Female Nordic combined athletes plan protest over Olympic exclusion: 'It's so messed up'

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Female athletes competing in the Nordic combined event have planned a protest against their exclusion from the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

The sport, which combines ski jumping and cross-country skiing, will not have a women’s competition at the Winter Olympics next month. It will be one of the few events that will not have female participants.

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Annika Malacinski competes during the women individual compact NH/5km of the FIS World Cup Nordic Combined on Feb. 1, 2025, in Seefeld, Austria. (Franz Kirchmayr/SEPA.Media/Getty Images)

American athlete Annika Malacinski told Reuters that she and her competitors will hold up an "X" with their poles before they begin a race in Seefeld, Austria, to symbolize "no exception."

"It's so messed up that the women are excluded, because we checked off everything that the IOC wanted to see, but at the end of the day, what hurts is that the IOC doesn't see the quality of adding women. We can't go another cycle without full equality in the Olympics," she told the outlet.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) told Reuters it recognized the issues the sport faces in terms of popularity for both men and women, including general popularity and the lack of competitiveness.

"The IOC will continue to support the International Ski Federation (FIS) in the development and promotion of Nordic Combined," the IOC said. "For this reason, the discipline will undergo a full evaluation following the Olympic Winter Games Milan Cortina 2026.

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