 

[sr edler]

Snowshoeing.

 

[saskriders]

I heard tug of War used to be an Olympic event. It should be again.

It was between 1900 to 1920, and is currently in the World Games.

 

[Cloned]

They do have a few (at least in the summer). Synchronized swimming, rhythmic gymnastics, and heptathlon off the top of my head..

Also @Daisy Jane

Synchronized swimming is classified as a discipline under FINA, which has male competitors. Similar with rhythmic gymnastics and FIG. Heptathlon is the female version of the decathlon and is governed by the IAAF.

Ringette is governed by its own separate federation and doesn't (apparently) have enough male participants at the top international level to justify its inclusion. If it was governed by the IIHF (for example, don't kill me here - I know ringette isn't hockey) which has male competitors in other disciplines under its federation's umbrella, it would be eligible.

 

[saskriders]

Apparently ski-archery (basically biathlon with a bow) is a thing. But there isn't much information about the world championships online.

 

[Eisen]

Apparently ski-archery (basically biathlon with a bow) is a thing. But there isn't much information about the world championships online.

That sounds awesome. I`d definitely watch that.

 

[Daisy Jane]

That sounds awesome. I`d definitely watch that.

me too!

 

[MasterMatt25]

I heard tug of War used to be an Olympic event. It should be again.

On ice

 

[shortshorts]

Snow volleyball is being demo'd in Korea right now...

It likely never will because there is nothing about snow volleyball that is better/more entertaining than their summer counterparts. It's literally just diluted skills beach volleyball.

 

[Blue Warriors]

Fatbike
Ice canoeing Ice Canoe racing | Reuters.com

 

[JeffreyLFC]

3 vs 3 hockey!