Australian cross-country skiers Hugo Hinckfuss and Seve de Campo have opened their Milano Cortina 2026 campaign in the men’s 20km Skiathlon, tackling one of the most physically demanding events on the Olympic program.
Hinckfuss finished 56th, with de Campo just three seconds behind in 57th, out of 74 starters.
Article courtesy olympics.com.au
For Hinckfuss, it was the first time he had competed in an Olympic Skiathlon.
“They say it’s always a good time to try something new at the Olympics,” he said.
“Honestly, a big reason I did it was because my whole extended family was here. It was really emotional to see them and hear them out there. I hadn’t seen some of them in so long.
“I kind of did it for them, and I’m so proud to represent my family and my country.”
The Skiathlon combines two event styles into a single race. The athletes start with 10km in classic technique, which utilises parallel tracks for the skis. They then switch skis and poles in an exchange zone before skiing the next 10km in freestyle, also known as skating.
The race in Val di Fiemme began under clear blue skies, with the track initially hard and fast before softening as temperatures climbed to around 6°C. The warming snow created increasingly challenging conditions, particularly on the downhill corners and transitions between sections of the course.
Cheered on by Chef de Mission Alisa Camplin and their friends and family, the Australians went out hard in the opening classic leg, working to stay connected with the main group. At several points during the race, de Campo and Hinckfuss skied together, pushing the pace and working tactically to close gaps to nearby competitors.
“I was really up for the fight, and I think we fought super hard,” de Campo said of the intense classic leg.
“There was a steep hill out the back where we struggled a bit for kick, which slowly wore me down. But the transition was insanely good, so that was a big tick. I picked up a couple of places on the skate, which was great. But it was brutal — really brutal," de Campo said of his tenth Skiathlon.
Hinckfuss highlighted the team approach and tactical focus that shaped the Australian performance.
“We had a plan to just give ourselves a chance in the first leg, and I think we really did. But the climbs were steep and tough, so some gaps formed. We fought as much as we could to close them, but the guys were just on such a high level today.
“At the end of the day, I tried to ski smooth and relaxed when I could. In the skate leg especially, when the downhills were breaking up so much, I tried to maximise the opportunities and take some different lines — and that really paid off.”
The race was won by Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, with France’s Mathis Desloges and Norway’s Martin Løwstrøm Nyenget rounding out the podium.
The Australians now turns their attention to the Classic Sprint on Tuesday 10 February, with four athletes set to compete.
Maddie Hooker and Ellen Søhol Lie will start in the women’s event, while Hinckfuss and Lars Vik Young will represent Australia in the men’s Sprint.
Hinckfuss finished 56th, with de Campo just three seconds behind in 57th, out of 74 starters.
Article courtesy olympics.com.au
For Hinckfuss, it was the first time he had competed in an Olympic Skiathlon.
“They say it’s always a good time to try something new at the Olympics,” he said.
“Honestly, a big reason I did it was because my whole extended family was here. It was really emotional to see them and hear them out there. I hadn’t seen some of them in so long.
“I kind of did it for them, and I’m so proud to represent my family and my country.”
The Skiathlon combines two event styles into a single race. The athletes start with 10km in classic technique, which utilises parallel tracks for the skis. They then switch skis and poles in an exchange zone before skiing the next 10km in freestyle, also known as skating.
The race in Val di Fiemme began under clear blue skies, with the track initially hard and fast before softening as temperatures climbed to around 6°C. The warming snow created increasingly challenging conditions, particularly on the downhill corners and transitions between sections of the course.
Cheered on by Chef de Mission Alisa Camplin and their friends and family, the Australians went out hard in the opening classic leg, working to stay connected with the main group. At several points during the race, de Campo and Hinckfuss skied together, pushing the pace and working tactically to close gaps to nearby competitors.
“I was really up for the fight, and I think we fought super hard,” de Campo said of the intense classic leg.
“There was a steep hill out the back where we struggled a bit for kick, which slowly wore me down. But the transition was insanely good, so that was a big tick. I picked up a couple of places on the skate, which was great. But it was brutal — really brutal," de Campo said of his tenth Skiathlon.
Hinckfuss highlighted the team approach and tactical focus that shaped the Australian performance.
“We had a plan to just give ourselves a chance in the first leg, and I think we really did. But the climbs were steep and tough, so some gaps formed. We fought as much as we could to close them, but the guys were just on such a high level today.
“At the end of the day, I tried to ski smooth and relaxed when I could. In the skate leg especially, when the downhills were breaking up so much, I tried to maximise the opportunities and take some different lines — and that really paid off.”
The race was won by Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, with France’s Mathis Desloges and Norway’s Martin Løwstrøm Nyenget rounding out the podium.
The Australians now turns their attention to the Classic Sprint on Tuesday 10 February, with four athletes set to compete.
Maddie Hooker and Ellen Søhol Lie will start in the women’s event, while Hinckfuss and Lars Vik Young will represent Australia in the men’s Sprint.
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