Eighteen countries will compete at the upcoming European Ski Mountaineering Championships in Azerbaijan, organisers have confirmed, İdman.Biz reports.
According to the Azerbaijan Winter Sports Federation, athletes from Azerbaijan, Turkey, Italy, Switzerland, Slovenia, Germany, Russia, Spain, Austria, Norway, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Greece, Andorra and Sweden are set to contest the medals. Competitors competing under neutral status (AIN) will also take part.
The championship will be staged at the Shahdag Mountain Resort, one of the country’s leading winter tourism centres. “Eighteen nations will battle for victory. Everything is ready to welcome our guests and deliver the event at the highest level,” the national federation said in a statement.
The tournament, scheduled for 4–8 March, represents a significant milestone for Azerbaijan’s winter sports development. Hosting a continental championship is expected to highlight the country’s growing infrastructure and organisational ambitions in cold-weather disciplines.
Ski mountaineering is set to make its Olympic debut at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games, adding further weight to the European championships in Shahdag as nations fine-tune preparations for the sport’s first appearance on the Olympic stage.
