At the end of a widespread press conference, the International Olympic Committee made a surprising unilateral decision that didn’t shock many. Everyone knows that IOC president Kirsty Coventry makes radical changes. But several organization heads found her latest announcement so disappointing that they hit out at her.

One of them was Jean Gracia, the president of the French Athletics Federation. With France set to host the 2030 Winter Olympics, organizers were expecting crossover sports to be included. Yet the IOC’s decision turned that on its head, and Gracia believes they’re living in the past.

“We’re not living in the past, the Games are evolving,” Gracia said, as per RMC Sport. “For a president who comes from South Africa, a continent that doesn’t participate in the Winter Olympics, it’s a shame that the next Games won’t be more inclusive by introducing trail running.”

Unfortunately for Coventry and the IOC, he wasn’t the only one. Rudy Cara, the chief of staff on the Haute-Saone Departmental Council, was also rather unhappy with the decision.

“It’s nonsense, and above all, this decision misses the point entirely,” Cara said. “It would be a shame if internal conflicts were to undermine the interests of the planet and the health benefits of sport.”

The French federation has long been preparing to include crossover sports, as fans wanted an adjustment to the Winter Olympics. Thus, given climate change and other factors, the IOC was considering adding the change from 2030 onward.

Head of the 2030 Games, Edgar Grospiron, floated the idea of including disciplines with no snow or ice in the Olympics. That included Cyclo-Cross, a short-lap off-road cycling discipline that takes place over mud, sand, barriers, snow, and even forced dismounts.

The other sport, as Gracia said earlier, was trail running, which would once again take place across similar terrain as cyclo-cross. That, combined with the fact that the 2030 Olympics will take place in France, made it a genuine possibility for crossover sports.

Many also felt confident that crossover sports would gain acceptance as the Milano Cortina Olympics were a success. Yet while Coventry and the IOC have dismissed the idea for now, they haven’t completely closed the door. 

“So, for 2030, we have made the decision. No crossover sports, no summer sports,” Coventry said in the press conference. “But the Olympic program in phase two of their work will look at all avenues, and yes, that would then potentially lend itself to 2034.”

That comes despite World Athletics president Sebastian Coe throwing his support behind Grospiron’s idea earlier this year.

Sebastian Coe is a fan of crossover sports at Winter Olympics

The Winter Olympics will officially go to France in four years, but internal issues led to resignations and an open conflict between Edgar Grospiron and Cyril Linette, hurting the process. Many wondered whether the French Athletics Federation could host the 2030 Winter Games.

Yet, things have somewhat smoothed out in the months since the 2026 Olympics, with Grospiron taking full control. That’s even if the IOC’s latest decision has seen several of his proposed additions blocked by it. The Olympic gold medalist had proposed introducing several crossover sports at the 2030 Games, with Sebastian Coe even backing it.

The president of World Athletics believed at the time that Kirsty Coventry was open to it as well.

“I think it’s come at the right moment, because Kirsty is certainly prepared to think differently about the programme, and what could go out of the stadium, and that mix between winter and summer,” Coe said, as per Give Me Sport in February 2026.

“I’ve always wanted to see cross-country back for all sorts of reasons. Some are emotional. But it also gives Africa a proper presence in the winter Games, which, if we are being honest, it doesn’t really have. And sharing the same course in 2030 with cyclo-cross is really where our thinking is going. We’ve already had good conversations.”

For now, though, Kirsty Coventry and the IOC appear determined to stick closely to the traditional Winter Olympic model despite the growing push for modernization. Whether that stance will last beyond 2030 remains unclear, with pressure for crossover sports still mounting.