Nordic Combined at the 2026 Winter Olympics

The Nordic combined events at the 2026 Winter Olympics are part of the XXV Olympic Winter Games (25th Winter Olympics, also known as Milano Cortina 2026).
Subject Nordic combined
Start Date February 11, 2026
End Date February 19, 2026
Status Coming Soon
Location Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium, Predazzo, Italy, and Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium, Tesero, Italy
Prize Pool None
Participants 36 male athletes
Type Outdoor
Tournament Champion
Format Gundersen combined format
Organizer International Olympic Committee (IOC), Milano Cortina 2026 Organizing Committee, and International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS)

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Nordic combined, the sport combining ski jumping and cross-country skiing, has been contested at the Winter Olympics, the most prestigious global stage for winter sports, organized every four years since 1924, making the 2026 competition the 25th time the sport has appeared on the Olympic program.

The Nordic combined events take place from February 11 to February 19, 2026, and will be held in the province of Trento, northern Italy, with competitions in the small towns of Tesero and Predazzo.

Nordic combined is one of the historic Olympic events that tests both explosive power and endurance and falls under the overall organization of the Winter Olympics, which is handled by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The specific sport of Nordic combined is governed by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) and organized in coordination with the Milan-Cortina 2026 Organizing Committee.

Venues, Competitors’ Structure, and Prize Pool Overview for Nordic Combined at the 2026 Winter Olympics

Nordic combined events will be held at two main competition venues:

  1. Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium (Stadio del salto “Giuseppe Dal Ben”) – for the ski jumping part of the competition.
  2. Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium (Centro del fondo e del biathlon Fabio Canal) – for the cross-country skiing portion.

Both venues are located near each other in the Val di Fiemme valley, in the Dolomite Mountains of northern Italy.

For Nordic combined at the 2026 Winter Games, 36 athletes (all men) are scheduled to compete. There will be no women’s Nordic combined events in the 2026 Olympic program.

The IOC doesn’t pay athletes prize money for medals. The medals themselves are symbolic (gold/silver/bronze), and the IOC doesn’t award cash prizes for results. Any monetary rewards that athletes receive for medaling at the Olympic Games are determined by their individual national Olympic committees or governments, and amounts vary widely between countries. This isn’t standardized by the IOC and applies only if a national program chooses to do it.

Participating Athletes in Nordic Combined at the 2026 Winter Olympics and Qualification Overview

Unlike team sports, there isn’t yet an officially published, publicly accessible list of all 36 individual athletes confirmed for Nordic combined at Milano-Cortina 2026. However, we do have the official Olympic eligibility list from the FIS, which contains all athletes who have met the criteria for selection by their National Olympic Committees (NOCs) — and from these, up to 36 will actually be entered for the Games.

Here are some of the athletes on the FIS Olympic Winter Games 2026 Nordic Combined eligibility list right now: Tobias Aichhorn (AUT), Espen Andersen (NOR), Jan Andersen (GER), Johannes Lamparter (AUT), Julian Schmid (GER), Jarl Magnus Riiber (NOR), Kristjan Ilves (EST), Ryōta Yamamoto (JPN), and many others listed in the official FIS eligibility list.

This list is long because it includes all athletes eligible to compete—not just the final 36 who’ll be selected. Final entries depend on quota spots earned by each country and then official nomination by the NOC. Those final lists are usually confirmed in mid- to late January, just after the final qualification period closes (18 Jan 2026). Actually, final start lists for Nordic combined, listing all entered athletes, are typically published by the IOC or FIS a few days to a couple of weeks before the event starts (in this case, 11 February 2026).

Qualification for the Nordic combined competition at Milan-Cortina 2026 is governed by rules set by the FIS:

  • There are 36 total male athlete quota places for Nordic Combined.
  • Every National Olympic Committee (NOC) can earn up to three athlete spots.
  • The host nation (Italy) gets one guaranteed quota.
  • Quotas are earned based on results from FIS events during the qualification period (July 2024 to 18 January 2026).
  • Athletes must have earned FIS World Cup or Grand Prix points in their career or at least one Continental Cup point during the qualification period to be eligible to compete.
  • After World Cup-based allocations, remaining quota spots are filled using Continental Cup standings, and then any remaining spots go to the next highest-ranked eligible athletes.
  • If an NOC earns more than its maximum (three), only the top three are entered; others are reallocated to other countries.

Structure and Competition Format of Nordic Combined at the 2026 Winter Olympics

Nordic combined at Milano Cortina 2026 consists of three competition stages (events) — each on a single day:

  1. Men’s individual – normal hill / 10 km
    February 11, 2026 — ski jumping + cross-country race
  2. Men’s individual – large hill / 10 km
    February 17, 2026 — ski jumping + cross-country race
  3. Men’s team – large hill / 2 × 7.5 km relay
    February 19, 2026 — ski jumping + cross-country relay

Note: These are three separate medal events — not elimination rounds in a bracket or heats.

Every Nordic combined event has two parts:

1. Ski jumping phase

  • Athletes jump once from a designated hill:
    • Normal hill for the first event
    • Large hill for the second and team events.
  • Jumps are scored on distance + style points (like in ski jumping).

2. Cross-country race

  • After ski jumping, athletes compete in a cross-country race:
    • 10 km for individual events
    • 2×7.5 km (relay format) for the team event.

There’s no “best-of” or elimination heats like in some other sports. Instead, Nordic combined uses the Gundersen method to combine jumping and skiing:

  • Jumping results (points) converted into start time gaps for the cross-country race.
  • The better you jump, the earlier you start the skiing portion.
  • The convert-rate differs by event type (individual vs team).

Common conversion example (for individual events):

  • 1 point in jumping ≈ 4 seconds of time advantage/disadvantage in the cross-country start.
  • After conversion, athletes (or teams) begin the cross-country race in staggered start order based on jump performance.
  • The first to cross the finish line in the cross-country race wins the event.

It’s a single combined performance per event, with results determined by combined jumping + cross-country time.

Favorites in Nordic Combined at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Betting Options, and Where to Watch

Based on recent FIS World Cup seasons, consistency across ski jumping + cross-country, and past championship performances, these athletes are considered leading contenders:

  • Jarl Magnus Riiber (Norway). The most dominant Nordic combined athlete of the modern era.
  • Johannes Lamparter (Austria). Excellent jumper with a strong endurance base.
  • Julian Schmid (Germany). Very balanced athlete.
  • Kristjan Ilves (Estonia). One of the strongest cross-country skiers in the field.
  • Ryōta Yamamoto (Japan). Strong technical jumper.

For the the team large hill / 2×7.5 km relay:

  • Norway (clear favorite)
  • Austria (main challenger)
  • Germany (podium contender)

Nordic combined betting is usually offered by major winter-sports bookmakers during the Olympics. So, you should look for the top 10 sportsbooks that specialize in winter sports coverage and Olympic markets:

  • Major European sportsbook operators
  • International Olympic-coverage bookmakers
  • Licensed multi-sport betting platforms

These operators are:

  • Bet365 – One of the world’s largest sportsbooks with extensive Olympic betting markets.
  • Betsson – Offers Winter Olympics and winter sports betting markets internationally.
  • Stake – Crypto-friendly sportsbook with Olympics markets.
  • 1bet – Offers betting on the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Most common bet types:

  • Winner (outright)
  • Podium finish (top-3)
  • Head-to-head matchups
  • Cross-country winner (stage markets)
  • Team event winner

Watching Nordic combined at Milano-Cortina 2026 will be available through:

Global streaming (Olympics.com & Official Olympic App)

  • Live streams
  • On-demand replays
  • Multi-camera coverage
  • Athlete stats and timing graphics

TV broadcasters (by region). Broadcast rights vary by country, but coverage usually comes from:

Europe:

  • National public broadcasters (ARD/ZDF, ORF, RAI, BBC, RTVE, etc.)
  • Eurosport / Discovery networks

North America:

  • NBC (USA)
  • CBC (Canada)

Asia:

  • NHK (Japan)
  • CCTV (China)

Pros and Cons of Favorites in Nordic Combined at the 2026 Winter Olympics

AthleteCountryProsCons
Jarl Magnus RiiberNorwayMost dominant Nordic combined athlete of the modern era; exceptional ski jumping consistency; elite cross-country speed; strong tactical racing awareness; proven Olympic and World Championship performerHigh expectations create pressure; aggressive pacing can lead to late-race fatigue; targeted heavily by rivals’ race strategies
Johannes LamparterAustriaVery strong large hill jumper; excellent endurance base; performs well in high-altitude venues; calm under pressure situationsSlightly less explosive final sprint speed; can lose time in tight pack finishes; dependent on strong jump phase for advantage
Julian SchmidGermanyExtremely balanced athlete across both disciplines; reliable top-10 finisher; strong relay performer for team event; good technical ski efficiencyRarely dominates the jumping phase; needs perfect execution to beat top favorites; less aggressive race tactics
Kristjan IlvesEstoniaOne of the fastest cross-country skiers in the field; strong endurance for long races; dangerous in mass-finish scenarios; excellent climbing abilityThe jumping phase is sometimes inconsistent; often starts with a time deficit; needs near-perfect ski jumping to contend for gold
Ryōta YamamotoJapanTechnically strong ski jumper; performs well on normal hill events; stable landing execution; growing international experienceCross-country pace slightly behind European leaders; limited podium experience at Olympic level; team support depth weaker than Norway/Austria/Germany
Who’ll win gold in Nordic combined at the 2026 Winter Olympics?
MILOS VASILJEVIC
He’s the mastermind behind our captivating content, leveraging his extensive journalism experience to craft compelling sports news and insightful betting predictions. His passion for the game and knack for storytelling ensure our readers are always engaged and informed, bringing a unique and expert perspective to every piece he writes.
Publication date : 24.01.2026
Last modified date: 24.01.2026

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes Nordic combined different from other Olympic winter sports?
Why is Norway considered the strongest nation in Nordic combined?
Can an athlete recover from a poor ski jump and still win the race?