Female athletes excluded from participation in demanding double-discipline events at Milano-Cortina

US Nordic combined athlete Annika Malacinski has issued an Instagram following the IOC's decision to ban women from Winter Olympics sport.

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.

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.

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.

The Winter Olympics bring sports we barely see outside of these few weeks. Many of them look exciting. Some of them look like a bad idea for normal people. A lot of these events mix speed, ice, height,