A beaming Alexa Brabec was hoisted onto the shoulders of her fellow competitors following her first World Cup Nordic combined win in Seefeld, Austria, on Friday.

Brabec, 21, was born and raised in Steamboat Springs and rose through the ranks at the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club. She is enjoying a breakout season, having stood on the podium in five of 10 competitions so far. She has finished in the top four in all 10 events and is running second in the overall standings.

“Performing well in Seefeld had been my goal for the season, and I’ve had some of my best results there in the past,” said Brabec. “Going in, I kept an open mind and got the result I wanted.”

A race to remember

Friday marked the opening day of the Seefeld Triple. The event occurs over three days, and the standings of three races are added up to determine an individual winner. Day 1 featured the individual mass start, where competitors ski first, jump second, and total points for both determine the winner.

Brabec shot out of the gate when the gun went off for the cross-country race, pacing the race through the first lap and leading her group through the second. By the third lap she was firmly in third, setting her up well for her jump. She was only outpaced by World Cup overall leader Ida Marie Hagen and Marte Leinen Lund, both of Norway.

“I just went out there and skied aggressively,” said Brabec. “I raced well and felt good throughout.”

She followed that up by putting down a jump of 99.5 meters — third best of the day — and taking the points lead with 122.9 total points. She finished 1.3 points ahead of second-place finisher Ema Volavsek of Slovenia.

Both of Brabec’s parents attended the race and were able to see their daughter’s triumph.

“It means everything that they were able to be there,” said Brabec. “They don’t get to every race, so it’s like the stars aligned for us.”

U.S. teammate and fellow Steamboat resident and Winter Sports Club alum Annika Malacinski posted her personal-best result, taking sixth place overall. Teammate Tara Geraghty-Moats was 11th.

Brabec’s win is the first victory for a U.S. Nordic athlete since 2020, when Geraghty-Moats won in Ramsau, Austria.

Taking notice

Former American Nordic athletes are hailing Brabec’s win and pointing it out as further evidence that women’s Nordic combined should be an Olympic sport. It is currently the only sport that does not have both men’s and women’s competition.

“Her win shows that more countries are competitive than the traditional Scandinavian powers, which was what the International Olympic committee cited as a reason for it not being an Olympic sport,” said Olympic Nordic combined medalist and World Champion Todd Lodwick. “Her win is a watershed moment for the sport, where the IOC can no longer deny women entry.”

Steamboat local and fellow Nordic combined Olympian Ben Berend believes noninclusion holds the women’s sport back.

“The Olympics give a worldwide platform to showcase sports and help recruit the next generation of athletes and spark interest,” said Berend. “By not including women, it denies them a valuable resource to grow their sport.”

On a local level, it denies Steamboat a chance to come together and cheer on a sport that is so tied to the history and fabric of the area.

“Nordic combined is cemented in the past, present and future of Steamboat,” said Berend. “We as a community are being denied the opportunity to come together and see our top athletes compete.”

Nordic Combined USA Spokeswoman Stephanie Wilson thinks after Brabec’s win, the IOC will take notice.

“Her win is big for drawing attention to the sport at a time when it’s at a critical turning point,” said Wilson. “The U.S. can carry a lot of weight being such a huge nation. If we can get more people here engaging with and watching the sport, that may sway the IOC.”

For Brabec, she’s staying focused on this weekend.

“I’ve got two more days, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow,” said Brabec. “I feel the momentum of the win and am looking to continue the pace.”

Her win means she is the points leader entering Saturday’s compact normal hill event.

“I’m going to remember standing on top of the podium for the rest of my life,” said Brabec. “It still doesn’t feel real.”