Nordic Combined at Milano Cortina 2026

The Original Olympic Multi-Sport Event Is Fighting for Its Future

Nordic combined — the marriage of ski jumping and cross-country skiing — has been on the Olympic program since the very first Winter Games in Chamonix in 1924. No sport has a longer continuous Winter Olympic history. And yet, nordic combined enters Milano Cortina 2026 under an existential cloud: the IOC has signaled that this may be the last Games to include the discipline unless it adds a women’s event and broadens its global appeal. That tension makes every competition in 2026 feel significant beyond the medals.

For 2026, however, there is progress. Milano Cortina will feature a women’s nordic combined event for the first time in Olympic history, a landmark addition that advocates have fought for over decades. The program includes three medal events: men’s individual normal hill, men’s individual large hill, and the new women’s individual normal hill. The team event has been removed from the program.

How It Works

Nordic combined is a two-part competition held on the same day. Athletes first compete in ski jumping, where distance and style points establish a time-based starting order for the cross-country race. The leader after jumping starts the cross-country portion first, with other athletes starting at time intervals corresponding to their jumping deficit. This means the first person across the finish line wins — you don’t need a calculator. It’s called the Gundersen method, and it makes for compelling television.

The ski jumping portion uses the same hills as the dedicated jumping events. The cross-country leg is typically a 10 km race (men) or a shorter distance for the women’s debut event. Athletes must excel at both disciplines — a great jumper who can’t ski will build a lead and watch it evaporate; a great skier who jumps poorly may have too much ground to make up.

The Athletes to Watch

Jarl Magnus Riiber of Norway has been the most dominant nordic combined athlete of the current era, winning multiple World Cup overall titles and world championship golds. His combination of world-class jumping and strong skiing makes him the clear favorite on both hills.

Germany’s Vinzenz Geiger, the defending Olympic individual normal hill champion, is a tactical racer who excels at managing his cross-country effort to protect a jumping lead. Johannes Rydzek and Julian Schmid provide Germany with typically deep squad strength.

Japan’s Akito Watabe, a two-time Olympic silver medalist, continues to compete at a high level and will be racing in front of a sport that has a passionate following in Japan.

The U.S. nordic combined program has been modest in recent cycles, but the introduction of the women’s event creates new opportunities. Tara Geraghty-Moats, who has competed in both biathlon and nordic combined, is a pioneer for the American women’s program.

The Women’s Event: Historic Significance

The debut of women’s nordic combined at Milano Cortina 2026 is one of the most significant gender-equity milestones in recent Olympic history. Athletes like Germany’s Jenny Nowak and Norway’s Gyda Westvold Hansen have been dominant in World Cup competition, and their performances in Cortina will help determine whether the event earns a permanent place on the program. If you want to witness a genuine Olympic first, circle this event on your calendar.

Watching Strategy

The jumping phase establishes the narrative: who has the lead, and how big is it? Then the cross-country phase delivers the drama. Watch for the chase pack in the cross-country leg — when strong skiers start working together to reel in the leader, the dynamic shifts rapidly. The final kilometer is often where the race is decided, with positioning and kick timing determining the sprint finish.

Athletes to Watch

Jarl Magnus Riiber (NOR, Individual Normal Hill / Individual Large Hill) — The most dominant nordic combined athlete of this generation has won five consecutive World Cup overall titles and enters Milano Cortina as the clear gold-medal favorite in both individual events.

Vinzenz Geiger (GER, Individual Normal Hill) — The defending Olympic normal hill champion is a savvy competitor who maximizes his jumping advantage with tactically intelligent cross-country racing.

Gyda Westvold Hansen (NOR, Women’s Individual Normal Hill) — The Norwegian has been the most consistent performer in women’s World Cup nordic combined and is the frontrunner to win the historic first-ever women’s Olympic gold in the discipline.

Akito Watabe (JPN, Individual Normal Hill / Individual Large Hill) — The two-time Olympic silver medalist and veteran of four previous Games brings unmatched experience and remains competitive at the highest level of the sport.

Tara Geraghty-Moats (USA, Women’s Individual Normal Hill) — A versatile multi-sport athlete who has competed internationally in both biathlon and nordic combined, Geraghty-Moats represents the pioneering spirit of the U.S. women’s program.

Venue Spotlight

Nordic combined events at Milano Cortina 2026 utilize the ski jumping hills at Predazzo in Val di Fiemme for the jumping phase and the adjacent cross-country courses at the Tesero stadium for the skiing leg. The Val di Fiemme complex has hosted multiple Nordic World Ski Championships and is one of the most established Nordic venues in the world. The proximity of the jumping and cross-country facilities allows for seamless transitions between the two phases of competition.