2026 FIS World Junior/U23 Championships
Lillehammer, Norway
March 2-8, 2026
March 1st, 2026
Race day eve! On Sunday, we started our day by enjoying our last breakfast cooked by Chef Mathias. This was the day we’d be leaving our cabin in Sjusjøen and traveling to our race week accommodation closer to the race venue (Birkebeineren Ski Stadium). The junior team headed to the race stadium to prepare for the next day’s skate sprint race. Upon arriving at the venue, we tested our race skis to narrow down the selection for the following day. We then got into our super suits and did our race prep intensity session, practicing on the race course and getting our bodies warm and ready. Meanwhile, the U23s had an easy ski session at Sjusjøen that morning.
We headed back up to our lodge in Sjusjøen to eat lunch and pack up our gear. That afternoon, we all traveled down to the Scandic Hotel in Hafjell — our home for race week. After getting settled in, we went for a walk to flush out our legs and stopped at the grocery store to pick up the essentials (candy). Later, we enjoyed dinner together at the hotel buffet. It wasn’t quite as delicious as Mathias’ cooking, but still good. Interesting desserts too.
After dinner, we had a team meeting to go over the race day schedule, logistics, and race plans/tactics for the sprint day. The 1.4km race course is hilly and technical, so most of us planned to start our qualifier powerfully but controlled, and push over the second half of the course into the final climb and finishing stretch. There is a high-speed downhill coming into the finish, so we knew positioning would be very important for the heats. Pumped but nervous, we went to bed.
By Ruby Serrouya (Revelstoke Nordic Ski Club)
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
https://www.crosscountrybc.ca/bc-athletes-2026-world-junioru23-championships-update-2
https://www.crosscountrybc.ca/c-athletes-2026-world-junioru23-championships-update-3
https://www.crosscountrybc.ca/bc-athletes-2026-world-junioru23-championships-update-4
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)
