By Gavin Kentch
On a day when Norway once more dominated the podium, Alison Mackie of Canada carried the flag for North America, placing third in Wednesday’s 20-kilometer mass start classic race at 2025 World Junior Cross-Country Championships in Bergamo–Schilpario. It was Canada’s first women’s medal at World Juniors since 1989.
The Americans were again led by Sammy Smith (Hailey, Idaho; USST/Sun Valley), who was 14th. Smith was followed by Maeve Ingelfinger (Glacier, Montana; Dartmouth) in 23rd and Lena Poduska (Wilson, Wyoming; Jackson Hole Ski Club) in 26th.
For the men, Lucas Wilmot (Wilson, Wyoming; University of Utah and Jackson Hole Ski Club) was the top American finisher in 19th. Roughly a minute later came Cole Flowers (Anchorage; UAF and Alaska Winter Stars) in 28th; Flowers was followed by Grey Barbier (Steamboat Springs; Montana State and SSWSC) in 44th and Justin Lucas (Anchorage; APU) in 47th.
Milla Grosberghaugen Andreassen of Norway was clearly the strongest skier today. She won by nearly 30 seconds after breaking away in the final lap, coming into the stadium with time to celebrate down the home stretch. It is Andreassen’s second podium finish this week, following a third in the classic sprint on Monday.
Andreassen was followed by Hanna Engesæter Sørbye, also of Norway (+28.2), who was slightly ahead of Mackie (+31.3). You can watch the finishes of the top three athletes here:
Behind them, Smith finished 3:10.2 back, Ingelfinger 4:45.3 back, and Poduska 5:19.1 back. There was a fair amount of carnage separation out there, with ninth place finishing nearly three minutes back over 20km and some top athletes losing roughly two minutes over the final third of the race.
Nina Schamberger (Leadville, Colorado; University of Utah and Summit Nordic Ski Club) did not finish today. Schamberger has struggled with back pain in longer classic races over the past few years, possibly stemming from a hard crash and concussion at 2023 U.S. Nationals in Houghton; I watched her literally be carried off the course at 2023 World Juniors in Whistler, and she had to endure dropping out of the 20km classic at 2024 NCAA Championships. But she was also seventh in a 20km classic in a Period 1 SuperTour earlier this season, so rather than speculate at this remove — there are multiple reasons why an athlete may have to DNF a race — I will direct you to Ryan Sederquist’s compassionate profile of Schamberger (and fellow Coloradan Will Bentley) from early January.
There were also noticeable time gaps in the men’s race, which Lars Heggen of Norway broke away late to win in 51:12.1. Gabriele Matli of Italy (+9.1) and Leopold Strand of Norway (+9.4) got the best of a four-man chase pack to claim the final two podium spots. Behind them, Davide Negroni of Italy came in nearly a minute later for sixth.
Wilmot finished 2:59.6 back, in the middle of a large pack. Flowers was 4:11.7 back, Barbier 6:37.5 back after a strong start, and Lucas 7:06 back.
You can watch the full men’s race from today here (both videos are cued up to the start start, not the B-roll footage and local tourism ads start):
And the women’s race here:
Racing continues tomorrow with another 20km classic, this one for U23s. For the U.S., Will Koch, Brian Bushey, Michael Earnhart, and Jack Christner are on the start list for the men, and Sydney Palmer-Leger, Kendall Kramer, Nina Seemann, and Emma Strack for the women.
You’re reading this on Nordic Insights, one man’s labor of love dedicated to publicizing American nordic skiing. Last season’s GoFundMe is literally the only reason why I turned a profit in years one and two of Nordic Insights, and in turn the only reason why there is a year three of Nordic Insights for you to be reading now: I was okay with working for very little money to get this love letter to American cross-country skiing off the ground, but I didn’t want to lose money for the privilege of doing so. If you would like to support what remains a brutally shoestring operation, last season’s GoFundMe may be found here. Thank you for your consideration, and, especially, for reading.
