Olympics
Despite the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games in Italy still being months away, alpine skiing fans are already frustrated over the lack of transparency when purchasing tickets. These frustrations were outlined in a letter written by Alpine skiing fans and posted on Instagram by the Mikaela Shiffrin Fan Club. The letter stated that they were unable to access certain ticket types and that the official sales website lacked information on purchasing tickets, and was signed off as “United Fans of Alpine Ski Racing.”
The Olympics breaks down tickets into A, B, C, and D categories. ‘A’ category tickets, which are the most expensive, provide spectators with premium seating closest to the action. ‘B’ category tickets bring the second-best seating, followed by the ‘C’ and ‘D’ categories.
Despite there being four categories of tickets, many alpine skiing fans were unable to find tickets in the A and B categories. This was the main point of the letter written by the fans, which stated that for women’s alpine skiing, A and B category tickets were never made available to begin with. The United Fans of Alpine Ski Racing claimed these higher category tickets were supposed be available during a ticket pre-sale, but the official Olympics ticket sales website did not offer any information on the availability of tickets.
“The lack of transparency has left us deeply frustrated and heartbroken. Alpine skiing has always been a sport rooted in accessibility and community. It’s devastating to feel that the very fans who give this sport its spirit and energy are being shut out,” the United Fans of Alpine Ski Racing wrote.
In the past, alpine ski racing at the Olympics has drawn impressive crowds. Fans typically pack the bleacher seating placed at the bottom of the mountain, making the race even more exciting. The Olympics have not listed the official capacity for the alpine skiing venue yet, but it will likely be packed come race time.
As more fans want to experience the Olympics as a spectators, the Olympics will need to adjust to be able to meet the demand for tickets. This could mean larger venues in the future, as well as more standing-room tickets. At the end of the day, the fans want to experience the joy and thrill of watching the Olympics in person, and if alpine skiing wants to continue to attract its most passionate fans on the biggest stage, adjustments will need to be made to ensure alpine skiing can be enjoyed by its biggest fans.
