The teamsprint event in speed skating will be introduced to the Winter Olympic program starting with the 2030 Games, which will be held at Thialf in Heerenveen, marking the first time since 1928 that the Netherlands hosts the Winter Olympics.
According to NOS Schaatsen, the teamsprint will become the second team-based speed skating event at the Olympics alongside the team pursuit. Previously, the teamsprint has only been contested at World Championships, European Championships, and World Cup competitions.
However, the Nordic combined event has been removed from the Olympic program. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to drop this discipline—which combines cross-country skiing and ski jumping—after more than a century in the Games. Nordic combined had been part of the Winter Olympics since their inception in 1924 in Chamonix. The IOC cited declining popularity, limited audience interest in recent editions, and low global participation as key reasons for the decision. Only five different countries earned medals in Nordic combined in the last four Winter Olympics, and it was the only male-only sport on the program.
In addition to these changes, two new sports will debut in the French Alps at the 2030 Winter Games: freeride skiing (off-piste) and synchronized skating. The parallel giant slalom in snowboarding, which was under consideration for removal, will remain part of the Olympic program. The IOC also highlighted that the 2030 Games will be the first Winter Olympics to feature full gender parity, with 3,046 athletes expected to participate—1,525 women and 1,521 men.
