Nordic combined has a storied Olympic history, but its future looks uncertain.
Since its debut at the 1924 Winter Games, the sport has challenged athletes’ courage and stamina through ski jumping and cross-country skiing.
However, in just a year, it could be removed from the Olympic roster.
“That’s a big concern — or a big issue — that we talk about,” said Joergen Graabak, a four-time Olympic champion from Norway, in an interview with The Associated Press.
Nordic combined is set to conclude its competition at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics on February 19, 2026, and this may mark its final appearance on the world stage.
The International Olympic Committee will make the decision in June, when it announces which events will be included in the 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps.
The sport could be dropped, at least in part, due to ongoing discussions about its gender disparities, especially in an era where women’s sports are gaining momentum globally.
Nordic combined is the only Winter Olympic sport that excludes one gender, allowing men to compete for gold while women are left on the sidelines. The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) intends to apply for women’s Nordic combined to be added to the Olympic program, but not until the summer of 2026.
The IOC proudly claims that the 2026 Winter Games will be the most gender-balanced yet, with women making up 47% of the athletes.
While the governing body could opt to offer women the chance to compete for Olympic gold in Nordic combined, it could also choose to remove the sport from the program in five years.
The FIS, national governing bodies, athletes, coaches, and advocates are doing everything they can to preserve the sport at the Olympic level. They’ve increased the number of participating skiers and worked to enhance its visibility, with initiatives like the docuseries The Overlooked and a stronger presence on social media.
The French ski federation may also play a crucial role in the sport’s future.
Although the governing body in France won’t be making the final decisions, it is collaborating with the FIS to actively advocate for women in Nordic combined to have the opportunity to compete for Olympic gold in 2030, both publicly and privately.
“Women’s Nordic combined is gradually growing worldwide, and it makes perfect sense for women to be included in the Olympic program,” said Pierre Mignerey, technical director of the French Ski Federation, in an interview with the AP. “But we are not the ones making the decisions.”
Jarl Magnus Riiber, a five-time overall World Cup champion and currently ranked No. 1, hopes the IOC takes into account how removing the sport could negatively impact other disciplines as well.
“Eliminating Nordic combined would harm ski jumping and cross-country skiing too,” said the 27-year-old Norwegian, who plans to retire at the end of the season due to a digestive condition. “This is crucial for the stability of our system.”
“It might seem like an easy fix for them, but in the long run, it’s best to keep Nordic combined in the Winter Games.”
Just three years ago, Nordic combined barely managed to retain its status as an Olympic sport.
The IOC’s executive board expressed regret over the lack of strong international representation outside of Europe. In the last three Winter Games, only four countries earned a share of the 27 available medals, and the sport had the smallest audience among all Olympic events during that period.
Since then, the FIS has provided the IOC with progress updates every six months and held annual meetings.
Meanwhile, women who take daring jumps from heights equivalent to a 40-story building, soaring the length of an American football field before racing on cross-country skis, have played their part in keeping the Olympic dream alive.
There are now 46 women with World Cup points heading into the world championships, which begin Thursday in Norway. This is a significant increase from just 30 women in the debut season four years ago.
Skiers from Germany, Japan, and Norway currently lead the World Cup standings, with eight countries represented among the top 12.
The United States, whose Nordic combined program was saved last fall after losing funding, now has two women ranked in the top 15: Alexa Brabec and Annika Malacinski.
Brabec secured a fourth-place finish in Austria earlier this month, marking the best result by an American woman since Tara Geraghty-Moats won the first World Cup event for women in 2020.
Unfortunately, Geraghty-Moats left the sport to chase her Olympic dreams in biathlon.
At just 20 years old, Brabec remains hopeful that she will get the chance to jump and ski for Olympic gold in France in five years.
“It would be a real shame to keep us out,” she told the AP. “I’ve heard the French are really eager to have us there. It’s exciting and encouraging to know there are people who believe in the women in our sport.”
