Winter Olympics Could Soon Arrive Sooner—But What’s Driving the Race Against Time?

You know, the Winter Games have always had that classic February vibe—that’s when the snow’s crisp, the air’s biting, and the excitement is at its peak. But now? The International Olympic Committee is juggling a wild new idea: what if the Games kicked off in January instead, pushing the Paralympics to February? Climate shifts, with those creeping warmer temps, are throwing a wrench in the traditional schedule. It’s a move packed with complications—from tangled World Cup calendars to stepping on the toes of NFL and NBA action—but also brimming with potential to keep winter sports alive and kicking amid melting snows. The folks at the IOC, under Kirsty Coventry’s fresh leadership, are seriously mulling over this shakeup as they look to future editions in Milan-Cortina and beyond. Curious about how this might change the winter sports landscape? LEARN MORE

MILAN (AP) — Staging future Winter Games as early as January and the Paralympic Winter Games in February is a possibility because of the effects of warmer temperatures, the International Olympic Committee said Wednesday.

Every Winter Games medal was won in February since the 1964 Innsbruck Olympics opened Jan. 29, and moving to January would likely disrupt scheduling of storied World Cup races and events. It also would more directly clash with NFL and NBA schedules.

The IOC is now reviewing Olympic Games issues in the first year of Kirsty Coventry’s presidency and changing the winter edition dates is an option.

“Maybe we are also discussing to bring the Winter Olympics a little bit earlier,” the IOC member overseeing the sports program review, Karl Stoss, told reporters. “To do it in January because it has an implication for the Paralympics as well.”

The Milan Cortina Paralympic Winter Games will be held March 6-15.

The IOC has long acknowledged under Coventry’s predecessor Thomas Bach that changing climate is a challenge for finding future hosts and organizing competitions.

“(March) is very late because the sun is strong enough to melt the snow,” said Stoss, whose home country Austria is a traditional power in Alpine skiing and ski jumping.

“Maybe the Paralympics will be in February and the other edition will be in January. That would also be a part of our discussion,” he said on the sidelines of the IOC’s eve-of-Olympics meeting in Milan.

The 100-plus IOC members should meet again in June to make decisions about the Olympic reviews, in a program called “Fit For The Future,” and whether to add new sports and events to the 2030 French Alps Winter Games.

The French Alps edition is currently expected to run Feb. 1-17 and the 2034 Utah Winter Games from Feb. 10–26.

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics