2026 FIS World Junior/U23 Championships
Lillehammer, Norway
March 2-8, 2026
February 25th
February 25th was a rest day for the team as there are superstitions that the fourth day is usually a rough one for jet lag. The schedule for our rest day had been meticulously planned and thought through by the coaches. It consisted of a trip to downtown Lillehammer (in two different groups due to vehicle space), and a visit of the Swix factory. The girls group left around 9:30 AM and got dropped off in Lillehammer to browse around in the beautiful Norwegian boutiques. Meanwhile, most of the boys met up for a short tour of the Swix factory. The tour was quick but interesting. We got to see where the glide and kick wax is made, learn about the number of ingredients and wax testing, and learn about the process of packaging until the wax is ready to sell. 65% of the world’s ski wax comes from Swix! To finish off the tour our group went shopping in the Swix store, and most of us could not resist purchasing a new Swix item. Following that everyone returned to Sjusjøen for another amazing lunch prepared by Mathias, hungry and tired after a hard morning of shopping and visiting.
The afternoon was very relaxed and everyone picked their own activities varying between doing homework, napping, stretching, playing games, etc.…. The day ended with a delicious dinner prepared by Mathias. Following that the group played a game, and then everyone went to get a good night of sleep in order to be well rested for training the next day.
By Louison Dubief (Fernie Nordic Society)
Tuesday, February 24th
Tuesday morning started with a bang! After scarfing down a phenomenal breakfast from the amazing chef Mattias, we wasted no time getting out on some skis. For another bluebird day at Sjusjøen, some long easy skate skiing was in order. The U20s all headed out blindly into the woods for some adventure. With countless navigational errors, some healthy sunburns, and empty stomachs, we returned to the lodge. The afternoon was filled with schoolwork (cards and games), and meetings. Most of us went out in groups for some quick sunset skis before having another team dinner and meeting. Before we settled in for the night, we played some more cards, some of the boys had a sauna, and some relaxed around the lodge. Having just had one of the best ski days of my life, I’m pretty sure we all went to bed excited to see what tomorrow would bring.
By Finn Redman (Telemark Nordic Club)
Monday, February 23rd
Our day started off around 7:30 with a delicious breakfast of yogurt, granola, fresh focaccia bread, and jams. After breakfast, the U20 women grabbed classic skis from the wax cabin across from the lodge and skied down the alpine run to the nordic stadium. We then tested our grip before heading out as a group to pre ski our interval loop. Once we were warmed up, most began a progressive interval workout of 4x(4’;4’) in the soft, new snow conditions. After finishing the workout, we skied around the stadium area for a few minutes before heading back up to the lodge.
At noon, we had yet another delicious meal prepared by chef Mathias before almost everyone began to chip away at their homework. Later in the afternoon, I ran down to the gym to meet the other U20s who were doing a light strength workout. The gym was located on the edge of the stadium and was small but very nice! After strength, we showered and ate dinner before heading to bed for the night.
By Eula Palmer-Bird (Sovereign Lake Nordic Club, Vernon)
Results: https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/general/event-details.html?sectorcode=CC&eventid=62427&seasoncode=2026
Previous reports from the 2026 WJC: https://www.crosscountrybc.ca/2026-fis-world-junioru23-championships-update-1
BC Athletes Competing in the 2028 World Jr/U23 Championships
Eamon Wilson (Hollyburn Cross Country Ski Club, Burnaby)
Ella Fuller (Fernie Nordic Ski Club)
Eula Palmer-Bird (Sovereign Lake Nordic Club, Vernon)
Finn Redman (Telemark Nordic Club, Kelowna)
Louison Dubief (Fernie Nordic Ski Club)
Madeleine Wilkie (Larch Hills Nordic Society, Salmon Arm)
Marlie Molinaro (Revelstoke Nordic Ski Club)
Raleigh Tarte (Kimberley Nordic Club)
Ruby Serrouya (Revelstoke Nordic Ski Club)
