History
Nordic Combined has its 5000 year-old roots in Norway. It involves ski-jumping, which requires physical strength and technical control, and cross-country skiing which demands endurance and strength.
Nordic Combined Individual events have been included since the first Winter Olympic Games at Chamonix in 1924.
Olympic History
The Nordic combined title was considered the ultimate, or “blue ribbon” event of the early versions of the Olympic Winter Games. It appeared on the program of the first Games at Chamonix 1924 and has remained on the program ever since. The Nordic combined team event was added to the program at Calgary 1988.
The Gundersen Method has been used since Calgary 1988 and is named after its creator, Norway’s Gunnar Gundersen. It is used to determine the place startings for the cross-country. Once the jumping points are totalled, they are converted into time penalties. In brief, a 10 point lead provides for a one minute start.