'No cross-over sports, just snow and ice' - IOC Executive Board halts hopes of cyclo-cross entry in 2030 Olympic Games but window open for 2034

Ambitions for cyclo-cross to gain entry in the Olympic Games hit another roadblock when International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsten Coventry said that "no cross-over sports" would be added to the winter programme for the 2030 Winter Olympics in Haute-Savoie.

However, the door was not closed completely for the cycling discipline. A final decision on the lineup of competitions for 2030 will be made at the extraordinary IOC Session on June 24-25 in Lausanne, Switzerland. In addition, Coventry confirmed that a different phase of exploration could permit entry for the 2034 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City.

"We had been getting a number of questions, even through the sports department and others around the French Alps programme for 2030. We will vote for the programme in June, but we have taken the decision that no summer sports and no cross-over sports will be in that programme. It will just be snow and ice," Coventry announced at an online press conference Thursday, following the IOC Executive Board's two-day meeting.

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"But the Olympic programme, in phase two of their work, will look at all avenues. And yes, that would potentially lend itself to 2034."

Many of the Winter Olympic Federations had previously voiced resistance to adding cyclo-cross, as well as cross-country running, to the next medal schedule for the French Alps, scheduled for February 1-17, 2030, notably because they felt both disciplines did not qualify by the Olympic Charter as competitions held on frozen surfaces, snow and ice.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe had discussions last year with UCI President David Lappartient and was supportive for both cyclo-cross and cross-country running to be added as Winter Games competitions, since athletes do compete in all weather conditions and the main race seasons are in the winter months.

Cycling disciplines have a large presence during quadrennial summer seasons for the Games, with road, track, mountain bike, BMX Racing and BMX Freestyle taking place at the Los Angeles Games in 2028.

Among other announcements made by the IOC this week, BMX Freestyle was one of six sports selected for the Olympic Q-Series, an event to "boost athletic visibility and global fan engagement", Coventry said. Four cities would host separate weekends with sports festivals in May and June of 2028, and provide qualification opportunities for athletes. Tokyo, Shanghai, Montréal and Orlando were the cities selected.