IOC will decide on new Winter Olympic sports in June 2026

"We are going to continue assessing all existing disciplines on the Olympic Winter Games programme, as well as with any potential new additional sports, and the decision will be done in June," the Zimbabwean said in a media briefing.

The International Olympic Committee had initially considered announcing the list of sporting events selected for 2030 at its December 2025 meeting.

But this decision runs up against the broad reflection process launched by Coventry since she replaced Germany's Thomas Bach as IOC chief in June.

The former swimmer set up a working group on the Olympic sports programme, tasked with studying the possible inclusion in the Winter Games of disciplines such as trail running or cyclocross, which fall under international federations involved in the Summer Olympics -- something that would be a first.

International winter sports federations opposed such a move in November, arguing that the inclusion of these sports would "dilute the brand, heritage, and identity" of the Winter Olympics.

The organisers of the 2030 Games are also considering adding ice climbing to the Olympic programme, while freeride skiing is also lobbying for a spot, and ski mountaineering -- which has already been included in the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics that open on February 6 -- is seeking to be renewed four years later.