Women’s Team Combined podium FIS Jr World Championships; GEPA pictures/ Oliver Lerch

“It would be nice if there was a competition in Alpine skiing like the Ryder Cup in golf — a team event that is special and exciting.” Legendary Austrian skier Karl Schranz spoke these words to the FIS World Cup Committee years ago, words that Michael Huber, Kitzbühel’s number one, repeated at the 2023 FIS Autumn Meeting in connection with Team Combined.

Indeed, Kitzbühel was to play a crucial role in launching the new race format by hosting the World Cup debut this January, setting the stage for its inclusion in the Winter Olympic Games Milan-Cortina 2026 program.

FIS General Secretary Michel Vion emphasized Kitzbühel’s pivotal role in the project, stating, “Kitzbühel was a relevant part of the Olympic proposal. It is the highest profile event we have.”

The International Olympic Committee Executive Board provisionally approved the Team Combined on June 20th, pending successful test events. However, the World Cup Committee’s decision not to host the event this season in Kitzbühel and Crans-Montana presents challenges.

Alpine Skiing: Olympic Events and Future Prospects

Olympic events boost the visibility, funding and growth of all sports. Alpine skiing had 11 medal events in 2022 but could be reduced to eight in 2026.

The Alpine Combined format, although it has changed over time, combined the time of two race runs by an individual, a DH or SG run and a Slalom run. However, the event was eliminated from the World Cup program after 2020, the Olympic Games after 2022, and the World Championships after 2023.

The mixed team parallel event, introduced in 2005, will start the 2025 World Championships in Saalbach, but logistical hurdles prevent its inclusion in the 2026 Olympics.

Additionally, controversy arose in 2022 when the IOC denied medals to reserve Team Parallel skiers, deviating from the norm in team sports.

Furthermore, the Individual Parallel’s lack of popularity led to its removal from the World Cup schedule, excluding it from the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic program.

Alpine skiing needs a fresh Olympic discipline and format to create additional visibility and medal opportunities.

Innovative Team Combined: A Fresh Olympic Vision

“We formulated ideas for a format that could be part of the Olympics and replace at least one medal race,” explains Verena Stuffer, FIS athlete representative. “We also wanted a team competition replicating the spirit we see in individual disciplines. So we proposed the Team Combined to the athletes — one run of super-G and one run of slalom, skied by two different athletes, one skier per run. We thought seeing the best specialists in each discipline join forces as a team would be interesting.”

This proposal gained approval at the 2022 FIS Spring Meeting, followed by a successful debut at the 2023 World Junior Championships.

Top skiers excluded

“To be in the Olympic program, Team Combined needs at least one annual World Cup race,” stated Michel Vion. Kitzbühel and Crans-Montana organizers backed the idea. The new World Cup rules allow two athletes from one nation to form teams, with a maximum of four teams per nation, and it also awards individual discipline World Cup points.

Under these regulations, racers from nations without a top 60 super-G skiers on the World Cup Start List would be excluded. This means top skiers like Petra Vlhová and two Norwegian men’s slalom racers in the top 25 would lack teammates and miss out on the chance to score World Cup discipline points.

In recent weeks, athletes, led by AJ Ginnis, worked together to propose rule changes. The media quickly highlighted the clash between athletes and the FIS.
FIS athlete representative Leif Kristian Nestvold-Haugen presented an athlete proposal of competing based on rankings, not by nation, to ensure the inclusion of top performers in each discipline.

Team Combined Debate: Setbacks and Delays

“We do not want to host a competition that does not have the support of the athletes, who moreover proposed it. Concerning the proposal to change the rules, the DNA of the Ski World Cup is Austria versus Switzerland, Italy versus France, Sweden versus Norway. We have always competed as national federations. We do not think it is appropriate to host a Combined competition with teams comprised of athletes from different nations. Now we will pull the handbrake and withdraw our offer to host the Team Combined,” replied the Kitzbühel Ski Club President, Huber. Thus, the women’s Team Combined race prospects have also vanished.

“We’re not prepared yet. Just days away from the competitions, let’s delay the project for a year. Focus on integrating Team Combined into the World Cup while keeping it in the Saalbach 2025 World Champs schedule,” Vion proposed. “We can request the IOC to continue considering the proposal for 2026 Olympic inclusion.”