Female athletes excluded from participation in demanding double-discipline events at Milano-Cortina
The sport has been a part of the Olympics since the first Winter Games in 1924. It’s a combination of the two main Nordic events: cross-country skiing and ski jumping. Athletes jump from massive hills and earn points for distance and style, then race cross-country to the finish line.
Eero Hirvonen wins bronze in the Nordic combined at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, securing Finland’s first medal of the Games. The medal was decided on the final climb in Val di Fiemme. Suvi Minkkinen finished 12th in the women’s 15km biathlon after two penalties.
Despite calls from athletes, the International Olympic Committee continues to exclude women from Nordic combined. For Annika Malacinski, that exclusion is especially difficult. Her brother, Niklas, will compete in Milan Cortina in a sport that has been in the Olympics since 1924.
The 2026 Winter Olympics has been called the most equal Games in terms of gender parity. But there’s still one sport excluding women: Nordic combined.
Austrian Johannes Lamparter and brother duos Jens and Einaar Luraas Oftebro of Norway and Thomas and Stefan Rettenegger of Austria headline Nordic combined podium contenders at Milan Cortina 2026.
Nordic combined, one of the oldest Winter Olympic sports, is facing an uncertain future. It may not survive beyond the Milan Cortina Winter Games. The sport is unique because it is the only Olympic event that does not allow women to compete.
Nordic combined in the Olympics isn’t as simple as a debate over the inclusion of a gender. The sport could be cut from the program all together.
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