Future iterations of the Winter Olympics might potentially see a shift to January from the current February timeframe to leverage increased snowfall and colder temperatures due to the impact of climate change prompting a comprehensive review by the International Olympic Committee. The IOC is contemplating integrating traditional summer sports into the Winter Olympics to enhance popularity and generate revenue. The upcoming 2030 French Alps and 2034 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics are both slated for February.
Karl Stoss, heading the IOC’s Olympic Programme Working Group, stated during an IOC session that they are assessing the scale of the Games, sport mix, and potential additions, including exploring crossovers between summer and winter sports. While running and cycling disciplines are being considered, some winter sports federations express reservations as it may encroach on their established market.
David Lappartient, the chief of the International Cycling Union (UCI), highlighted the potential benefits of incorporating winter disciplines like cyclocross into the Games, citing the appeal to leading cyclists and the existing large audience for cyclocross events.
Additionally, the IOC is contemplating moving the Paralympics to February, aligning it with the Winter Olympics, as opposed to its current scheduling in March. This proposed shift aims to address concerns of snow melting due to strong sunlight in March, potentially impacting snow sports events.
The last instance of the Winter Olympics commencing in January was 62 years ago at the 1964 Innsbruck Winter Olympics. With global temperatures on the rise, climate change is diminishing natural snow availability in various regions, affecting water resources for artificial snowmaking and posing a threat to the snow sport industry worldwide. An IOC study predicts that by 2040, only 10 nations may have the capacity to host snow sports events for the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The 2022 Beijing Games marked a milestone as the first Winter Olympics to extensively utilize artificial snow, deploying over 100 snow generators and 300 snow-making guns to ensure ski slopes were adequately covered.