Expansion nationally, internationally top skimo president’s year-end message
Summit Daily
Hugh Carey/Summit Daily
Expansion into Asia and the Americas highlighted the message heading into the new year from International Ski Mountaineering president Armando Mariotta of Italy.
“Many other challenging steps are waiting for us,” he said.
Reflecting on 2017 for the sport of ski mountaineering worldwide, Mariottta focused on the inclusion of ski mountaineering at the 2020 Youth Olympic Winter Games in Lausane, Switzerland, and the first skimo World Cup event organized in China, hosted last month, as breakthroughs for the sport.
“And the organization of a youth camp in China confirmed the growing interest for ski mountaineering in Asia,” Mariotta said.
Mariotta also made a focal point out of the creation in 2017 of the ISMF’s sustainability commission and the creation of ski mountaineering federations in Armenia, Brazil and Denmark, increasing the number of skimo federations worldwide to 34 members.
The federation’s president also predicted 2018 will be a year of growth among young skimo athletes worldwide as qualifications to the 2020 Youth Winter Olympic Games will be competed for this year at continental championships in North America, Europe and Asia.
“Since only 24 girls and 24 boys will be admitted into the Youth Olympics,” Mariotta said, “I hope this provides strong motivation for coaches, federations and athletes to make history as this will be our first Olympic adventure. I wish this will pave the way to the future Olympic games, something we have been working hard for.”
