Australia has celebrated a historic milestone in cross-country skiing, with Lars Young Vik and Hugo Hinckfuss qualifying ninth overall to become the nation’s first-ever Olympic Team Sprint finalists.
On the demanding course in Val di Fiemme at the 2026 Winter Olympics, the Australian duo delivered composed and powerful performances to finish well inside the top 15 nations required to progress to the final.
Article courtesy olympics.com.au
In the final, the duo finished 14th after three fast-paced laps of the course each. It marks a significant breakthrough for Australian cross-country skiing on the Olympic stage.
The Australian women’s team of Rosie Fordham and Phoebe Cridland placed 18th in the qualification rankings. The pair showed strong form throughout, however Cridland was unfortunate to fall in the finishing straight.
Lars Young Vik admitted afterwards that while it may not have felt like the race of his life physically, the result speaks for itself.
“Result-wise, probably yes. I was so nervous. In the first part I was thinking, ‘Am I fast enough?’ But I knew I had a lot of energy in the tank, and I could really push over those two hills. That was really cool.”
He reflected that some of his World Cup races last season, where he hovered around 30th, may have felt stronger physically.
“I’ve been feeling a bit off the past month, and it’s starting to get better now. But result-wise, this is definitely the best.”
Hugo Hinckfuss was full of praise for his teammate.
“That was incredible. Lars did everything. Seeing him on that first leg, he really set the standard for us as a country. Mentally, the job was done, and I just had to do what I could. I’m so impressed and so happy with how he skied today.”
For Hinckfuss, the result was about more than just one race.
“We’ve been waiting for this day for four years. The Olympics haven’t gone how we hoped, and our motto was, ‘Save the season.’ Today we’re saving the season. We’re trying to make everyone proud at home. I’m just so proud of Lars.”
Sweden’s Jonna Sundling and Maja Dahlqvist claimed victory in the women’s Team Sprint, ahead of Switzerland’s Nadja Kälin and Nadine Fähndrich in second, and Germany’s Laura Gimmler and Coletta Rydzek in third.
In the men’s event, Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo and Einar Hedegart took the win, marking Klæbo’s fifth Olympic gold medal of the Games, with the United States pairing of Ben Ogden and Gus Schumacher finishing second, and Italy’s Elia Barp and Federico Pellegrino rounding out the podium in third.
On the demanding course in Val di Fiemme at the 2026 Winter Olympics, the Australian duo delivered composed and powerful performances to finish well inside the top 15 nations required to progress to the final.
Article courtesy olympics.com.au
In the final, the duo finished 14th after three fast-paced laps of the course each. It marks a significant breakthrough for Australian cross-country skiing on the Olympic stage.
The Australian women’s team of Rosie Fordham and Phoebe Cridland placed 18th in the qualification rankings. The pair showed strong form throughout, however Cridland was unfortunate to fall in the finishing straight.
Lars Young Vik admitted afterwards that while it may not have felt like the race of his life physically, the result speaks for itself.
“Result-wise, probably yes. I was so nervous. In the first part I was thinking, ‘Am I fast enough?’ But I knew I had a lot of energy in the tank, and I could really push over those two hills. That was really cool.”
He reflected that some of his World Cup races last season, where he hovered around 30th, may have felt stronger physically.
“I’ve been feeling a bit off the past month, and it’s starting to get better now. But result-wise, this is definitely the best.”
Hugo Hinckfuss was full of praise for his teammate.
“That was incredible. Lars did everything. Seeing him on that first leg, he really set the standard for us as a country. Mentally, the job was done, and I just had to do what I could. I’m so impressed and so happy with how he skied today.”
For Hinckfuss, the result was about more than just one race.
“We’ve been waiting for this day for four years. The Olympics haven’t gone how we hoped, and our motto was, ‘Save the season.’ Today we’re saving the season. We’re trying to make everyone proud at home. I’m just so proud of Lars.”
Sweden’s Jonna Sundling and Maja Dahlqvist claimed victory in the women’s Team Sprint, ahead of Switzerland’s Nadja Kälin and Nadine Fähndrich in second, and Germany’s Laura Gimmler and Coletta Rydzek in third.
In the men’s event, Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo and Einar Hedegart took the win, marking Klæbo’s fifth Olympic gold medal of the Games, with the United States pairing of Ben Ogden and Gus Schumacher finishing second, and Italy’s Elia Barp and Federico Pellegrino rounding out the podium in third.
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