The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
“We know that when we have our best race we can compete with anybody”
By Than Acuff
The 2026 Winter Olympic Games are now in full swing in Milan-Cortina, Italy, and our very own Cam Smith is in the thick of it as he prepares for his Olympic debut in the new Olympic sport of ski mountaineering (skimo) racing competing in the sprint race on Thursday, February 19 and the mixed gender relay on Saturday, February 21.
What is skimo racing? It is a variety of things but in its Olympic form, it’s two things. First, there is the sprint race where skiers turn themselves inside out climbing uphill on skis with skins, then sling their skis on their backs for a boot pack climb before clicking in and skiing down to the finish line. While it would appear it’s all about having the strongest engine, spots can be won and lost in the transitions from skiing uphill to hiking uphill and then from hiking to skiing downhill. For those of us here in the Gunnison Valley, think the Al Johnson Race, but without the costumes.
Then there’s the mixed gender relay event where teams of two from each country, one man and one woman, will trade off laps, two each, through a course that includes switchbacks, boot packs and a high-speed descent through gates with banked turns. There really is no comparison here.
While Smith’s ascent in the skimo ranks started long ago, it gained a feverish pitch when the Olympic committee decided to include it in the 2026 Winter Games, and it came to a head in December when Cam Smith and his teammate Anna Gibson won a World Cup skimo race in the mixed gender relay that also served as an Olympic qualifier between the U.S. and Canada.
While qualifying for the Olympics was the goal, there was still more World Cup racing to do prior to the Olympic Games and in the past month, Smith has been racing in Europe with a couple of standout results.
“The highlights were finishing sixth in a vertical race in Andorra which showed my fitness is there,” says Smith. “Then finishing seventh in the final World Cup mixed relay with Anna. That was the big test since it was the last race before the Olympics, so every nation raced their Olympic teams.”
Smith landed in Cortina, Italy on February 3 and while he missed the performance part of the opening ceremonies, Smith still had his initial Olympic moment marching out with the team.
“We were in one of the satellite locations, so I missed the big musical and artistic performances,” says Smith. “But it was super cool to have time to connect with our U.S. teammates from other sports while waiting to march. We were with men’s alpine, big air, freestyle, snowboard cross and halfpipe and all the athletes we met were super nice and excited that skimo was joining the program. It’s already made watching other events that much more fun because now I have a horse in the race when I recognize those athletes.”
Rather than sit and wait until the skimo events later in the schedule, the U.S. skimo team is now off-site at a training camp in the Italian mountain town Ponte di Legno to put the finishing touches on race prep and Smith is feeling good going into it all showing no wear from the last month of racing.
“It’s separate from any Olympic venues so we can just focus on ourselves without extra noise,” says Smith. “I have no complaints and would say I’m 100%.”
Once the rubber hits the road, or rather skis hit the snow, on Thursday and Saturday Smith expects he and his teammate Anna may just surprise some people in the race Saturday.
“Since Anna and I were seventh in the final World Cup mixed relay, people are probably counting us out for a medal and calling our season opening win a flash in the pan,” says Smith. “We know that when we have our best race we can compete with anybody. Now we’re underdogs again which is right where we want to be. We’re dangerous and motivated.”
Whatever the end result in his sprint race and their mixed gender relay race, the overall Olympic moment remains on his mind.
“I definitely had a wild moment at the Opening Ceremonies realizing I was in a room full of Olympians and fan-boying at all the athletes,” says Smith. “Then I realized I was literally one of them! It’s super special. I’m really looking forward to representing CB, Western and a loving, inclusive part of our country.”
The sprint races are on Thursday, February 19 with the qualifier heats beginning at 2:30 a.m. our time, the semifinals at 5:25 a.m. and the finals at 6:15 a.m. The mixed gender relay race on Saturday, February 21 is at 5:30 a.m. our time. Check Peacock, NBCOlympics.com and/or the USA Network for coverage.
The Crested Butte Nordic Center is also hosting a live watch party of the mixed team relay event, upstairs at the Nordic Center Warming House on the 21st. Doors will open around 5 a.m.
