Lord Seb Coe's plans to introduce ATHLETICS to the Winter Olympics condemned by bosses in fiery response

Lord Sebastian Coe's plans to introduce cross-country running to the Winter Olympics are facing vocal opposition from traditional snow and ice sports, with the proposals described as a threat to the ‘brand, heritage and identity’ of the Games in a withering statement on Wednesday.

World Athletics president Coe has lobbied for the discipline to be added to the quadrennial winter showpiece in 2030, alongside separate moves within cycling for cyclo-cross to find a higher-profile home.

Those efforts, reinforced by Coe earlier this month, have come at a time when new International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry is reviewing all aspects of the Olympic movement.

But a major roadblock has been presented by the powerful Winter Olympic Federations, which covers all the significant disciplines of the existing Winter Olympics programme.

In a fiery statement, they said: ‘We applaud the IOC’s efforts to continue to modernise the Games in order to engage new audiences.

‘The Winter Olympic Federations believe, however, that the future of the Olympic Winter Games is not better served by piecemeal proposals, such as the inclusion of Summer IF’s non-Olympic disciplines into the Olympic Winter Games.

‘The Winter Olympic Federations are firm in our belief that such an approach would dilute the brand, heritage, and identity that make the Olympic Winter Games unique – a celebration of sports practised on snow and ice, with distinct culture, athletes, and fields of play.’

The president of the Winter Olympic Federations, Ivo Ferriani, said: ‘Innovation should focus on evolving existing winter sports to attract broader participation and audiences while enhancing the appeal of the Olympic Winter Games. 

'A successful example of such evolution is the inclusion of Ski Mountaineering, a discipline born from authentic winter environments and emblematic of the continued development of winter sports.’

According to one seasoned Olympics insider, it is ‘highly unlikely’ that such a statement would have been published without the IOC’s knowledge.

Cross-country running has not been part of the summer Games since 1924, though Coe has recently broached the subject with Coventry and there has been optimism that the discipline, as well as cyclo-cross, could eventually be accepted into the Winter Olympics.