A winter sport that pairs ski jumping with cross-country skiing, with the jump result setting the starting order for the race.
Origin and rules
Nordic combined evolved from the 19th-century Norwegian Husebyrennet and Holmenkollen festivals, where the same athletes competed in jumping and cross-country. It has been on the Winter Olympic programme since the first Games in 1924.
How it plays
Athletes first take a jump from a normal or large hill, which is converted into a time penalty using the Gundersen system. They then start a 10-kilometre cross-country race in that order. The first across the line wins.
Competition
The FIS Nordic Combined World Cup and World Championships are the elite circuits. Norway, Germany, Austria, Japan, and Finland are dominant. Women’s Nordic combined remains under campaign for full Olympic inclusion despite featuring at recent Junior Games.