The Top 7 Olympic Winter Sports That Didn't Make the Cut - SnowBrains

"The Winter Olympic Games are more than 100 years old. The first Winter Olympics were held in 1924 in Chamonix, France, and in those 98 years some disciplines and events have come and gone. For the 2026 games in Milan-Cortina, Italy, two new disciplines were added: dual moguls, as well as ski mountaineering. This takes the total number of disciplines to 16 and a total of 116 separate events."

"Curling was discontinued straight after the Chamonix Olympics but then was re-introduced in 1988 at the Calgary Olympics. This led us to dig a little deeper and take a look into other Olympic Winter disciplines that either have been discontinued or were introduced as demonstration events but never made the cut. Each Olympics sees demonstration events (who can forget the infamous breakdancing demonstration by Australia at the Paris Summer Games-let's not say more). Many don't make the cut but are certainly entertaining to watch."

"This event was a medal event in 1924 and a demonstration event in 1928, 1936, and 1948 after which it was discontinued. It was not only a combination of cross-country skiing and rifle shooting but also had a 'patrol' component, where four-man teams, including one officer, embarked on a 19-mile (30km) ski race. The course had to be completed by the entire patrol and competitors had to wear military uniforms, backpacks, and carry weapons."

The Winter Olympics began in 1924 in Chamonix and have undergone many changes. By 2026, Milan-Cortina added dual moguls and ski mountaineering, bringing 16 disciplines and 116 events. The first Games featured nine disciplines: bobsled, curling, ice hockey, military patrol, cross-country skiing, Nordic combined, ski jumping, figure skating, and speed skating. Curling was removed after 1924 and reintroduced in 1988. Demonstration events have appeared across editions, with many not adopted into the program. Military patrol served as a precursor to biathlon, appearing as a medal and demonstration event before discontinuation.

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