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IOC Removes Nordic Combined From 2030 Winter Olympic Programme

Citing weak audience figures and limited international reach, the IOC left a conditional route for the sport to return if it meets specific popularity and breadth targets.

Overview

  • The IOC Executive voted on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, to drop Nordic Combined from the 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps, ending an uninterrupted Olympic presence that began in 1924.
  • The committee based its decision on internal studies that placed the discipline at the bottom of most popularity measures across the 2014–2026 Games and on a narrow set of competitive nations.
  • Top athletes and German bodies including the DOSB and DSV expressed shock and warned the move could cut state funding, reduce sponsor interest and weaken youth participation pathways.
  • The IOC kept the Parallel-Riesenslalom on the 2030 programme and added Freeride and Synchro9, while the FIS has said World Cups and World Championships for Nordic Combined will continue in the short term.
  • IOC President Kirsty Coventry said a conditional return—for example in 2034—is possible if the sport improves measurable metrics, leaving federations to weigh immediate financial and development risks.