USA Nordic announced its partnership with the Norwegian ski jumping team is ending, canceling the four-year agreement only two years in.
The ski jumping government bodies from the U.S. and Norway forged an unprecedented partnership in 2022 to share coaches, training facilities and attract sponsors.
The sport of Nordic combined includes both ski jumping and cross-country skiing.
After falling short of a $150,000 funding goal, USA Nordic’s board of directors last week moved to financially split the disciplines. Board chairman Tom Bickner said the Nordic combined program struggles to bring in sponsors and revenue.
Stephen Schumann, a Park City Nordic combined athlete on the 2022 Olympic team, said the board’s move is a major blow to the program.
“They essentially took what little support and funding we had, got rid of it, and told us, ‘You guys are on your own. You need to find your own way if you want to make this work,’” Schumann said. “So that is what we’re going to try to do. We’re going to try to show them that we can do it without them, and that we have the support of our communities and the world to excel over the next few years.”
In response to the news, former Olympians including Billy Demong, Johnny Spillane and Taylor Fletcher have joined forces with athletes and their parents to create a new nonprofit to revive the sport.
Schumann said the funds raised by the nonprofit would help the U.S. Nordic combined program at all levels, from bringing in coaches to finding wax technicians and buying new equipment.
“As of right now we have one coach that was working with us,” Schumann said. “Other than that, we don’t really have coaching. We don’t have a lot of organization behind us, so we’re kind of trying to set up this new nonprofit to try to fundraise so that we can move forward with the Norwegian system and continue to work with them to try to reach the top level.”
The U.S. Nordic combined team had one of its best seasons in recent history last winter, with Schumann and four other athletes landing in the Top 30 World Cup standings.
Members of the new nonprofit are in Steamboat, Colorado, this week to begin fundraising efforts at the annual Fourth of July ski jumping competition.
Schumann said they hope to also raise awareness about the passion for Nordic combined worldwide, as the International Olympic Committee considers cutting the event for the 2030 Winter Games.
More information about the nonprofit can be found here.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
