The women's combined skiing event has been removed from the Olympic Games, leading to confusion and disappointment among athletes, particularly Minja Korhonen and Heta Hirvonen. Toni Roponen, who works as the performance director for the Finnish Olympic Committee, expressed his inability to comprehend the reasoning behind the decision, emphasizing that it seems based on questionable justifications.

Roponen pointed out that the decision appears to hinge on the level of international competition and the number of countries investing in the women's combined event, which currently boasts a modest participant number globally. He highlighted the irony that other sports, such as ski mountaineering and luge, still hold Olympic status despite similarly small competitive fields. Thus, the rationale based on competition levels feels inadequate and perplexing to observers.

Despite the Nordic skiing events facing challenges in terms of viewership compared to other sports, Roponen dismisses these factors as the core of the issue. He suggests that the focus should be on whether there are enough countries promoting the event and the caliber of competition. Roponen's comments reflect a broader frustration about the treatment of women's sports in the Olympics and a call for a reevaluation of how sports are categorized and supported within the Olympic framework.