"Scandal!" Conflict Before the Fateful Year - Historic Knockout Threatens

The Nordic Combined is facing the threat of exclusion from the Olympics, and in this context, Germany's top star Vinzenz Geiger is particularly angry about a recent decision. Geiger expressed his frustration on Instagram, criticizing FIS Race Director Lasse Ottesen after seeing the sparse calendar, which only includes eight World Cup weekends.

"You were apparently extremely busy - doing nothing," he vented. The situation is severe as the sport's future hangs in the balance; the Olympic Committee will decide in June whether the event will be dropped from the Winter Games.

Geiger lamented, "This is a disgrace." He challenged Ottesen by asking what the latter thought of their achievements over the past three years.

The fear surrounding the Nordic Combined is palpable because if the IOC opts to remove it, it would be disastrous. Geiger noted that the sport is thrilling and deserves better promotion. Unfortunately, with only eight weekends to showcase their talent during the upcoming season, they are under significant pressure.

During January, the outlook is particularly bleak, with three weekends of no competitions scheduled due to venue issues for the upcoming World Championships. Geiger and former world champion Johannes Lamparter have raised concerns about the visibility of the sport, questioning why Nordic Combined events don't leverage existing infrastructure present at other competitions.

As they prepare for a challenging winter, there is anxiety about what the consequences will be if the IOC decides to eliminate male events in favor of achieving gender balance, as the female competitors have already been denied participation in 2026.

In response to Geiger's criticisms, Ottesen maintained that while he welcomes direct discussions, public comments should be avoided. It appears turbulent times are ahead for Nordic Combined, made even more difficult by limited competition opportunities.