Gyda Westvold Hansen was the dominant athlete on the Nordic Combined World Cup circuit a season ago ©Getty Images

The women's Nordic Combined World Cup season is getting underway in Lillehammer, with the first leg scheduled tomorrow.

A 5 kilometres Gundersen is on the agenda on the Norwegian venue's normal hill, following by a 10km Gundersen the next day.

Home athlete Gyda Westvold Hansen begins proceedings as the red-hot favourite.

The 20-year-old won seven of the eight World Cup legs last season to lift the crystal globe.

Thirty athletes from 10 countries are on the start list.

The World Cup season is starting against a backdrop of disappointment for the athletes after women's Nordic combined was left off the programme for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games.

Gyda Westvold Hansen recently competed with a drawn-on beard to protest women's Nordic combined being left off the Milan Cortina 2026 programme ©Getty Images
Gyda Westvold Hansen recently competed with a drawn-on beard to protest women's Nordic combined being left off the Milan Cortina 2026 programme ©Getty Images

That was protested by the reigning World Cup champion last week when she took part in a domestic race with a drawn-on beard.

The International Ski and Snowboard Federation had lobbied heavily for women's Nordic combined to be added to the programme, but the International Olympic Committee (IOC) did not follow suit.

In fact, the IOC has warned Nordic combined could be axed from the Olympics altogether, citing poor audience figures and a lack of competing countries.

After Lillehammer, nine more legs across five venues are scheduled to complete the women's World Cup season.