Milan-Cortina, Italy – Just over a week before the opening ceremonies of the 2026 Winter Olympics, the stark gender imbalance within one of the Games’ oldest sports is drawing sharp criticism. Nordic combined, a discipline pairing cross-country skiing and ski jumping, remains the only winter Olympic sport that does not include a women’s event.
While the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has championed gender equality, with the 2024 Paris Games achieving a 50/50 split in male and female competitors and Milan-Cortina projected at 47% female participation, Nordic combined stands as a conspicuous outlier. This exclusion is particularly poignant for athletes like Annika Malacinski, a rising star in the sport currently ranked 10th in the world, who will be forced to watch as her brother, Niklas, competes for Team USA.
“It’s 2026 and this is just blatant,” Annika Malacinski told CNN Sports. “It’s so unequal. It’s sexist. It’s not right and I tend to be a person who stands up when things aren’t right.”
The situation is further complicated by the precarious state of the men’s competition itself. Participation numbers have been dwindling, with only 36 athletes slated to compete in Milan, down from 55 in Beijing in 2022. The IOC is reportedly considering removing Nordic combined from future Olympic programs altogether, with a decision expected in June.
Ironically, the inclusion of women may be key to the sport’s survival. A women’s World Cup was established by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) in 2020, and the field has grown rapidly, now boasting over 200 competitors. Unlike the men’s side, which has historically been dominated by Germany, Austria, and Finland, the women’s competition features greater diversity, with athletes from seven different countries currently ranked in the top 10.
Annika Malacinski emphasizes the need for mutual support, rather than division. “I get so upset when people comment on my posts saying, ‘Let’s boycott the men,’ because it’s the complete opposite,” she said. “We need people to be talking about Nordic combined and to be watching it. That’s what my activism is: It’s shedding light on how cool and badass this sport is. We need to support each other.”
The Malacinski siblings’ story highlights the complexities of the situation. Niklas, who initially pursued Nordic combined after being inspired by American Olympians Johnny Spillane and Todd Lodwick, faced a recent slump in his performance that threatened his Olympic qualification. He had moved to Finland at age 13 to train, and quickly demonstrated talent, even beating competitors more than a decade older at a local event.
While Niklas focused solely on Nordic combined, Annika initially pursued a career as a gymnast. She transitioned to Nordic combined at age 16, discovering a similar aptitude for the sport’s dual demands of ski jumping and cross-country skiing. Both siblings achieved national titles – Annika in 2023 and Niklas in 2024 – but Niklas’s ranking dropped to 38th in the fall, jeopardizing his Olympic dreams.
Niklas credits his sister’s continued success and unwavering advocacy for helping him regain his focus. “I did a lot of soul searching, like, ‘Why do I desire to do this?’ and it had always been just to be the best,” he said. “But now, I really want to be a face of the sport for the next generation. I want to keep the legacy of Nordic combined going.” He subsequently improved his results, securing one of the two Olympic spots for the American team, alongside Ben Loomis.
Annika, despite being the second-highest ranked American woman and a five-time podium finisher, will not be joining them in Milan. Her efforts are now directed towards raising awareness about the sport and advocating for its inclusion for women in future Olympic Games. She has been leveraging social media to amplify her message, but expressed concern that her voice may not be reaching the decision-makers within the IOC.
“I don’t even know if the IOC knows my name or what I do,” she said. “Sometimes, it feels like you’re doing all of this work for nothing, but at the same time, there’s an entire generation that deserves more, so that they don’t have to question if their dreams matter.”
