The landscape of winter sports reveals a striking anomaly when examining Olympic competitions. While the International Olympic Committee has made significant strides toward gender equality across most disciplines, one event stands out for its complete exclusion of female athletes. This discipline combines two demanding Nordic skiing techniques into a single competition, yet remains closed to women at the highest level of international sport.
The sport combining ski jumping and cross-country skiing
Nordic combined represents a unique test of athletic versatility, requiring competitors to excel in both ski jumping and cross-country skiing. The event has featured at every Winter Olympics since the inaugural Games held in Chamonix back in 1924. Despite its century-long presence on the Olympic program, this discipline has maintained an exclusively male participation policy throughout its entire Olympic history.
The format demands exceptional physical conditioning and technical mastery across two very different skill sets. Athletes must first complete the ski jumping portion, where they launch themselves from towering ramps, before transitioning to an endurance-focused cross-country race. This combination creates a compelling spectacle that tests both explosive power and sustained cardiovascular capacity. Professional female athletes have demonstrated their capabilities in both World Cup circuits and World Championship events for years, yet Olympic participation remains beyond their reach.
The participation numbers for the men’s competition at the Milan-Cortina Games highlight concerning trends. Only 36 male athletes competed in Italy, representing a significant decline from the 55 participants at the Beijing Olympics held four years earlier. This downward trajectory in competitor numbers raises questions about the overall viability and appeal of the discipline at the elite level.
Athletes fighting for recognition and equality
Annika Malacinski, a 24-year-old American competitor, embodies the frustration felt by female athletes across the Nordic combined community. While her younger brother Niklas competed at the 2026 Winter Games, she watched from the sidelines despite possessing the necessary skills and dedication. Her situation illustrates the arbitrary nature of gender-based exclusions in modern Olympic sports.
In November, Malacinski shared her experience through social media, articulating how her Olympic aspirations were denied not through any lack of ability or commitment, but solely because of her gender. For years, she and her teammates have engaged in advocacy efforts, staging protests and making formal appeals to Olympic decision-makers and governing bodies. Their persistence demonstrates the depth of commitment these athletes maintain toward achieving equal representation.
The campaign reached a significant milestone in 2022 when a formal proposal sought to include women’s Nordic combined at the Milan-Cortina Games. This marked the second such attempt, following a similar unsuccessful petition before Beijing. The repeated rejections have created a pattern of disappointment for female athletes who train with the same intensity and dedication as their male counterparts. Despite these setbacks, the women continue advocating for their inclusion, refusing to accept the status quo as permanent.
| Olympic Games | Male participants | Female participants | Proposal status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beijing 2022 | 55 | 0 | Rejected |
| Milan-Cortina 2026 | 36 | 0 | Rejected |
| French Alps 2030 | TBD | Potential inclusion | Under evaluation |
Olympic Committee perspectives and justifications
The International Olympic Committee has articulated specific reasoning behind their decision to maintain the current structure. IOC spokesman Mark Adams emphasized that the discussion extends beyond gender considerations to encompass broader concerns about the discipline itself. According to official statements, the event faces challenges related to limited global participation and insufficient viewership numbers.
Officials point to the concentration of competitors from a relatively small number of nations, suggesting the sport lacks the universal appeal necessary for Olympic inclusion. The IOC contends that meaningful gender balance has been achieved across the Milan-Cortina Games overall, with women comprising 47% of total participants and competing in 50 of 116 events. These statistics support their argument that the Winter Olympics have reached near-parity in gender representation.
However, another IOC spokesperson indicated potential movement on this issue. The organization plans to collect comprehensive data points for evaluating Nordic combined disciplines when considering the program for the French Alps 2030 Games. Significantly, they stated that if Nordic combined remains on the Olympic schedule, women will be included in future editions. This conditional commitment suggests that the sport’s overall viability may determine whether female athletes finally receive their opportunity.
Looking ahead to potential changes
The path forward presents several possible scenarios. The Olympic Committee faces a critical decision regarding whether to eliminate Nordic combined entirely or modernize it by including female competitors. Given declining male participation rates and the persistent advocacy from female athletes, maintaining the current exclusionary approach appears increasingly untenable from both ethical and practical standpoints.
Key factors that will influence future decisions include :
- Expanding participation rates across more countries and continents
- Increasing television viewership and digital engagement metrics
- Demonstrating sustained competitive depth in women’s World Cup events
- Building stronger advocacy coalitions among athletes and national federations
The French Alps 2030 Games represent the next opportunity for transformation. Athletes like Malacinski continue their advocacy work, knowing that their efforts may benefit the next generation even if they themselves age out of elite competition. The broader conversation about gender equity in Olympic sports continues evolving, with Nordic combined representing one final frontier in achieving comprehensive inclusion across all winter disciplines. Whether decision-makers will act on their conditional promises remains uncertain, but the pressure for change continues mounting from multiple directions.