Anna Gibson and Cam Smith hold Team USA’s best chance of qualifying for the Winter Olympics Ski Mountaineering (SkiMo) competition that will be held in Bormio, Italy in late February 2026. This rapidly growing form of technical skiing debuts for the first time in the Olympics, and will consist of three events: men’s sprint, women’s sprint, and the mixed gender relay. Currently, no U.S. athlete has qualified for the event. But on December 6, 2025, Team USA will have one final chance at the final World Cup Ski Mountaineering race in Solitude, Utah to send athletes to the Olympics.
While the process of qualifying for the Olympics in ski mountaineering is rather complicated, Team USA is tied for points with Canada and must beat their team in the mixed gender relay to make the Olympics. Team USA’s chance to participate in the inaugural ski mountaineering competition in the Olympics rests with its talented mixed gender team, Gibson and Smith.
What is SkiMo?
Ski mountaineering (a.k.a. SkiMo) is a specific type of skiing that involves using specialized skis, boots and other gear to ascend steep snowy terrain quickly, then also transition into downhill skiing. It’s a blend of fitness, technique and ability to manage challenging mountain environments.
While it might not seem like this extreme form of skiing has much crossover with trail running, many athletes are finding benefits from practicing both sports (read about David Sinclair, record-setting trail runner who competes in international ski mountaineering competitions during winter months here). An increasing number of trail runners are using ski mountaineering to improve aerobic endurance, leg-power, strength and prevent injury. Similarly, many skiers are using trail running as a form of “dry-land training” to become more fit and strong skiers. Compared to other forms of skiing, the uphill nature of ski mountaineering and reliance on aerobic endurance lends itself more naturally to trail runners.
Gibson and Smith race towards the Olympics
On December 6, 2025, Gibson and Smith, two accomplished athletes who have represented the U.S. in trail running and competed internationally against the best ski mountaineering athletes in the world, will race together in the mixed gender relay at the final World Cup Ski Mountaineering event of the season in Solitude, Utah. The pair has “home court” advantage on the Utah snow and one goal: finish in front of Canada and become Olympians.
Gibson and Smith share their pre-race thoughts below. The team speaks on their background in both trail running and winter sports, expectations for race day, and Olympic aspirations.
ANNA GIBSON: Multisport National Champion and Team Player at Heart
Anna at the World Championships in Canfranc 2023.
[TAYTE POLLMANN] You were the U.S. Champion in 2025 at the Vertical and Mountain Running Championships. While many reading this article may know you from your incredible trail running achievements, what do you consider as your main focus, SkiMo or trail running? How do you balance your focus between these two sports and does it shift from year to year or season to season?
[ANNA GIBSON] Thanks! Running has definitely been my main focus, and it will continue to be. It’s definitely my true love when it comes to competition. That said, I have been riding my bike and skiing as big components of my training for my whole life, and especially in the last few years, so the shift towards competing in skimo doesn’t feel like an entirely new undertaking. Even though I haven’t been competitive with it before, it just feels like a new combination and application of a bunch of skills I am very familiar with and use often.
It sounds cliche, but my main focus at any given moment is really on whatever is in front of me at the moment. So this week, ahead of the Solitude World Cup, I feel all in on SkiMo. In the grand scheme of things, this will all be balanced out by periods of time when I am all in on other goals (especially with running).
[TAYTE] What is your background with winter sports? How do you think growing up in Wyoming at the base of some of the most iconic mountains in the US, and within an exceptional athletic community, helped turn you into the athlete you are now?
[ANNA] I grew up alpine ski racing, from about 7 years old until I was 13. I realized by that age that I was more aerobically inclined than I was into the adrenaline side of ski racing, so I switched over to competing in Nordic and did that through high school. That culminated in me winning a national title in the 10k classic. Then I went to college for running and stopped racing skiing for a while.
Growing up in Jackson played a huge role in turning me into the athlete and person I am now. Living in other places, I have come to see that the average person in this town is extremely fit and enthusiastic about outdoor adventures. Even as a pro, most of my training partners are friends of mine who are just passionate about being outside, and they really challenge me. I think that’s a bit of a unique arrangement and I am really grateful for it. I also am constantly surrounded by high level athletes from other sports, because this community is full of talented climbers, skiers, cyclists, etc. I draw a lot of inspiration from these people, and I have my whole life.
Anna sporting her SkiMo gear.
[TAYTE] What crossover is there from trail running and ski mountaineering? How does one help you be stronger at the other?
[ANNA] I have yet to see the full effect of the crossover, since this is my first season racing skimo… But I think the biggest benefit to crossing over between endurance sports in general is that your body and mind get a refresh, while you’re still physically putting in comparable work. Mixing things up helps me stay fresh and excited about training.
[TAYTE] I’ve heard from other athletes on the US SkiMo Team that this race at Solitude is the only chance for the US Team to make the Olympics. For someone that doesn’t know much about skimo, how would you explain simply what you and Cam need to do to make the Olympics (placement, strategy, etc.)?
[ANNA] Yes this is true! Crazy… but the only thing we need to do is to beat Canada! It sounds incredibly simple, but it’s just because of the way the rankings from last World Cup season worked out. We are essentially tied with Canada and this race is the tie breaker.
[TAYTE] With trail running being a largely solo sport, what is it like competing on a relay team? Do you have similar team/relay experiences from other sports?
[ANNA] Part of what made me finally commit to racing skimo this winter is that I love the team atmosphere of relays, and the thought of diving into that environment again made me really excited. In the professional running world, especially trail, there aren’t a lot of opportunities to be on a “team” in the regular sense of the word. I certainly have a lot of people that I consider “teammates” because of close friendships, support we lend each other, shared sponsors, etc… But to truly compete with someone, and live and die by each others’ performance is another level. I am REALLY looking forward to doing that with Cam and I wholly trust that he is going to show up at the best version of himself on Saturday, because that’s just the kind of athlete and human he is.
[TAYTE] From what I understand about ski mountaineering, there are a variety of distances and styles? What will the race be like at Solitude? How do you feel about this style and how it suits your strengths or challenges you?
[ANNA] The race is a mixed relay, which is a “sprint” race in SkiMo. It will be my first time ever tackling this discipline, so I am certain to learn a lot. Yet to be seen if I think it’s my bread and butter or not… But I think it is going to be awesome for where I am at with the sport and my fitness right now. It amounts to roughly 30 minutes of total effort, broken into three chunks (a qualifying round time trial, and then two legs each of the relay).
[TAYTE] What is it like seeing SkiMo join the Olympics for the first time? As a trail runner, does it also make you wonder how trail running might be introduced to the Olympics in the coming years?
[ANNA] I am super stoked that SkiMo has been added to the Olympics, and I genuinely think that fans (and people who have never seen it before) are going to love watching it on TV. It’s both incredibly impressive and slightly ridiculous to watch and I think people will eat it up! I really hope trail running gets added down the road, and I think it would be especially cool to get to be a part of not ONE but TWO sports during their inaugural years. That’s just a pipe dream at the moment, but we will see where things go!
[TAYTE] What are your main goals for the 2026 racing season (SkiMo or trail running)?
[ANNA] This question is hard right now! I am so excited about the potential SkiMo season ahead that I haven’t gotten much past that in terms of what I’ll be racing…Stay tuned!
CAM SMITH: 11-Time US SkiMo Champion and European Cheesewinner
Cam racing in Europe.
[TAYTE POLLMANN] Growing up in Illinois, you had little opportunity to practice winter sports growing up until you attended college in Colorado in 2014 and were introduced to ski mountaineering. What were your keys to picking up winter sports so quickly?
[CAM SMITH] I was sort of placed in the perfect situation. Skiing and playing in the mountains was just a part of daily life at Western. We could go to class in the morning, then hop on the free bus and ski Crested Butte all afternoon. I spent a lot of time exploring the ski resort chasing my friends around who were much better than me, and it felt natural quickly.
[TAYTE] Do you consider yourself a ski mountaineer or trail runner first?
[CAM] I enjoy whichever sport I’m doing. They’re both just ways to move in the mountains, only different in how they adapt to the seasons. That being said—if I could press a button and have 10 to 12 months of winter every year, I would push that button.
[TAYTE] You’ve had many incredible performances from ski mountaineering in the U.S. and Europe. You were also the first American athlete to place in the top ten at a World Cup ski event. What are some differences between racing here versus overseas?
[CAM] The density of competition is much higher. When you make a mistake or excel in one section of a course in the U.S., you might not have any change in placement. In Europe if you lose 5 seconds with a mistake you’re getting passed by 5 people.
Cam on the SkiMo podium.
[TAYTE] What’s your most memorable ski mountaineering race?
[CAM] The 2022 Pierra Menta with my friend Tom Goth. It’s a 4-day stage race in my favorite mountains, and was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. You’re racing all out for so long, with a teammate, tons of fans and competition, in a beautiful place, then you go back to the hotel to eat as much as possible and swap stories with the other racers before doing it all over the next day. We also won 10kg of amazing local cheese to bring home.
[TAYTE] What does it mean that the last race of the season is on U.S. soil?
[CAM] It’s great to have everyone travel to us for the first time! I love the excitement of having our highest pressure race in the place that’s easiest for our friends and family to access. All those factors combine to make this a thrilling weekend. It’s been a huge lift to put this race on and now seeing all the other teams arrive and it all starting to take shape is a testament to the organizers.
[TAYTE] What is your team strategy with Anna going into the race? Can you explain a little more about the U.S. versus Canada rivalry and what we’ll need to do to win?
[CAM] We’ve been super close with Canada throughout the qualification period. They’ve had the same male female relay team throughout the key races, while we’ve had a lot of turnover looking for the right combo. Their strength is in their top athlete’s consistency, and particularly Emma Cook-Clarke‘s amazing breakout performances. Our strength is our depth, we have a lot of strong athletes we could put into the World Cup but only one team counts. So after Anna and I were the fastest at our internal team trials, we’re putting our best against their best and seeing who comes out on top! Anna vs. Emma is an unknown. Emma is an amazing athlete and no one should expect to compete with her in their first World Cup. Though Anna is so talented and savvy across all the sports she does that I would never doubt her.
It’s truly a head to head/winner take all matchup. Whichever team beats the other will earn automatic entry to the Olympics.
[TAYTE] What’s your take on the format of SkiMo in the Olympics? What do you like and what do you hope to see evolve in future editions of the event?
[CAM] The sprint and relay are very different from the roots of the sport. I hope in the future we can showcase individual race courses that are truly in the mountains and show what SkiMo is to a global audience. This could be as soon as 2030. Initially I was disappointed to learn sprint and relay would be the Olympic disciplines, but as I’ve trained for and raced this format my attitude has totally shifted. I think the races are SUPER fun, competitive, and exciting to watch. Instead of showcasing our sport in nature, it’s isolating the performance piece and showing what athletes can do. Which is an awesome thing in its own right.
