The Nordic combined event faces Olympic elimination after a century of testing athletes' courage through ski jumping and cross-country skiing. As the only Winter Games sport without women's participation, its 2026 appearance in Milan-Cortina could mark its final Olympic chapter.
International Olympic Committee officials will decide in June whether to maintain this historic discipline for the 2030 French Alps Games. 'We're fighting for survival,' admits four-time Olympic champion Joergen Graabak. The sport's gender imbalance conflicts directly with the IOC's commitment to achieving 47% female athlete participation by 2026.
'Taking away Nordic combined would destabilize ski jumping and cross-country skiing ecosystems,' warns World Cup champion Jarl Magnus Riiber
Key developments shaping this high-stakes battle:
- Women's World Cup participation surged from 30 to 46 athletes since 2020
- Eight nations now rank in the top 12 competitors globally
- France's ski federation leads lobbying efforts for 2030 gender inclusion
FIS initiatives demonstrate progress through documentary campaigns and expanded social media presence. American skier Alexa Brabec's recent fourth-place World Cup finish highlights growing competitiveness, though the U.S. program nearly collapsed from funding shortages last fall.
With three consecutive Olympics awarding 90% of medals to four European nations, the IOC previously criticized the sport's limited global reach. Recent World Cup standings showing Japanese and German athletes challenging Norwegian dominance suggest improved international parity.
As French officials privately advocate for women's inclusion, athletes like Brabec remain cautiously optimistic: 'The world deserves to see women flying off those jumps too.' The coming months will determine whether this century-old sport evolves with modern equality standards or becomes Olympic history.
