The 2026 Winter Olympic Games will be a time of highs and lows for Nordic Combined athletes, Niklas and Annika Malacinski. While Niklas is rightfully celebrating the recent announcement that he’ll represent Team USA in Italy, his sister, Annika, has been left out in the cold. Incredibly, Nordic Combined will be the only sport on the roster that doesn’t have a female competition at the Winter Games. So, in this exclusive chat with M&F, the Malacinski siblings sat down with M&F to explain their passion for Nordic Combined, and their disappointment at this ongoing gender disparity.
While the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris achieved full gender equality,the next Winter Games has fallen short under its new president, Kirsty Coventry. Even though this will be most gender-balanced Winter Games in history, with 47% of athletes expected to be female, the Nordic Combined event will not offer females a chance to compete. In fact, the Nordic Combined is the only sport at the Winter Olympic Games that is yet to offer females a chance to compete.
“Honestly, I am fighting for the younger female generation, so they don’t have to pave their way, and participation should be automatically accepted,” Annika tells M&F, explaining that she has been raising awareness of this apparent unfairness by talking to the media and sharing her views on social media.
What is Nordic Combined?
- Athletes begin by descending a hill and then jumping the length of a football field at speeds of up to 60 mph.
- The jump is scored for style, technique, and distance.
- Based on the jump results, skiers are assigned starting positions for a cross-country race.
- The first athlete across the finish line is the overall winner.
Why Nordic Combined Has No Women’s Event at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Nordic Combined was included in the first Winter Olympic Games in 1924 and has been an enduring part of the program ever since, but it is the only sport without a women’s event in 2026. Organisers have said that this discrepancy is due to fears around there being fewer female athletes, less training and development, and a smaller audience appeal. And yet, Nordic Combined’s international governing body, the FIS, has established both a Women’s World Cup circuit and the World Championships, with female Nordic Combined enjoying competitions all around the globe.
It’s easy to understand then, why the siblings are so disappointed that they can’t both compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Annika won the U.S. National Championship in 2023 and is a consistent contender in the aforementioned World Cup. She entered the sport at 15, while her brother was just 7, but the fit female says her background in gymnastics gave her a head start to becoming an elite Nordic Combined athlete.
Annika Malacinski Speaks Out on Olympic Gender Disparity
To strengthen their legs, both competitors train in Steamboat Springs, CO, and squat heavy to build their quads. They also tell M&F that deadlifts are on the menu. “Any hamstring exercises,” explains Niklas. “Because I think that’s heavily overlooked. A lot of athletes have weak hamstrings, even at elite levels, so I think that’s a nice one to focus on.” While both athletes train the same way and feel the same aches and pains following an event, there won’t even be a mixed relay at the 2026 Winter Games. “It’s just not really justifiable, in my opinion,” says Annika. “It would be amazing to have a mixed relay because me and my brother would be on the same team, one of the coolest things that you can say.”
In terms of the metrics concerning the audience for Nordic Combined, Annika has an Instagram fan base of almost 30,000 followers. That’s more than Niklas, who has less than 3,000 IG followers. But, while sporting excellence is more important than social media clout to the siblings, fact that people are joining Annika’s plight means that her growing platform is becoming a positive force for change.
The Bigger Picture: Strength, Family, and Equality in Olympic Sport
For his part, Niklas has no desire to command the spotlight, despite the honor of getting to represent Team USA at the Winter Games this year. Niklas, who is teaming up with his sister on this campaign for change, has been part of three World Championship teams and is a gold medalist in the U.S. National Championships. And it’s because of their rock-solid relationship that Annika will be heading to Italy, to fully support her brother.
“I think he’s very deserving of this… He’s one of the hardest-working people that I know,” Annika tells M&F, proudly. For Niklas, having his sister around is always a welcome part of his prep. “I’d say Annika definitely brings more of the fun side of things to training,” he shares.
While Annika is currently still left out in the cold by the Winter Olympic Games, she hopes that raising awareness about the gender imbalance of Nordic Combined will move things in the right direction. “Hopefully we can get that to change,” says the strong athlete. “And then, Niklas and I will both be able to start in 2030 together!”
The 2026 Olympic Winter Games will run from Feb 6th to the 22nd.
To follow Annika Malacinski on Instagram, click here.
To follow Niklas Malacinski on Instagram, click here.