Australia's First Ski Mountaineering Olympians Head to 2026

Imagine sprinting uphill on skis so fast your legs shake, then immediately racing downhill while your brain struggles to function. That's ski mountaineering, and two Australians just qualified for its Olympic debut.

Phil Bellingham, 34, and Lara Hamilton, 27, will represent Australia when "skimo" makes its first Olympic appearance at the Milano Cortina Winter Games starting February 6, 2026. The sport combines cross-country skiing, alpine skiing, and mountaineering into races that finish in just minutes.

Bellingham, a veteran of three previous Winter Olympics in cross-country skiing, almost retired after Beijing 2022. His coach convinced him to try skimo instead, tapping into his love for backcountry skiing. The Victoria native warns that TV makes the steep slopes look deceptively easy.

Hamilton discovered the sport during winter breaks from her US running scholarship. She spotted people ski mountaineering in Colorado and bought secondhand gear on Facebook Marketplace to try it herself. Within two years, she was competing on the World Cup circuit.

The sport demands intense physical and mental toughness. Athletes attach fabric strips called "skins" to their skis for grip, sprint uphill at speeds that flood their muscles with lactic acid, then pack their skis away to run sections in boots. Finally, they switch their boots to downhill mode and race to the finish.

"My legs are shaking, I'm feeling delirious, and I'm expected to do these precise movements as quickly as possible," Hamilton explained. The hardest part isn't the climb but calming down enough to handle equipment transitions after an all-out sprint.

Why This Inspires

Both athletes have overcome significant financial barriers to chase their Olympic dreams. A full skimo setup can cost $10,000 for elite racers, with carbon fiber equipment keeping things lightweight but expensive. Hamilton traded marketing skills to a ski manufacturer in exchange for gear, making it last two years before it broke.

Bellingham faced similar challenges, with boots alone costing $3,000. Both relied on supplier support and creative solutions to access equipment that's standard in Europe but rare in Australia. They receive $5,000 once qualified for the Games, but most costs come out of pocket.

Hamilton moved to Colorado in 2022 to fully commit to the sport, following the US competition circuit while learning "through trial by fire." Now both athletes split their time between hemispheres, chasing winter seasons to maximize training.

Australia may not be known for alpine sports, but these two athletes are proving that determination and passion can overcome geographic disadvantages. They're not just competing—they're introducing an entire nation to a sport that tests the limits of human endurance.