Rapid runs and heavy snowfall - Skimo's Olympic debut

Rapid runs & heavy snowfall - Skimo's Olympic debut By Jess Anderson BBC Sport journalist Published 4 hours ago 40 Comments Rapid uphill sprinting with skis on, lung-busting runs up steps with boots on and a downhill ski race to the finish line. The new Winter Olympic sport of ski mountaineering - or skimo for short - made its highly anticipated debut on Thursday in blizzard conditions in Bormio. Switzerland's Marianne Fatton added Olympic gold to her world title in the women's sprint event and France's Emily Harrop, who could have competed for Team GB , took silver. "It's a magical day. It's history for our sport, and for us as athletes, and it's wonderful," said Fatton. "It was so emotional. I was like, 'did I really do it?' It was amazing, and I was totally exhausted after the race." Spain's Oriol Cardona Coll took top spot in the men's sprint, the nation's first gold medal at a Winter Olympics in 54 years with their previous one won by Alpine skier Francisco Fernandez Ochoa at Sapporo in 1972. Silver in the men's event went to Russian athlete Nikita Filippov, who was competing under the neutral banner. Despite the relentless snowfall, fans poured in and lined the course to cheer on the athletes at the nearly sold-out event with much intrigue surrounding the sport's inaugural Olympic appearance. Spectators who had braved the conditions were treated to a thrilling competition as athletes pushed themselves to the limit to hike to the top of the hill then ski back down. The first new sport added to the Winter Olympics since snowboarding in 1998, skimo is rooted in the 19th Century, before lifts to take skiers up mountains had been invented. So, how does it all work? The sprint events consist of both an ascent and descent, with athletes sprinting uphill with skins on their skis to provide traction, navigating a diamond-shaped obstacle on their way up to a stairway in the mountain. They then remove the skis, placing them in their backpack, and continue climbing on foo...