Nordic Combined cut from Olympic Winter Games

Having previously been a permanent fixture at the Winter Olympics, Nordic Combined will not be part of the Alpes 2030 Games.

The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced the decision Tuesday after meeting to decide the program for the next Winter Games. Four years ago, the IOC declined FIS’s application for the inclusion of Women’s Nordic Combined at Milano Cortina 2026 citing a lack of involved nations and interest outside of Europe. It also cast doubt on Nordic Combined’s presence at the 2030 Games, demanding “significant positive development, particularly with regard to participation and audience”.

After that disappointment, FIS redoubled its efforts to have women’s Nordic Combined added to the Olympic program, as well as keep ‘NoCo’ in the Games. Despite clearly demonstrating increased interest at all levels and diversity among its athletes, FIS has been unable to convince the IOC that the discipline should be part of the 2030 Winter Olympics.

“Today's decision by the IOC is extremely disappointing,” admitted Race Director Lasse Ottesen. “I am at a loss for words and struggle to understand the reasoning behind it.

“The dedication and hard work of our female and male athletes, the outstanding commitment of our organizers, and the tremendous support from our National Ski Associations over many years have been nothing short of remarkable, and I fully understand their disappointment today."

FIS President Alexander Ospelt called Nordic Combined "a discipline that has been observing clear and tangible growth and an ever-broader international participation over the last few years thanks to the inclusion of women’s competitions." He admitted, "This is a very hard decision for FIS and for our National Ski Associations."

“Today's decision is deeply disappointing for the entire Nordic Combined community,” added FIS Sport & Event Director Sandra Spitz. “Our athletes have invested years of dedication, hard work and sacrifice in pursuit of Olympic participation, and the Olympic Winter Games have always represented the highest stage for our sport.

“To our athletes, I want to express my sincere gratitude and admiration for your dedication, resilience and passion. We understand the disappointment that many of you will feel today. However, your achievements and commitment extend far beyond a single decision. The countless hours of training, the sacrifices you and your families have made, and the inspiration you provide to future generations remain immensely valuable. Please know that FIS stands alongside you and will continue to support opportunities for Nordic Combined athletes to showcase their talent on the world stage."

How FIS tried to keep Nordic Combined in the Olympics

FIS adopted a multi-pronged approach to attempting to keep Nordic Combined in the Olympic Winter Games program. Over the past three years, it has allocated CHF 750,000 to the Nordic Combined Development Fund to support coaching, education, equipment, athlete camps, and projects to assist smaller nations.

The ‘Nations Supporting Nations’ initiative saw established ski federations help developing programs, for example, Germany with the Netherlands and Switzerland, and Norway with Estonia and the United States, to share coaching and training know-how.

With specific regard to the addition of women to the Games, the FIS World Cup has gone from strength to strength with the first women’s Large Hill competition taking place last year. The women also now receive the same prize money for the overall World Cup and Summer Grand Prix as the men.

Last season, seven nations were represented in the top 10 in the women’s overall standings. And at next year’s Nordic World Ski Championships in Falun (SWE), Nordic Combined will be fully gender-equal for the first time with competitions on both hills and the same number of medal events.

More generally, FIS introduced the Individual Compact format to the World Cup at the start of the 2023/24 season. It also staged the first event on a Ski Flying hill at Kulm (AUT) in February, and the inaugural Mixed Team Sprint in Lahti (FIN) a month later.

These innovations and media campaigns including the launch of ‘The Overlooked’ - a documentary series looking at athletes’ journeys and particularly women’s Nordic Combined - and Viessmann ‘Combine for Change’ focusing on sustainability at Nordic Combined events, have helped swell interest in the sport.

FIS Nordic Combined social media channels achieved a reach in excess of 80 million last season, up 262% from the previous year, and almost double the engagements at 1.8m. The follower base also went up 50% to 112,000. At the Olympic Winter Games, despite none of the three Nordic Combined events taking place in more accessible and popular weekend slots, the FIS social media channels reached 12.1m people, achieved 200,000 interactions, and attracted more than 3,000 new followers.

At foundation levels, the FIS Youth Cup reached record participation numbers in 2026 with around 90 men taking part, almost double the total from 2015. The women’s field has remained consistently strong at about 35 athletes.

The investment via the Nordic Combined Development Fund has paid dividends with eight different nations winning medals at March’s Junior World Championships in Lillehammer (NOR). Ten countries have been represented on the podium since 2020.

Unfortunately, those combined efforts and results have not been enough to secure Nordic Combined’s presence on the Olympic Winter Games Alpes 2030 program.

“The decision will also have important consequences for FIS and our National Ski Associations, which devote significant resources to athlete development, coaching programmes and competition pathways,” said Spitz. “While we respect the outcome of the process, this decision does not diminish the value, heritage and sporting excellence of Nordic Combined. FIS remains fully committed to supporting the discipline and working closely with all stakeholders to create a strong and sustainable future for the sport."

Ottesen concluded, “Despite today's disappointment, I have complete confidence in the future of Nordic Combined. The remarkable progress our sport has made in recent years, combined with the full commitment and support of FIS and our National Ski Associations, gives me every reason to believe that the Nordic Combined community will come back even stronger.

“We now look ahead to the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Falun 2027 and Lahti 2029, as well as exciting World Cup seasons in between. Our journey does not end here; we will continue to grow, continue to fight, and we will be back."

Ospelt added, "Having taken notice of the IOC’s new Olympic program methodology, the path for FIS is clear: we will understand the challenges pointed out by the IOC, will do everything within our power to overcome them, and will work hard to see Nordic Combined back in the Olympic Winter Games in 2034."