Ski Jumping-Westvold Hansen swaps Nordic combined for ski jumping to reach Olympics

Norwegian world champion in Nordic combined, Gyda Westvold Hansen, has switched to ski jumping in pursuit of a place at the upcoming Olympics.

Nordic combined remains the only Winter Olympic discipline closed to women, despite the sport now featuring a World Cup circuit and World Championships, where Westvold Hansen has claimed five golds across the last three editions with two of them in the recent edition in March.

At the upcoming Milano-Cortina Olympics in February, only men will compete in the sport that brings together ski jumping and cross-country, with Westvold Hansen having previously protested the International Olympic Committee's decision not to include a women's event.

"I'm taking the only chance I have to get to the Olympics this winter, and that is to focus on ski jumping," she told Norwegian media.

"The Olympics mean a lot. It's the biggest thing for every athlete. It's something I haven't taken part in before, but it has been a major motivation for me for many years."

The 23-year-old will now aim for a spot on Norway's women's ski jumping team, which has been part of the Olympic programme since 2014.