One of the Winter Olympics’ oldest sports is facing steady decline. Its savior could be finally allowing women to compete
One of the Winter Olympics’ oldest sports is facing steady decline. Its savior could be finally allowing women to compete
For fans of Winter Olympic heritage, few events capture the spirit of endurance and precision like Nordic Combined. Known as the "King's discipline," this grueling pairing of ski jumping and cross-country skiing has been a cornerstone of the Winter Games since the very first event in Chamonix in 1924. Yet, despite its century-long legacy, this venerable sport is now teetering on the edge of Olympic exclusion. The crisis is not about athleticism; it is about equality.
Nordic Combined is currently the only sport in the entire Winter Olympic program—men's or women's—that still does not feature female participation. This glaring omission has put the sport on life support. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has made gender equity a non-negotiable principle for future Games. The message is clear: evolve or vanish.
The solution, however, is already underway. A generation of world-class female athletes has proven their readiness on the World Cup circuit. Their inclusion is not just a moral obligation; it is the critical strategic move needed to secure the sport’s future, ensuring its place at the highly anticipated Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Games and beyond.
The clock is ticking, and the question remains: Can a sport steeped in tradition pivot quickly enough to embrace change and save its Olympic status?
The Steep Decline of a Heritage Sport
The modern Olympic landscape demands two core components: universality (global participation) and gender parity. Nordic Combined is currently struggling profoundly with both. While strong in traditional powerhouses like Norway and Germany, the global reach of the sport remains narrow, focusing primarily on a few specific European nations and Japan.
This lack of diversity has been compounded by years of stagnation in its format and, crucially, its failure to integrate female competitors. The consequence has been declining viewership figures and a skeptical IOC.
My own experience covering the Winter Games highlights the issue clearly. At the 2018 PyeongChang Games, while events like Mixed Team Aerials and Women’s Ski Jumping were buzzing with new energy and fresh narratives, the Nordic Combined venue often felt quieter, dominated by long-time enthusiasts, not the broad, youthful audience the Olympics desperately seeks.
The financial pressure is immense. Broadcast rights and sponsorship deals are increasingly tied to diverse athletic representation. When the International Ski Federation (FIS) submitted its proposals for the 2026 Games, the lack of women’s Nordic Combined was met with serious resistance.
The IOC’s stance is resolute:
- Every existing sport must actively pursue gender balance.
- New events must prioritize youth engagement and diversity.
- Sports showing limited global appeal or internal stagnation are at risk of being culled to make room for dynamic alternatives.
Nordic Combined is not merely competing against other ski disciplines; it is competing against newer, more broadly accessible sports that meet the modern Olympic mandate for equity. Maintaining its spot requires a complete paradigm shift, starting immediately with full female inclusion.
The Women Who Waited: A Generation on the Sidelines
The narrative that women were somehow physically unable to handle the double demands of ski jumping and cross-country skiing has been completely dismantled by the athletes themselves. For years, women trained alongside their male counterparts, often participating in unofficial events, waiting for a formal competition structure that simply did not exist.
In the early 2020s, the momentum became undeniable. The FIS finally established the Women’s Nordic Combined World Cup circuit. Athletes who had been training for decades finally had a platform to showcase their incredible skill and stamina. This was not a slow ramp-up; the competition level immediately proved fierce.
Athletes like Gyda Westvold Hansen of Norway and Tara Geraghty-Moats of the United States quickly established themselves as international stars. They demonstrated that the competitive depth and thrilling tactical battles that define the men’s event translated perfectly to the women's field.
The competitive formats have been standardized:
- Athletes complete a ski jump (usually normal hill).
- Their jump scores determine their start time in the cross-country pursuit race (usually 5 kilometers).
- The first athlete across the finish line wins.
This simple, engaging format is perfectly suited for television, offering exciting lead changes and high-stakes drama. The quality of competition in the new women’s circuit has been outstanding, providing the necessary evidence the IOC needs: the sport is ready, and the talent pool is deep enough to ensure compelling Olympic competition.
The fight, however, hasn't been easy. Many promising female athletes retired before the World Cup was established, having grown tired of waiting for the Olympic dream to become a reality. Allowing women into the Games now is not just recognizing current champions, but honoring the long struggle of those who paved the way.
Equity and Survival: The Milano-Cortina 2026 Mandate
The fate of Nordic Combined rests squarely on the decisions made regarding the 2026 Milano-Cortina Games. While the men's events are currently protected due to the sport’s historic position, a failure to include women could be catastrophic, leading to the entire discipline being retired from the Olympic schedule post-2026.
The IOC is committed to achieving full gender parity across all sports. When a sport like Nordic Combined, with its low number of participating nations, fails to meet the equity target, it becomes an immediate target for removal.
Including women addresses multiple strategic failures simultaneously:
1. Doubling the Talent Pool
By including women, the sport instantly doubles its overall athlete base, making it a more attractive proposition for long-term sustainability and providing a better return on investment for host countries building Nordic venues.
2. Expanding Global Interest
The excitement generated by new women’s champions attracts new fan demographics and media coverage, especially in regions looking for fresh athletic heroes. This directly addresses the IOC’s demand for increased universality.
3. Securing Future Generations
Crucially, the visibility of female Olympic competitors inspires young girls globally to take up the sport. Without Olympic role models, the grassroots development of Nordic Combined fades, locking the sport into a slow, terminal decline.
The Women’s World Cup circuit provides the blueprint. It proves the competitive viability and popular appeal of the discipline when women are given equal opportunity. This is not about adding a token event; it’s about embracing a new era of competitive excellence that aligns with modern sports values.
The proponents of change are optimistic. They recognize that the traditionalist opposition is fading, replaced by the pragmatic need for survival. For a sport that defined the original Winter Games, the path to longevity is clear: inclusion is the only way forward. Allowing women to finally compete at the Olympics transforms Nordic Combined from an aging relic into a dynamic, future-proof discipline ready for its next century.
The official announcement confirming the inclusion of women’s Nordic Combined at Milano-Cortina 2026 would be the sound of a century of tradition meeting modern necessity, ensuring that one of the Winter Olympics’ oldest events survives to see another generation of champions.
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