Winter Olympics: Nordic Combined Skiing Controversy
By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw
Nordic combined skiing, which features cross-country skiing and ski jumping, is the only Olympic event in which women have not been able to compete, even though there are women's World Cup and World Championship events.
This all-male event has been a feature of the Winter Olympics, since their first edition in Chamonix in 1924,
Over the years, several campaigns to change this situation have not borne any fruit, notwithstanding the latest formal proposal to include the event in this year’s Winter Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has stated that it is not about women but about the sport as a whole, citing low participation across different countries, as well as a lack of viewers.
This year, 36 skiers are taking part in the event, which is down from 55 at the Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022.
The IOC has also stated:
“Milan-Cortina is the most gender-equal Winter Games with 47% of the participants being women, whilst 50 out of the 116 events are for females.”
And has added:
"Going forward, we will take data points in order to evaluate these disciplines with respective events for French Alps 2030. If Nordic combined stays, women will be part of it."
Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw may be contacted by e-mail at ‘
