American skier Annika Malacinski faces watching her brother compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics while she remains excluded from Nordic combined events. The sport, combining cross-country skiing and ski jumping, remains the only Olympic discipline without women's competition despite female World Cup and World Championship events existing for years.

Malacinski, ranked in the top 15 women's Nordic combined skiers globally, has campaigned for Olympic inclusion since 2022 when formal proposals were denied. The International Olympic Committee cites low participation across countries and limited viewership as reasons for exclusion, noting only 36 male athletes compete in Italy compared to 55 in Beijing 2022. The IOC claims Milan-Cortina represents the most gender-equal Winter Games with 47% female athletes.

Athletes have protested through social media campaigns and symbolic gestures, including drawing facial hair during World Cup events. Five-time Olympian Billy Demong called the exclusion "one of the biggest moves against gender equity in the Olympic movement in history." Malacinski plans to support her brother while raising awareness at the Games, concerned the sport's future depends solely on men's performance rather than addressing gender inequality.