Annika Malacinski is set to travel to Italy this month to support her younger brother, Niklas, as he makes his Olympic debut in Nordic combined at the Winter Games. While excited for him, the 24-year-old athlete feels a profound disappointment; Annika, a competitor in the same discipline, is unable to compete because women are still excluded from the Olympic version of Nordic combined.
This year’s Milan Cortina Games are heralded as the most gender-balanced Winter Olympics to date, featuring more events for women than ever before and demonstrating a strong commitment to gender equity in sports. However, Nordic combined remains a notable exception, with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) refusing to include women’s events despite years of advocacy and development efforts by female athletes.
With the decision made to exclude women from the Olympic program, many athletes feel sidelined. Annika expressed her frustration, stating, “I work my ass off to be where I am. And yet there’s one group of people telling me I’m not doing it hard enough.” This sentiment reflects the feelings within the Nordic combined community, where women have built a solid foundation in the sport over the last decade, achieving several milestones that officials believed made them eligible for Olympic inclusion.
Post the announcement in June 2022, when the event program for the Milan Cortina Games was finalized, enthusiasm for Olympic participation turned to despair. The IOC’s tight quotas on athlete numbers, coupled with a push for gender balance, has raised concerns not just for women’s participation in Nordic combined, but for the men’s events as well. Officials indicated that there will be no guarantees of its inclusion in future Olympic Games beyond 2026.
As Annika supports her brother in Italy, their mother, Essi Kenttala, will also be there to witness one child’s dreams come to fruition while feeling the weight of a mother’s heartbreak regarding her daughter’s exclusion. “No parent should ever tell your kid that one can do something and one can’t,” Essi remarked.
The rich history of Nordic combined has made it one of the most demanding events in winter sports, blending ski jumping with cross-country skiing. The sport has been a staple since the first Winter Olympics in 1924, but recent years have brought scrutiny over its future. Critics point to the sport’s limited global reach and audience engagement, particularly outside of Europe, which has fueled fears over its ongoing Olympic viability.
The outlook for women’s Nordic combined remains uncertain. Without Olympic recognition, athletes face a challenging road ahead, as funding and support could dwindle, deterring new participants from entering the sport. The strong development in women’s competitions, which gained momentum in recent years, may stall without the widespread visibility and backing that comes with Olympic participation.
Despite this looming uncertainty, both Annika and Niklas Malacinski continue to train diligently and support one another, embodying the spirit of resilience necessary in competitive sports. As Niklas competes in Italy, Annika will cheer him on, representing both a proud moment in their family legacy and a hope for a more inclusive future in Nordic combined. The fight for gender equity in this sport may be ongoing, but the determination of female athletes like Annika is a source of optimism for the future.