IOC declines Nordic Combined Women

Today, the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced the programme for the next Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina 2026. 

The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) submitted several applications for the upcoming Games, which were discussed at the Executive Board meeting. One application was Women’s Nordic Combined with a Normal Hill Individual competition, which was declined by the Executive Board members.

The first application for the inclusion of Women’s Nordic Combined in the Olympics was already submitted for Beijing 2022 and was declined in 2018. Since that decision, FIS and the National Ski Associations have worked tirelessly to establish the discipline.

In addition to their integration into the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships and the introduction of a Women’s World Cup, the athletes were also started at the Youth Olympic Winter Games in Lausanne 2020 for the first time and crowned their first female Olympic champion.

After this clear development, the decision not to include Women’s Nordic Combined is both surprising and disappointing. FIS considered the discipline a strong candidate given that it would have brought full gender equality to the Olympic Winter Games programme and would have also added another World Cup tour for the venue legacy of the Ski Jumping hills and Cross-Country courses.

The reason given was a lack of nations, as well as missing interest outside of Europe. 
Meanwhile, the Nordic Combined men’s participation in Milano Cortina 2026 was confirmed.

FIS will stand behind the development of Nordic Combined and is confident that one of the oldest and most dynamic and demanding sports on the Winter Olympic programme will continue to capture the hearts and imaginations and inspire the future generations.