A century-old Winter Olympic sport faces elimination after the 2026 Games, leaving athletes like Steamboat Springs native Alexa Brabec fighting for their Olympic dreams.Nordic combined, which mixes ski jumping with cross-country skiing, has been part of the Winter Olympics since the inaugural games in 1924. However, it remains the only winter Olympic sport without a women's competition, and that exclusion may now cost the sport its Olympic future entirely."We're all working just as hard as the men. We're training just as much. We're doing everything they're doing, but we just don't have this opportunity," Brabec said.Brabec is a Nordic combined World Cup holder, but she won't compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics not by choice, but because women aren't allowed to participate in the sport at the Olympic level. "It was definitely a surprise when in 2022 they were like, nope, the women still don't get this opportunity that the men have," Brabec said.The International Olympic Committee has placed Nordic combined on the chopping block, with the sports director citing low participation from countries and limited viewership as key concerns. The IOC will decide the sport's Olympic future after the 2026 Winter Games.Despite the uncertainty, Brabec remains optimistic about the sport's growth and potential inclusion of women's competition."Nordic combined could be like fading or something like that, but I think also people are feeling more and more positive like we're seeing like more support, more people following the sport. More results from more nations like the level is continuing to progress," Brabec said, "all the things that the IOC has said that they needed to see to support putting the women and keeping the sport in the Olympics."The potential elimination affects not just Olympic competition but could impact the entire sport's future development and funding."I think there's still like a bit of fear there, like we don't know what the IOC will decide, and that's scary," Brabec said.For now, Brabec encourages fans to support the men's Nordic combined competition at the 2026 Olympics, believing that increased viewership could help save the sport and eventually create opportunities for women."You should also watch it on the men compete at the Olympics because supporting them supports us too," Brabec said._______Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching. ...read more read less