Nordic Combined Might Get Cut from Olympic Winter Games

[Peter Minde]

It's been suggested that by eliminating nordic combined altogether, the Olympics will move closer to "gender equity." They would achieve the same ends by adding women's nordic combined.

 

[Ripitz]

If they’re going to have breakdancing then they should bring back ski ballet.

 

[TheGreatAbyss]

Had to lookup what Nordic Combined is: ski jumping + cross country?? Seems like an odd pairing of completely unrelated skills.

 

[Peter Minde]

Had to lookup what Nordic Combined is: ski jumping + cross country?? Seems like an odd pairing of completely unrelated skills.

Agreed, they're unrelated skills. Explosive power and endurance. Think of it as a test of who was the best all around skier, b4 alpine skiing was an Olympic sport.

Kind of like combined in alpine IMHO. Slalom seens to require very different skills than the speed events.

 

[Harvey]

You could say that about biathlon, but you'd be wrong IMO.

Decathlon too.

 

[tirolski]

If they’re going to have breakdancing then they should bring back ski ballet.

Yeah, but race walking should be banned.

If it was horses doing it folks would be all upset.

 

[MarzNC]

Ski jumping started out in Norway in the 1800s. Plenty of XC skiing there but not much alpine. The Engen brothers who were instrumental in getting Alta going for alpine powder skiing were first famous for ski jumping. Alf Engen set world records in the 1930s.

 

[TheGreatAbyss]

You could say that about biathlon, but you'd be wrong IMO.

The biathlon at least has it's roots in actual warfare. Skiing around and shooting each other in the fjords was so much fun they made a sport out of it!

 

[Peter Minde]

The biathlon at least has it's roots in actual warfare. Skiing around and shooting each other in the fjords was so much fun they made a sport out of it!

Biathlon had its roots in friendly competition between Swedish and Norwegian border guards, late 18th century. Before it was an Olympic sport, biathon was part of World Military Games, and it was called military ski patrol. Teams with, I believe, 3 noncoms led by an officer would go out and shoot targets at various distances.

The first biathlon, at the 1960 winter Olympics, was a single 20km race. Four shooting stations with ranges from 100 - 250 meters. Larger caliber firearms than modern times.

 

[Peter Minde]

Yeah, but race walking should be banned.

If it was horses doing it folks would be all upset.

That looks like it could be hard on yer back: all that torquing yer spine. Race walking, they gotta keep 1 foot on the ground at all times, unlike running.