Nordic combined's loyal fans face uneasy wait as the IOC weighs the sport's future

PREDAZZO, Italy — Lauren Wilson arrived at the Nordic combined event Wednesday at the Milan Cortina Olympics looking like a star-spangled sports super fan, decked out in red, white and blue USA hat, scarf, mitts, jacket and purse.

If her love of country was obvious, her enthusiasm for a sport that combines ski jumping with cross-country skiing was yet to be determined: she had just learned about it.

“We’re just trying to experience as much of the Olympics as we can,” Wilson said. “This was the cheapest ticket we could get.”

The sport's newest potential fan illustrates the problem that Nordic combined faces: it’s so obscure that a lack of popularity could spell its demise.

The International Olympic Committee is considering removing it from the program at the next Winter Olympics in 2030 because it draws a limited television audience and has struggled to attract participation from enough countries.

Complicating matters is the fact that women have never been allowed to compete on the Olympic stage despite having participated in international competition for years. They have been pushing hard for inclusion as the IOC considers exclusion.

Wilson, from North Carolina, was an outlier in a stadium where the crowd was full of people waving flags, blowing horns and ringing cowbells.

Fans of silver medalist Johannes Lamparter of Austria wore T-shirts and vests that said, “Jo for the Gold,” three Estonia fans wore rabbit costumes and each time a German ski jumper launched into the sky, the stadium echoed with the traditional cheer of “zieh!”

Fans were into it and, not surprisingly, didn't want to see the sport go away.

“It’s so exciting,” said Stefan Ertl from Germany. “Two completely different disciplines in one. This is the king of athletes. Like in the Summer Olympics, the decathlon.”

The sport has its roots in Norway where the two events were combined as a test that determined the king of the hill.

Competition has long been dominated by four countries: Norway, Germany, Austria and Finland.

Only when you get past the top 20 skiers in the World Cup rankings do you find Ryota Yamamoto of Japan in 22nd place and Niklas Malacinski of the U.S. — who also has Finnish citizenship — in 26th place.

Outside of Europe, Japan has had the most success, striking gold in the team event in Albertville, France, in 1992 and repeating two years later in Lillehammer, Norway.

Yamamoto shared a bronze medal in the team event for Japan in Beijing in 2022. That team also included Akito Watabe, the last Japanese skier to win an individual medal in the sport, taking back-to-back silver medals on the normal hill in 2014 in Sochi and 2018 in Pyeongchang.

The U.S. had an impressive — if brief — moment in the spotlight in 2010 in Vancouver when Johnny Spillane became the first American to medal in the sport with a silver on the normal hill. His teammate, Bill Demong, then won the gold on the large hill where Spillane grabbed his second silver. The two also shared the team silver medal.

But it remains largely a sport that has its fan base in northern Europe.

“This sport is in our hearts,” said Tarmo Oras, one of the Estonians in a rabbit costume that symbolized the jumping and speed needed for the two events.

Sebastian Tallian of Austria, who has followed the sport for most of his 27 years, said it was sad women aren't included. He hopes that is the only change to come from the IOC.

The race on Wednesday ended with the usual countries on the podium.

Jens Luraas Oftebro of Norway won gold, Lamparter won silver and Eero Hirvonen of Finland took bronze.

The combination of two completely different skill sets by the athletes and the thrilling finish in the cross-country stadium won over Wilson — even if the top U.S. finisher was Benjamin Loomis in 17th place and Malacinski right behind him.

Wilson said she would like to see the sport continue to be a part of the games — but only if women are included.