Nordic Combined dropped from 2030 Winter Olympics

The 2030 Winter Olympics will be the first not to feature Nordic Combined after the sport was removed from the programme.

Announcing the decision on Tuesday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) cited both a limited number of competitors and a lack of public interest as reasons for removing the male-only event, which has featured at every Games since the inaugural edition in 1924.

IOC President Kirsty Coventry said although the decision "may come as a disappointment", the sport could return in 2034.

Meanwhile, freeride skiing and snowboarding has been added to the schedule for the first time. This is where competitors chose their own paths down the mountain on unpisted and unmarked courses and are judged on their line choice, how much control they have, the fludity of the run and the execution of the tricks they produce.

Also making its Olympic debut in 2030 will be synchro9, which is synchronised figure skating. There will be nine skaters on each team and the format and medals will be decided in knockout rounds with head-to-head battles.

The Winter Olympic Games, set to be held in the French Alps, will also be the first edition of the Games to be made up of 50% female athletes.

There will be 3,046 athletes in total, comprising 1,525 female and 1,521 male competitors across 126 events.

The increase in female participation will come as a result of four sports - luge, skiing, bobsleigh and ice hockey - increasing their athlete quotas by up to seven per cent.