The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has dropped Nordic Combined from the 2030 Winter Games. The sport, which combines ski jumping and cross-country skiing, had been part of every Winter Olympics since 1924. The IOC said the discipline ranked last in nearly all popularity indicators over the past four Games and was concentrated in too few nations – only five countries won medals in that period.
The IOC had only two options: include women for the first time or remove the sport entirely. Women never had an Olympic starting right in Nordic Combined in 102 years. Dropping the event will allow the 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps to achieve full gender parity for the first time, with 1,525 female and 1,521 male athletes planned.
New events added instead are freeride skiing and snowboarding, as well as synchronized figure skating. The German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) regrets the decision. DOSB Thomas Weikert said he shares the athletes’ disappointment, who had worked toward their Olympic dream for years. At the same time, he acknowledged that the IOC must adapt the program to changing conditions.
Source: www.zeit.de
