Big news for free riders today as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed in Lausanne that freeride skiing and snowboarding will be included in the programme of the Alpes 2030 Olympic Winter Games.
Both skiers and snowboarders will compete with the freeride French mountain location to be confirmed closer to the Games.
Qualifying details are yet to be announced but it will be defined and led by the FIS Freeride Working Group, and is expected to be communicated around December 2026 prior to the Freeride World Tour.
The long-established Freeride World Tour competitions and rankings will form the central pathway to qualification. Expect four events, with 44 athletes, 22 men and 22 women, to compete at the Games for the first time in 2030.
“Olympic inclusion opens a new chapter for freeriders. Competing at the Games will let athletes showcase their skills on the highest stage in sport, represent their nations, and inspire new audiences worldwide,” says the Freeride World Tour.
The Freeride World Tour currently has over 10,000 licensed riders worldwide and 300 competitions across four continents.
It’s great news for Australian and Kiwi athletes who already dominate the Freeride World Tour podium. Australia’s Michaela Davis-Meehan has won multiple podiums over her years of Freeride World Tour competition and currently ranks fourth in the world in snowboard and New Zealand’s Ben Richards is the current FWT ski men leader, sitting first in the rankings.
No doubt the French freeride boarders will also welcome the announcement. Four of the top five snowboard men on the current rankings hail from France and two of the top five women. An exciting time to represent your country on home Olympics soil.
*Feature image Freeride World Tour Verbier 2025
