Historic Podium Finish Amidst Olympic Exclusion
In a groundbreaking moment for American women's Nordic combined, Alexa Brabec of the U.S. (L) and Tara Geraghty-Moats of the U.S. (R) stood together on the podium with Norway's Ida Marie Hagen (C) after a Feb. 1 event of the FIS Nordic Combined World Cup in Seefeld, Austria. This marked an unprecedented achievement, being the first time two American women secured top honors at a World Cup event for the discipline. The image, captured by Barbara Gindl/APA/AFP via Getty Images, symbolized a significant stride for the sport.
Despite these notable advancements on the global stage, a stark reality persists for female Nordic combined athletes. Annika Malacinski, a U.S. Nordic combined skier ranked 10th worldwide, will attend the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy, not as a competitor, but as a spectator. Women are currently barred from competing in the sport at the Olympic Games, a disparity Malacinski highlighted to NPR. She stated, "We] work just as hard, sacrifice just as much," adding, "The only thing that is stopping me from being at the Olympic Village right now is because I'm a female."
Nordic combined, a challenging fusion of ski jumping and cross-country skiing, tests athletes in two distinct aerial and endurance disciplines. Competitors first execute ski jumps, with scores based on distance and style determining their starting position for a subsequent 10 kilometer (6.2 miles) cross-country ski race. As Tara Geraghty-Moats aptly describes it, "I kind of like to compare Nordic combined to making the NASA space shuttle," emphasizing the high-level skills required in both sports to excel.
The Fight for Gender Equality in Nordic Combined
Originating as one of the inaugural Winter Olympic disciplines in 1924, Nordic combined stands as the sole Olympic sport that continues to exclude women. This exclusion persists even as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) promotes what it calls "the most gender-balanced Olympic Winter Games in history." Malacinski observed this historical imbalance, noting, "For over 100 years it's been available to men," while "just the past decade, it's started to be available for women… the one thing that is missing is the Olympics."
While women's Nordic combined gained inclusion in the World Cup circuit in 2020, the world championships program in 2021, and the Youth Winter Olympic Games since 2020, the IOC has repeatedly denied its entry into the senior Olympic Games for both 2022 and 2026. The Committee cited low viewership and insufficient participation across countries as reasons for its decision. This exclusion severely limits the potential for elite female athletes to advance their careers and secure financial backing.
The absence from the Olympics has tangible economic consequences for athletes. Geraghty-Moats recounted an experience from 2020, when she was a top athlete: "If your sport was in the Olympics, we could make you one million dollars today, but unfortunately the marketability of your sport without being in the Olympics is not there." This financial barrier underscores the critical need for Olympic recognition to elevate the sport's profile and provide equitable opportunities.
An Uncertain Future for a Developing Sport
The future of Nordic combined, for both men and women, now faces an existential threat. The IOC announced a comprehensive evaluation post-2026 Olympics to make a "decision on the inclusion of Nordic Combined for men and women" in 2030, potentially removing the discipline entirely. The Committee has already reduced male quota spots from 55 at the last Winter Olympics to 36 this year. Malacinski poignantly stated, "The problem is not [just about] adding women anymore," but "It's about saving the sport."
The decision to exclude women from the 2026 Games deeply impacted athletes like Malacinski, who described crying "eight hours straight on that airplane" upon hearing the news, calling it "by far the worst day of my entire life." She publicly shared her "raw reaction of what it felt like to get your dreams taken away from you" on social media, becoming a prominent advocate for women's inclusion in Olympic Nordic combined.
Lasse Ottesen, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) race director for Nordic combined, strongly defends the sport, labeling it "the most sustainable discipline in the Olympics." He notes that it utilizes existing ski jumping and cross-country skiing venues and equipment, requiring no additional infrastructure. Ottesen acknowledges it as "a young discipline" for women but highlights "tremendous development" in World Cup Series and World Championships in recent years.
Despite the IOC's concerns, the sport is gaining traction beyond its traditional Nordic strongholds, showing success in Italy, Japan, and the U.S., which earned its first Olympic medals in 2010. FIS reports from 2023 and 2024 indicate approximately 200 women from two dozen countries are registered to compete. Furthermore, a Nielsen Sports survey revealed a 25% increase in viewership for women's Nordic combined during the FIS World Cup 2024-2025 season, challenging the IOC's claims of low audience numbers.
The IOC, however, maintains that Nordic combined had "by far the lowest audience numbers" at the last three Winter Olympics, with 27 medals distributed among only four countries. An IOC spokesperson communicated to NPR that the sport's Olympic future hinges on increased athlete and country participation, alongside greater popularity across "broadcast, digital, general public interest and press." Ottesen acknowledges the current period as a crucial test, emphasizing, "[The] Olympics is still the biggest window we have."
Public support for women's inclusion is growing, with tens of thousands signing an online petition and U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper of Colorado sending a letter to the IOC. They asserted, "Women's Nordic Combined deserves a place in the Olympics, and expanding that opportunity for these athletes is the right choice over eliminating tradition," offering collaboration to achieve this goal. Ottesen anticipates an all-or-nothing decision from the Committee, stating, "To be honest, we're not preparing for an option without Nordic combined in the Olympics," as its removal would crush the dreams of younger generations aiming for 2030 or 2034.
Athletes are not just fighting for their niche sport but for the broader principle of gender equity in the Olympics. Malacinski passionately declared, "I am advocating so the next generation doesn't have to wonder if their dreams matter, because at the end of the day, they do," adding, "If you work hard and the man has the opportunity, so should the woman." This sentiment is echoed by male counterparts, including cross-country skier Zak Ketterson, who expressed empathy for women pouring their lives into the sport without Olympic recognition. Ketterson criticized the IOC's spending priorities, stating, "The fact that they can't set aside a little bit of money to include women's Nordic combined makes no sense to me." Malacinski's brother, Niklas Malacinski, also shared a childhood memory of a podium picture with his sister, expressing hope that they might "experience the podium picture again in 2030" given the incredible progression in women's Nordic combined.
