Since the first Winter Olympics in 1924, the IOC has quietly pruned events that fail to attract audiences or achieve global participation. The 2026 Milan-Cortina Games won't feature five sports that once made the program, offering a window into how governing bodies balance tradition against commercial reality.
Bandy, a hockey-soccer hybrid played with curved sticks and a ball, appeared only at the 1952 Oslo Games. Ski ballet, essentially figure skating on skis with choreographed jumps to music, ran as a demonstration event in 1988 and 1992 before being cut for low appeal. Equestrian skijoring, where skiers were pulled by galloping horses, showed up once in 1928. Sled dog racing, with six-dog teams hitting 30 km/h over 40km courses, ran in Lake Placid in 1932. Military patrol, the four-person biathlon precursor requiring military uniforms, debuted in 1924 but never gained traction.
The pattern mirrors broader Olympic pruning. Baseball and softball were dropped in 2012. Curling disappeared from 1932 to 1988 before returning. The IOC prioritizes audience metrics and participation spread across nations.
For 2026, the committee added eight events (including women's doubles luge and mixed team skeleton) while cutting Alpine skiing's team event. Nordic combined survived despite recording the lowest viewership of any Winter Olympic sport from 2014-2022, with medals going to just four nations. The men-only event lacks a women's category due to poor universality (one world championship drew only 10 nations).
The real test: whether broadcasting and streaming platforms will continue paying premium rights fees for events that pull minimal viewers. Nordic combined officials acknowledge their sport's status is "very concerning." Low-audience events risk sponsor pullouts in an era where digital rights deals are dissected by viewership data.
History suggests events that can't prove both appeal and global reach eventually disappear, regardless of tradition. The question isn't whether the IOC will keep cutting, but which current events are next.