In what could be the final Nordic combined event at any Olympic games, U.S. Ski Team athletes Niklas Malacinksi and Ben Loomis turned in a gutsy performance and finished seventh in the inaugural team sprint event on Friday.

The team event switched to a new format this year, where two athletes ski 7.5 kilometers each and combine their times with a large hill jump. In years’ past, four athletes skied 5 kilometers with a large hill jump performed by each.

Course conditions were difficult both on the jumps and the cross-country course. Snowfall contributed to several falls during the race and Loomis’ jump was obstructed by a snow clearance team with a leaf blower. He opted not to re-jump though.

Loomis’ jump was 99.8 meters, scoring 116 points. Malacinski, of Steamboat Springs, jumped 114.1 meters, scoring 120 points.

The duo received a 43-second handicap behind the jump-score leading Germany team and placed seventh after the jumping round.

In cross-country, Malacinski, 23, completed his portion of the race in 20 minutes and 59.8 seconds, while Loomis completed it in 22 minutes flat. They were 2 minutes 24.8 seconds behind Norway, the gold medal winners, and retained their seventh-place spot.

Malacinski and Loomis’ next World Cup competition is Feb. 27 in Bad Mitterndorf, Austria.

Finland grabbed silver in the event, placing a half-second behind Norway. Austria took the bronze.

Later this year, the International Olympic Committee is set to decide whether to cut Nordic combined events from its Olympic slate. The reasons cited are that it draws a small audience and is dominated by a select number of teams such as Norway, Finland, Germany and Austria.

It is also the only Olympic sport not to have both men’s and women’s competitions. U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper of Colorado sent a letter to the Olympic committee earlier this month asking them to keep the sport and add women’s events.

It is currently unknown when the committee will make its decision.