No winter sport challenges an athlete's overall abilities like Nordic combined. Nordic combined is a mix of both ski jumping and cross-country skiing, so a Nordic combined athlete must have the power of a ski jumper and the endurance of a cross-country skier. This event has been part of the Olympics since the first Winter Games in 1924. There are sprint, individual and team events with four athletes on each team.

The Rules of the Game
On the first day of competition, each skier takes at least one jump from a hill that's up to 394 feet tall. The ski jumping score is the total score from both jumps. On the second day, each athlete skis in a cross-country race of up to 15 kilometers. (The winner of the ski jumping portion gets to start first in the cross-country race.) The first skier to cross the finish line in the cross-country race gets the gold medal.