New Delhi – The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has recently approved changes to the formats and names of four events on the sports program for the upcoming Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. The decision was made following a proposal submitted by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) and subsequent recommendations from the Olympic Program Commission.
The IOC’s official statement, released on Tuesday, outlined the alterations that have been made to certain events, aimed at enhancing competition dynamics and aligning with the evolving nature of winter sports. These modifications have been introduced in response to proposals and feedback from various stakeholders within the sporting community.
One of the notable changes involves the Alpine combined event, which will now transition from an individual event to a team-based competition. In this new format, two athletes of the same gender from the same National Olympic Committee (NOC) will join forces. The event will consist of a downhill run and a single slalom run, with one athlete from each team competing in each discipline. The final result will be calculated based on the aggregate times of the two athletes in each team.
The Nordic combined men’s team format has also been revised. Previously featuring a team of four athletes competing in the Gundersen large hill/4x5km event, it will now involve a team of two athletes competing in the team sprint large hill/2×7.5km event. Both athletes will perform one jump on the large hill, followed by alternating ski loops of 1.5km, repeated five times (7.5km each instead of 5km previously).
Another modification affects the ski jumping team event. The men’s team format, which previously included four athletes, will now be replaced by the men’s super team event featuring two athletes from the same NOC. The competition will consist of three rounds, with all teams starting in the first round. Only the best 12 teams will progress to the second round, and the competition will conclude with the top eight teams in the third round. The final result will be determined by adding together the points of the athletes from the same team.
It is important to note that the inclusion of men’s and women’s Alpine combined events in the sports program was provisional, pending confirmation of the format. This provision allowed the FIS additional time to finalize its competition format proposal and gather feedback from relevant stakeholders, including the FIS Athletes’ Commission.
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