Tokyo, Jul 20 (IANS): The 138th IOC session unanimously approved on Tuesday the inclusion of ski mountaineering in the programme of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina, Italy.

The inclusion was proposed by the IOC Executive Board (EB) at its meeting in June.

Ski mountaineering at Milan-Cortina will consist of five new medal events: two men's events (sprint/individual), two women's events (sprint/individual) and one mixed-gender relay event, reports Xinhua.

An athlete quota of 48, with 24 each for men and women, falls within the overall quota framework of 2,900.

In its decision in June, the IOC EB highlighted some key features of ski mountaineering that supported its potential inclusion on the Milan-Cortina programme, including the same five ski mountaineering events contributing to the success of the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne, and ski mountaineering's deep historical and sporting roots across the Alpine regions, particularly in Italy.

The IOC said that a full event programme and athlete quotas will be determined at the IOC EB meeting in June 2022.