Episode details

World Service,17 Feb 2026,19 mins
Emily Harrop: Skimo's top racer aims for Olympic history
More than the ScoreAvailable for over a year
Emily Harrop is the dominant force in the sport of ski mountaineering, or skimo – an intense, demanding discipline that combines cross-country and alpine skiing. The French racer has won the sport's overall and sprint World Cup titles for the past four seasons, and as skimo joins the Olympic programme at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, Harrop is the hot favourite to become its first gold medalist. Raised in the French Alps by two English parents, Emily Harrop began her sporting life as an alpine skier, but took up skimo aged 20. Eight years later, she's preparing for the race of her life, while also dealing with the pressures that come with her sport receiving more attention than it ever has before. Earlier this year, Emily Harrop talked to the BBC's Ed Harry about her journey through sport, her approach to skimo training, the role that the French military has played in developing her as an athlete, and what it's like growing up with British parents in France - as well as what she's drawn from both cultures. Harrop also explains why she hopes ski mountaineering will show audiences a new way of looking at the mountains Every Monday to Friday, More than the Score tells stories beyond the scoreline from all over the world of sport. From the Winter Olympics to the Super Bowl, the Australian Open to the Diamond League, and netball to Formula 1. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes like speed skating legend Arianna Fontana, snowboarding icon Scotty James, and Albania's teen skiing star Lara Colturi, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from the choreographers who design figure skating routines to the people who prepare the field for the Super Bowl. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels. And if you've got your own take on the stories we cover, we'd love to hear from you. Email morethanthescore@bbc.co.uk, or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. You can find more information, along with our privacy notice, on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore
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