U.S. Ski and Snowboard Abandons Proposed Merger with U.S. Biathlon

In March 2026, U.S. Ski and Snowboard formally proposed a strategic alliance with U.S. Biathlon to bring it under the U.S. Ski and Snowboard conglomerate. But after pushback from biathlon athletes and leaders, U.S. Ski and Snowboard has decided to abandon its proposal, and U.S. Biathlon will continue to operate as an independent governing body.

• Related: U.S. Biathlon Considers Merging With U.S. Ski and Snowboard

While the U.S. Biathlon has operated as its own independent governing body since its founding in 1980, it has experienced recent struggles under this model. Not only has it failed to secure an Olympic medal, but its financial situation is becoming increasingly problematic. Because of the sport’s small size, it heavily relies on funding from biathlon’s global governing body, the International Biathlon Union. It also relies on funding from the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, which plans to cut its funding by 22%, according to U.S. Biathlon CEO Jack Gierhart.

The partnership between U.S. Ski and Snowboard and U.S. Biathlon has been in the works for months. The idea was that if U.S.  Biathlon joined forces with the much larger U.S. Ski and Snowboard, the sport and its athletes would experience a revenue boost through its commercial program, which includes corporate partnerships, media integrations, and broadcast campaigns. The plan also details that U.S. Biathlon would retain ownership of its brand assets, social media channels, and intellectual property.

“We believe this agreement would take biathlon to the next level, on and off the snow, with additional sport resources from the grassroots to the elite level, alongside significantly impactful partnership, marketing, communications and administrative support,” U.S. Ski and Snowboard CEO Sophie Goldschmidt said in a statement. “We worked closely with U.S. Biathlon’s board, athletes and stakeholders to build terms that incorporated the above, while protecting biathlon’s identity and independence.”

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Despite U.S. Biathlon officials describing the proposal as necessary, the vast majority of biathlon athletes, coaches, and volunteers opposed it. According to ESPN, a recent survey of biathlon coaches, volunteers, and official members showed that a mere 6.2% were in favor of approving the agreement as currently contemplated.

A portion of the concern stems from a similar situation with Nordic Combined — another dual-discipline sport. In 2007, USA Nordic Sport was founded to support Nordic combined and ski jumping and ensure the survival and success of both sports. To support Nordic combined athletes, USA Nordic Sport formed a similar strategic alliance with its Norwegian counterpart, Norges Hopplandslaget. But in 2024, due to severe budget shortfalls, USA Nordic Combined lost its funding from USA Nordic Sports and was forced to drop the Nordic Combined partnership with Norway.

• Related: Devastating News for U.S. Nordic Combined Athletes as Organization Fails to Secure Sufficient Funding

Biathletes worried their sport would suffer the same fate as USA Nordic Sport if the alliance was approved. They were also concerned with the fact that biathlon would have had to compete with larger, more popular sports like Alpine skiing, and they believed decisions would have come from leadership that does not understand the sport.

“The overwhelming consensus is that everyone is terrified of destroying the long-term future of the organization for possible short-term financial gain,” a group of biathletes wrote ahead of the decision, according to Inside The Games. In response to the pushback from its members, U.S. Biathlon ultimately explained that the board “has decided to pause consideration of the Alliance at this time.”

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For U.S. Ski and Snowboard, the dissolution of the proposal comes as a disappointment. 

“We really feel that we’ve got to a pretty win-win situation with this operating agreement,” Goldschmidt said during a meeting with U.S. Biathlon. “We’re disappointed that the community has not been receptive to much of what has been discussed, and, in our minds, sort of the overall big win that this would have for biathlon.”

According to the Associated Press, Goldschmidt also said in a statement that “inaccurate and harmful misinformation was spread about the alliance’s intent.” According to U.S. Biathlon’s Strategic Alliance Information, the merger would have protected the interests of biathletes and the sport.

“Under the terms being discussed, U.S. Biathlon will retain its authority and responsibilities under the Ted Stevens Act, with the U.S. Biathlon Board continuing as the governing body responsible for governance of the sport of biathlon in the United States,” the Strategic Alliance Information reads. 

Despite the protections laid out in the Strategic Alliance Information, U.S. Ski and Snowboard ultimately abandoned the proposal: “If we can’t go into this with the right collaborative spirit, then we don’t believe this is the best path forward,” Goldschmidt said. “We wish U.S. Biathlon luck in the coming season.”

Merging Olympic organizations is rare, but U.S. Ski and Snowboard seems to have some experience in dealing with the issue. Last year, the organization tried to reel in USA Surfing, but dropped the bid after opposition from members. U.S. Ski and Snowboard is currently in talks with USA Skateboarding, according to ESPN.

With U.S. Ski and Snowboard officially abandoning the proposal, U.S. Biathlon will continue to operate as its own independent governing body for the foreseeable future. While this may appear as a win for U.S. biathletes, the financial concerns surrounding U.S. Biathlon still remain. And whether the organization can survive on its own in the long term is yet to be seen.