DistantNews
Support us
Nordic Combined axed from Olympics; athletes decry 'betrayal'
🇩🇪 Germany /Sports

Nordic Combined axed from Olympics; athletes decry 'betrayal'

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has removed Nordic Combined from the Winter Olympics program starting in 2030, sparking strong criticism from athletes and sports officials.
  • Athletes like Nathalie Armbruster and Lukas Klapfer expressed feelings of betrayal and disappointment, with Klapfer symbolically discarding his medals.
  • The IOC cited a lack of spectator interest as the reason for the removal, opting instead to introduce Freeride skiing/snowboarding and Synchronized Skating.

The International Olympic Committee's decision to remove Nordic Combined from the Winter Olympics program, effective from the 2030 Games, has ignited fierce backlash from the sports community. After over a century as an Olympic discipline, the event, which combines ski jumping and cross-country skiing, will no longer be featured, a move decried by many as a betrayal of Olympic values.

That the IOC is trampling on the performance of our sport in recent years, the history of our sport, and at the same time betraying its own Olympic and sporting values.

— Nathalie ArmbrusterA former overall World Cup winner, criticizing the IOC's decision to remove Nordic Combined from the Olympics.

Nathalie Armbruster, a former overall World Cup winner who had long advocated for the inclusion of women in the sport, voiced her strong disapproval. "That the IOC is trampling on the performance of our sport in recent years, the history of our sport, and at the same time betraying its own Olympic and sporting values," the 20-year-old stated. Austrian winter sports athlete Lukas Klapfer dramatically threw his Olympic medals into the trash, saying, "This is what the IOC does to young talents. It throws their dreams in the trash."

This is what the IOC does to young talents. It throws their dreams in the trash.

— Lukas KlapferAn Austrian winter sports athlete, expressing his disappointment by symbolically discarding his Olympic medals.

Horst Hüttel, the sports director for the German Ski Association (DSV), called the decision "devastating." The IOC presented only two options for Nordic Combined: either include women for the first time or remove the discipline entirely. The committee chose the latter, citing insufficient spectator appeal as the primary reason for excluding the sport from the 2030 French Alps Games. New events set to debut in 2030 include Freeride (ski and snowboard) and Synchronized Figure Skating.

It's devastating.

— Horst HüttelThe sports director for the German Ski Association, commenting on the IOC's decision.

"We are looking into the unknown," said FIS athlete spokesperson Rydzek, who resigned in March, emphasizing the far-reaching and disorienting impact of the decision. Head coach and multiple gold medalist Eric Frenzel echoed the sentiment, expressing deep disappointment. "I myself had the dream of becoming an Olympic champion. I was lucky enough to fulfill it," Frenzel said. "But now, very, very many athletes probably won't have that. It's enormously a shame that they are deprived of this chance."

We are looking into the unknown.

— RydzekFIS athlete spokesperson, describing the uncertainty faced by athletes after the removal of Nordic Combined.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog