By Gavin Kentch
For the second day in a row, Scandinavia claimed most podium spots in the 20-kilometer mass start classic race at 2025 World U23 Cross-Country Championships in Bergamo–Schilpario, while a Canadian woman provided a standout performance for North America.
Today it was Liliane Gagnon’s turn to take the bronze. It was Canada’s first women’s medal at U23s since Sonjaa Schmidt won the skate sprint in Planica a year ago today. It was Canada’s first women’s medal at U23 or World Juniors combined since Alison Mackie was third in yesterday’s race. Strong two days for our neighbours to the east.
The overall podium in today’s women’s race was Märta Rosenberg of Sweden in first, Eva Ingebrigtsen of Norway in second (+3.6), and Gagnon third (+8.5). It was a good day for Canada, with Jasmine Drolet, moonlighting from EISA racing for Dartmouth, finishing sixth (+1:40.7).
The Americans were led by Sydney Palmer-Leger (Park City; USST/SMS) in 17th, 2:53.7 back. She was followed by Kendall Kramer (Fairbanks; USST/Alaska Fairbanks) in 23rd (+3:35.7), Nina Seemann (Wheelock, Vermont; Dartmouth) in 31st (+5:34.7), and Emma Strack (Wilson, Vermont; St. Lawrence University) in 35th (+6:14.4).
It was a rough day for some of the American women, judging from, uh, Instagram stories. Here’s Palmer-Leger with some real talk from the post-race wax cabin:
“Broken ski and punched in the feed zone,” Palmer-Leger captioned another story from today. “Still a good day!!!”
And here’s Kramer, testing out the snow:
That’s ski racing for you. Sadie (Bjornsen) Maubet once told me that you should appreciate the victories because so many things have to go right in this sport to have a good day out there. Sometimes not all of those things go right. Onwards.
Mathias Holbæk of Norway has had a string of good days in this sport. He won the 20km classic mass start at World Juniors in Whistler in 2023. He won the 10km classic interval-start at World Juniors in Planica in 2024. And he won the 20km classic mass start in Schilpario today. (It has been reported elsewhere, as in FIS’s lead story headlined “Second gold for Rosenberg and Mass start hattrick for Hoelbaek [sic],” that Holbæk won the mass start race all three years in a row. This is incorrect. I like a narrative as much as the next reporter, but I like accuracy even more.)
Holbæk won by four-plus seconds today, which is enough time in a mass start race to stand up and celebrate across the line. You can see second and third in the background of the post embedded above, fighting to the end. Silver ultimately went to Niko Anttola of Finland (+4.5), with Thomas Linnebo Mollestad of Norway just behind in third (+4.8).
North America was again led by Canada, with Tom Stephen (bib no. 24) and Xav McKeever (bib no. 18) both dramatically outpacing their seeding to finish fifth (+37.6) and seventh (+55.9), respectively.
For the U.S., Michael Earnhart (Anchorage; USST/APU) reprised his role from Tuesday’s sprint as the highest-placing American, coming across the line in 12th (+1:04.5). He was followed by Will Koch (Peru, Vermont; USST/SMS/Colorado) in 29th (+2:26.1), Brian Bushey (Montpelier, Vermont; University of Utah) three seconds back in 30th (+2:29.1), and Jack Christner (Ripton, Vermont; Middlebury) in 47th (+5:21.3).
You can watch the full men’s race from today here (cued to Koch, bib no. 5, skiing at the lead shortly after the start):
And the women’s race here (cued to Palmer-Leger’s finish, with Kramer coming in shortly after her):
Friday brings the final day of individual juniors racing (there is a mixed relay on Sunday to close out the week) with the 10-kilometer interval-start skate. The American women send Sammy Smith, Nina Schamberger, Neve Gerard, and Lena Poduska to the start line, while Lucas Wilmot, Grey Barbier, Justin Lucas, and Jack Leveque carry the banner for the men.
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.
