The International Olympic Committee announced Tuesday that Nordic combined, a men’s-only Olympic discipline, will not be a part of the upcoming 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps. This marks the first time the sport will not be included in the Winter Olympics since 1924. Nordic Combined has traditionally been a sport largely dominated by Scandinavian countries. In a press release, the IOC cited low TV viewership, spectator attendance and participation across competing countries. “Across most of the popularity indicators, Nordic combined ranked lowest among all Olympic Winter Games disciplines at Sochi 2014, PyeongChang 2018, Beijing 2022 and Milano Cortina 2026,” the IOC said. “At the most recent Olympic Winter Games, it was the lowest-ranked discipline in 11 of the 14 popularity indicators assessed.” The last time the IOC removed a sport was bobsled in the 1960 Winter Games in Squaw Valley, California, when organizers decided not to build the sliding track due to financial concerns. The IOC also announced Tuesday that it will add three new disciplines to the 2030 Games: Freeride skiing, freeride snowboarding and Synchro9, a fast-paced version of synchronized skating created by the International Skating Union, will each debut at the 2030 Games. The U.S. Ski Snowboard website describes Freeride ski and boarding as “a discipline in which skiers and snowboarders descend natural, ungroomed terrain rather than a set course, choosing their own line through features like cliffs, chutes and powder fields. Athletes are judged on a combination of line choice, control, fluidity, technique and style, rather than on time.” Synchro9 skating is a team of nine skaters on the ice skating together in a coordinated team fashion similar to synchronized swimming. The IOC said the 2030 Winter Games will be the most gender-equal Games in Olympic history. Fifty percent of the 3,046 athletes will be women. Luge, skiing, bobsled and ice hockey will all have increased female participation slots in the Alps of France. The post IOC drops Nordic Combined, adds freeride skiing and snowboarding for 2030 Games appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less