Flavia
The Nordic combined event is facing a type of expulsion notice from the International Olympic Committee, which has advised that the event could be removed from the lineup for the 2030 Winter Olympics. This decision is expected to be made in 2026, and the community is rallying in hopes of saving the future.
In recent years, Nordic combined has faced a precarious future after an IOC analysis deemed the sport's health outside of Europe questionable.
The biggest wake-up call for the community occurred in the summer of 2022. The IOC has decided not to include the women's Nordic combined in the 2026 Olympics, saying the future of the men's program is in a “very worrying situation”.
This was the result of several major issues. As an example, women's Nordic combined has never competed in the Olympics and remains the only sport at the Winter Olympics without gender parity. And the IOC was already considering removing the sport from its lineup.
“There has been a move to reduce the number of spots for athletes in individual games and maintain tight quotas. So all sports have basically struggled to maintain the number of spots they have. ” said fifth grader Billy Damon. He is an Olympic-qualified Nordic combined athlete who won the first American gold medal in the sport and was recently inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame.
To determine which sports qualify, we look at the past three Winter Olympics and how the sport performed in areas such as viewership, number of countries on the podium, and diversity. was analyzed.
The Nordic combined event had “by far the lowest attendance” of any event in the past three Winter Olympics, did not rank very well in the ratings, and out of the 27 medals available, only Norway, Austria, Germany and Finland could win. Only players from four countries won the award. .
But Damon said it wasn't a fair decision.
“I think metrics are a short snapshot of time in sports,” he said. “If you look back over the four games, they performed very well in both areas. …But in the next three competitions, the TV airtime was pretty terrible for U.S. viewers. , the United States was in a rebuilding phase and the results were not great.”
As for the women's team, the 2022 decision not to participate in the 2026 Olympics came as a shock, as the women's team has grown its program the right way.
Lawyer Jill Brabec, mother of women's Nordic combined national team player Alexa Brabec and her younger sister Haley, who is in the Nordic combined program, decided to intervene more actively in support of the women's team.
“There were plans in place for the development of women's Nordic combined,” she said, leading to the gradual participation of women's Nordic combined in the Youth Olympic Games, Continental Cup, World Cup and World Championships. They checked each of those boxes and performed beyond expectations, she said.
“Here we were heading towards the 2022 Olympics, and to be honest, I think most people thought there was a good chance that the women's Nordic combined would be allowed to compete in the Olympics. Because I felt like the women's Nordic combined had these metrics and was aligned with them,'' Brabec said.
Mr Demon agreed that their decision was a disappointment.
“I don't think any other sport has come together so much to develop women and create opportunities. But the IOC has not been successful in adding them to the program,” he said. Ta.
In addition to banning the women's team from the 2026 Olympics, the International Olympic Committee has cut the number of spots for men in the Milan-Cortina Games in half, leaving only 36 spots available..
“If you cut the spots in half, you're probably not thinking about the long-term viability of the sport because it doesn't send a very good message to the young people in the sport,” Damon said.
Now, almost two years after the 2026 decision on the 2030 Olympics, the Nordic Union community is stepping up its efforts to secure the future of the Games, Brabec said.
On Tuesday, around 60 people from the sport gathered on Zoom for the Nordic Combined Pathways for Success Kickoff Meeting to discuss strategies to ensure future success. This is largely about increasing the visibility, popularity and engagement of the sport.
“If you have a child who's starting a sport, I want them to have an Olympic dream, whether they stay in the Olympics or become an Olympian,” Brabec said in a Zoom meeting from her home in Steamboat Springs. ” he said. “It's vitally important that we include women in this sport, because if we don't include women in this sport, we're going to face political pressure that the Olympics won't be able to continue with one or the other.”
Parents, coaches and players at the meeting were there because they agreed the sport deserved to continue.
“We believe that what athletes do to become better people is one of the best viable paths for growth,” Damon said. “It makes you a phenomenal skier, but it also changes you. It takes a lot of discipline to do two sports. Trying to train for several things at once can be very efficient. It will be.”
Brabec said the hour-and-a-half meeting resulted in a five-point plan with two main thrusts.
“The two key elements at the moment are the creation of digital content, a significant increase in our social media presence and the marketing element which will focus on opportunities for people to come and see Scandinavia in combination,” she said. Told. “And the second piece, unfortunately, none of it is free… so it's about sponsorship, donations and individual donations. So those are really big boosts.”
Tom Bickner, president of USA Nordic Sports, said during the meeting that funding was a major concern. Brabec said the organization has suffered a significant loss of financial stability due to the coronavirus.
Other goals include increasing viewership, hosting the World Cup in the United States (ideally in Lake Placid), and gaining more support from organizations like U.S. Ski & Snowboard. .
“I think the sport is healthier than it's ever been, especially in the United States. And there's a lot of people coming together around the world to keep it growing,” Damon said.
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