The sport that has sent Park City athletes to every Winter Olympics since 1924 won't be on the program in 2030.

The International Olympic Committee announced on Tuesday, July 7, that Nordic combined would be cut from the 2030 French Alps Games. The decision ended a 102-year streak for the discipline that blends ski jumping and cross-country skiing. It landed hard at the Utah Olympic Park, where dozens of young skiers were training at the 27th Springer Tournee the very next day.

"It definitely had an impact," Park City Ski & Snowboard Ski Jumping and Ski Mountaineering Director Adam Loomis told the Park Record. "This was kind of the perfect way to move forward from some tough news and be reminded that our values and what makes us strong haven't gone anywhere."

The IOC cited viewership and participation numbers, saying Nordic combined ranked lowest among all winter sports in 11 of 14 popularity metrics at the Milano Cortina 2026 Games. According to The Athletic, only five countries combined to win all medals in the sport across the 2014, 2018, 2022, and 2026 Olympics.

Nordic Combined USA Treasurer Stephanie Wilson said the organization had submitted a report to the IOC detailing strong media impressions and expected a more gradual phase-out. She said the IOC's metrics were not explained well to Nordic Combined USA with supporting numbers.

"You always try to be optimistic," Wilson told the Park Record. "I think everyone expected a little bit more of a nuanced decision. … Like we're going to include them for this one, but then we're going to evaluate."

Nordic Combined USA President Jill Brabec called the decision "a gut punch" in an interview with The Athletic after the July 7 announcement. She added that it's "not the end" but "just a pivot."

Youth athletes press on

At the Springer Tournee on Wednesday, July 8, 75 skiers ages 7 to 17 were back on the hills at Utah Olympic Park. Twenty were from Park City. Five Olympians coached participants that day, including Sandra Sproch of Chicago, who is moving to Park City in August.

Nine-year-old Braxton Anthony of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, a ski jumper and Nordic combined skier attending the camp, told the Park Record he still dreams of competing at the highest level. "I would love to be an Olympian someday," Anthony said.

A path back through 2034

The IOC confirmed Nordic combined will be eligible to return as soon as the 2034 Salt Lake City Games, scheduled to open Friday, February 10, 2034. The Utah Olympic Park is a confirmed venue.

Wilson sees that as a motivator for the young athletes training in Park City.

"How amazing would it be to have local athletes competing in Park City in the Salt Lake Games?" Wilson said. "You would hope that the organizing committee is interested in having the sport with its ties."

Before then, the FIS World Cup circuit will feature 11 Nordic combined events this season, and the World Championships in Falun, Sweden, run February 25 through March 2, 2027. That competition will be fully gender-equal for the first time, with women's events on both hills.

FIS has allocated 750,000 Swiss francs over the past three years to a Nordic Combined Development Fund supporting coaching, equipment, and athlete camps worldwide. A second World Championships is set for Lahti, Finland, in 2029.