Steamboat Springs Nordic combined skier lands two top-5 World Cup finishes in Austria

American Nordic combined skier Alexa Brabec has made headlines with two top-five finishes at a World Cup event in Austria, held as part of the Seefeld Triple. In the competition, Brabec delivered a personal-best ski jump of 98.5 meters – the longest of the day – and later took fourth in a 7.5-kilometer cross-country race, narrowly missing the podium by nine seconds.

Brabec recalled the difficult June when USA Nordic Sport (now known as USA Ski Jumping) announced the cessation of funding for the national Nordic combined program—a setback that jeopardized the offseason plans for American athletes. However, the advent of Nordic Combined USA helped stabilize the program, allowing Brabec to turn challenges into breakthroughs.

Reflecting on her performance, the 20-year-old expressed satisfaction with the significant improvements in both her ski jumping and cross-country skiing, despite acknowledging areas that still need refinement such as consistent tele-landings and a stronger final sprint. With upcoming competitions, including an event in Otepää, Estonia, Brabec is focused on fine-tuning her techniques, aiming for a podium finish and further success on the World Cup circuit.