German athlete wedges against IOC
“We bloody deserve this.”
02/05/2026 – 11:09 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Nordic combined is the only sport at the Winter Games in which women are not allowed to compete. Overall World Cup winner Nathalie Armbruster is outraged by this.
Shortly before the start of the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, 20-year-old combined athlete Nathalie Armbruster renewed her criticism of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) with an emotional Instagram post. Last season’s overall World Cup winner denounced the fact that Nordic combined is the only sport at the Games in which no women are allowed – even though they had met all the requirements set by the IOC.
“No one should be denied the opportunity to live their dreams – just because they are a woman. And yet here we are: the women of the 2026 Nordic Combined on the sidelines, watching the men compete in the Olympics while we are not allowed to take part,” Armbruster wrote on Instagram. She presented a video that shows her as a young girl in an interview. In it she talks about her dream of getting to the Olympics with her sport.
The combined athletes would not want their place “because we are women and demand equal rights. We have damn well earned this place – as highly professional, world-class athletes who have met all the requirements that the IOC itself once set,” Armbruster continued. If equality is “not a given” in the 21st century, “then at least it should be justice.”
The traditional sport is worried about remaining in the Olympic program. A decision on this should be made after the Winter Games. Finally, Armbruster made a request: “Dear fans, please watch the men’s competitions at the Olympic Games – the IOC will look at the TV ratings.”
The 20-year-old had previously criticized the IOC several times. The women and men also protested at the last World Cup before the Olympic Games.
