Nordic Combined-FIS president vows to fight for sport, but half-full stadium could be a bad omen

TESERO, Italy, Feb 11 - The head of world skiing's governing body on Wednesday vowed to fight for Nordic combined's place in future Olympics and emphasised the importance of including women as part of his strategy to expand the sport's reach.

FIS President Johan Eliasch attended the first Nordic combined event of these Games on Wednesday, calling it a personal highlight as he continues to champion the sport amid fears it could be dropped altogether after warnings from the International Olympic Committee over waning interest.

Nordic combined, which brings together ski jumping and cross-country skiing, has faced growing scrutiny in recent years. Women were excluded from the Beijing Winter Games in 2022 and were again left off the programme at Milano Cortina, a situation Eliasch has said must change if the discipline is to secure its long-term future.

"For the last five years, since I was elected, we have been working very very hard at improving the marketing, to improve the reach of the sport," he told Reuters on the sidelines of the men's normal hill Nordic combined race in Tesero, Italy.

"Fan engagement has gone up 250% since the 2024/2025 season," he said, adding that more nations are participating in these Games compared to Beijing. He pointed to choices such as changing the format of the sport to make it more attractive but added it was not up to the FIS to make a final decision about its inclusion in the Olympics.

"This is a decision by the IOC. I think it’s clear here to everyone that this is the kind of successful sport, it’s a great format," he said.

Even so, the stands at the Tesero Cross-Country Ski Stadium in Val di Fiemme were roughly half as full for Wednesday's Nordic combined event as they were for other cross-country ski competitions at the Olympics so far. IOC President Kirsty Coventry watched the competition alongside Eliasch.

"Hopefully they thought the competition was fun to watch, and also a lot of nations fighting for the medals," said Norway's Jens Luraas Oftebro, who took gold in the first Nordic combined event of the Games.

Eliasch also vowed to fight for a future for Nordic combined that includes women, whose athletes have long protested their exclusion. It is the only discipline at the Winter Olympics without a women’s competition.

"Keep going, we’re fighting for you, and we will do everything possible in our power to make sure that this discipline stays on the calendar for the long term, in perpetuity," he said.

"There is no scenario possible where women will not be in Nordic combined." REUTERS