The three competitions in this discipline at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 will be held in Tesero (cross-country skiing) and Predazzo (ski jumping)
Included in the programme of the Olympic Winter Games since the first edition in 1924, Nordic Combined puts together two distinct Nordic skiing disciplines: cross-country skiing and ski jumping, and at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 it will be held in Val di Fiemme.
Two villages in the picturesque Dolomite valley, located mostly in Trentino and to a small extent in South Tyrol, will host the competitions in this discipline: Predazzo, where the ski jumping event is scheduled, and Tesero, the venue for the cross-country skiing event. Let us discover this sport - which combines sacrifice and beauty - and the magnificent territories that will be the setting for the competitions during the eagerly awaited Olympic event.
Nordic Combined events at Milano Cortina 2026
Three Nordic Combined competitions, all men's, are scheduled at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026: the individual Gundersen NH Normal Hill/10 km, the individual Gundersen LH Large Hill/10 km and the team Gundersen LH Large Hill/2x7.5 km, first introduced in Calgary 1988.
Olympic Nordic Combined venues
As mentioned, the ski jumping facility is located in the Predazzo area, at Stalimen. It will be hosted in the Giuseppe Dal Ben jumping stadium, the main and best-equipped Italian facility of its kind, covering an area of three thousand square metres and capable of holding 15 thousand spectators. Built at the end of the 1980s to host the Nordic World Ski Championships, this is one of the facilities that is getting a makeover in view of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, to modernise the two hills, upgrade the lighting system, build new grandstands and a new judges' tower, and add an inclined lift to replace the old chairlift.
The cross-country competition, on the other hand, is scheduled at the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium, also known as the Fabio Canal Cross-Country and Biathlon Centre. This facility was built in the 1990s in Lago, in the municipality of Tesero. This cross-country stadium holds 50,000 seats and consists of a three-kilometre-long illuminated ring-shaped track, with almost twenty kilometres of trails, all with programmed snowmaking from December to February. In short, a sort of cathedral of cross-country skiing in Italy, and one of the venues of the Marcialonga - the most important and celebrated Granfondo cross-country skiing competition in our country, held on the last Sunday of January.
Predazzo and Tesero, two pearls of Val di Fiemme
With its 4,500 inhabitants, Predazzo is the most populated town in Val di Fiemme, and a true treasure trove. Suffice it to say that, due to the high concentration of geological varieties on its territory, it is considered the “Geological Garden of the Alps”. An endless range of minerals and fossils are on display in the Geological Museum of the Dolomites, right in the central square of the village. Which, many years ago, was right by the sea. Yes, that's right: before dinosaurs walked the Earth, the Predazzo area was at sea level, and walking along the Doss Capèl path, between 2000 and 2200 metres from Passo Feudo to Alpe di Pampeago, you can admire the remains of beaches, sea beds, starfish, shells and the ashes of an ancient volcano. Don't miss the excursion to the Sottosassa gorge, to gaze at the little waterfalls of the Travignolo, right below a sport climbing wall. And lastly, in the hamlet of Bellamonte, you'll find the characteristic huts afoot the Lagorai mountain range.
Tesero, on the other hand, is the town of Nativity Scenes. Every year during the Holidays, the village dresses up for the event “Tesero and its Nativity Scenes”, while in the summer it hosts “Le corte de Tiezer”, with suggestive re-enactments of ancient crafts, amidst songs and traditional food and wine products. Some of the most visited buildings include Casa Jellici - a historical building now turned museum - and the Baroque-style Town Hall. Tesero is especially famous for its traditions related to artistic handicrafts: in addition to nativity scenes, furniture and musical instruments are the town's pride and joy. Just a stone's throw from the village, you'll find the Tesero Lake, the charming village of Stava and the Alpe di Pampeago, with the Dolomite peaks of the Latemar, which UNESCO has declared a “Natural World Heritage Site”.
From Beijing 2022 to Milano Cortina 2026
From Beijing 2022 to Milano Cortina 2026. In the enchanting Val di Fiemme, the Italian Team will try to improve the results obtained in the Nordic Combined at the last Winter Olympics, which, despite the overall haul of Italian medals, did not see Italy as a protagonist in this discipline. The thrust of the home crowd promises to be the secret ingredient to guarantee the Italian Team an extra edge. However, the cheers of the Valley will move and support the athletes of the entire world, in the name of sport and in full respect of the Olympic spirit.
