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Emma Archibald finished 13th in her World Championships debut, while Derek Zaplotinsky finished 7th.

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Mark Arendz was back to near-perfect form, shooting 20/20 and skiing to a dominant victory, securing his second world title of the week. Natalie Wilkie overcame an early miss but battled back on the skis, taking the win with just one miss for her second championship title.

Derek Zaplotinsky finally captured the World Championships medal he’s been chasing, delivering a flawless performance on the range and a strong ski to claim silver and his first-ever World Championships podium.

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Schilpario, Italy – February 7, 2025 – Edmonton’s Alison Mackie won her second consecutive bronze medal at the 2025 FIS Nordic Junior and U23 World Ski Championships, elevating Canada’s medal count to three.

Mackie completed the 10km course with a time of 28:07, finishing 36.2 seconds behind Norway’s Milla Grosberghaugen Andreassen, who took gold with a time of 27:31 Germany’s Anna Endress claimed the silver medal, clocking in at 28:00.

“Going into the championship, my goal was to get one medal, and that was a really scary thing to think about because I can’t control my competitors, whether I get sick again, or how the skis are,” said Mackie.

Last year at the 2024 championships, Mackie was sidelined from competition due to illness.

“I’m really proud to be skiing so consistently right now. A fourth and two thirds are a reflection of all my hard work over the past few years and the incredible support from the techs and staff here. I had great skis every single day.”

This achievement comes on the heels of Mackie’s historic bronze in the 20km mass start classic, which marked Canada’s first women’s Nordic Junior Worlds medal since 1989.”It just means the world knowing everyone is super happy and proud of you. And I’m proud of my teammates too—many of them got personal bests, and some are racing at their first Junior Worlds. Everyone has done amazing so far this week, and I’m excited to see what our relay team can do.”

With the mixed team relay on Sunday, Mackie is eager to continue Canada’s momentum. “Mindset is a really important part of it. As much as I can do to help my teammates get excited and ready, I’ll do my best. We’ll be talking about exchanges and tactics over the next couple of days, and I’m really looking forward to working with my teammates.”

Canada’s medal tally at the championships now stands at three, underscoring the talent, and system supporting the next generation of Canadian talent.

Full Results

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Competition resumes on Saturday.

Photos: IBU

Schilpario, Italy – February 6, 2025 – Quebec City’s Liliane Gagnon finished 5 seconds ahead of the fourth-place finisher in the 20km mass start classic race at the 2025 FIS Nordic U23 World Ski Championships, taking home the bronze for Team Canada. Sweden’s Maerta Rosenberg finished first in 55:56 and Norway’s Eva Ingebridgtsen finished second in 56 minutes.

Fourth place can be a tough result, but for Canada’s women, it’s been fuel. After three fourth place finishes for the women this season, including Edmonton’s Alison Mackie, Whitehorse’s Sonjaa Schmidt and Chelsea’s Katherine Stewart-Jones, the team knew they were primed for the podium.

“I think the Canadian women are on fire right now,” said Sonjaa Schmidt after her fourth place at the Engadine World Cup two weeks ago. “The fire is contagious within the team. We are hunting for a podium, and the cool thing is we don’t know who it’s going to be. It can be any one of us, which is inspiring, and it’s just a really great team to be around right now.”

Indeed, Alison Mackie broke the curse yesterday in the 20km mass start classic race in the Junior category, earning Canada’s first Women’s Nordic Junior Worlds medal since 1989.

“We truly are just getting things started as female cross-country skiers in Canada,” said Mackie “I’m really happy to podium on National Girls and Women in Sports Day. It’s a perfect day to have this result to show that anything is possible.”

For Gagnon, this moment was a long time coming. After multiple close calls last year, she had her sights set on an individual Championships podium—but not necessarily in this race.

“I’ve been dreaming of this medal for like a year now, especially after last year when I was so close to the podium a couple of times,” said Gagnon. “But to do it in the classic race, that was not in the plans, but really glad it happened, that’s for sure. So yeah, super stoked.”

It was a big day for Canadian skiers across the board. Jasmine Drolet finished 6^th. In the men’s race, Tom Stephen finished 5th, followed closely by Xavier McKeever in 7th. Canada, alongside powerhouse Norway, was one of only two nations to finish with two skiers in the top ten in both the men’s and women’s races.

“All Canadians had such strong performances, finishing higher than or very close to their bib numbers, which says something about the system in Canada,” said coach Tormod Vatten.

The FIS Nordic Junior and U23 World Ski Championships continue throughout the week. On Sunday, the Canadians will defend their history-making gold in the relay.

Full results here.

Cover Photo: Graeme Williams

“It feels amazing,” said Mackie. “I’ve been feeling really good this week and the past few weeks, and I knew that a top three was definitely in the cards. I’m really proud of how I skied the course today, and how I stuck with the leaders.”

Norway’s Milla Grosberghaugen Andreassen won the race with a time of 57:36. Her teammate Hanna Engesaeter Soerbye, secured the silver medal with a time of 58:04 while Mackie finished in bronze with a time of 58:07.

“We truly are just getting things started as female cross-country skiers in Canada,” said Mackie “I’m really happy to podium on National Girls and Women in Sports Day. It’s a perfect day to have this result to really show that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.”

After three fourth place finishes for the women this season, Mackie broke the streak that included a fourth by Alison herself in Monday’s Sprint Classic race, a fourth by Whitehorse’s Sonja Schmidt in the Engadin World Cup and a fourth by Ottawa’s Katherine Stewart-Jones in the World Cup Tour de Ski.

“I train with Sonjaa and Katherine a lot through the summer, and to see both of them having so much success this season was really inspiring for me going into this event.”

“Alison used her strengths to her advantage,” said Alison’s coach, Tormod Vatten. “Also all Canadians had such strong performances, finishing higher than or very close to their bib numbers, which says something about the system in Canada.”

It was a strong day for the rest of the team as well, with Clara Hegan finishing with a personal best world Junior finish in 17^th place, followed by Constance Lapointe in 27th and Aramintha Bradford in 31st. On the men’s side, Zachari Moreau finished 18th, Justin Boudreau placed 24th, and Jonas Rolseth came in 33rd.

The FIS Nordic Junior World Ski Championships continue throughout the week, with Canada’s athletes looking to build on Mackie’s success in the upcoming events.

“I’m hoping for a really strong race again on Friday in the skate individual start,” said Mackie. “I’m also looking forward to the mixed team relay where I know our team is a contender for the podium.”

Full Results

Cover photo Graeme Williams

“We’re very excited to partner with Nordiq Canada to bring live streaming to the 2025 Nordiq Canada Ski Nationals,” said Raphael Payo, from Salomon Canada. “Supporting the development of Canadian cross-country skiers is at the heart of our mission, and we’re proud to help make this event accessible to fans across the country.” 

Over 1,500 competitors, supporters, and ski enthusiasts are coming to Canmore from March 17-23 for the event. Racing on the same trails as the FIS Cross-Country World Cup hosted last season, Canada’s skiers will test themselves at a world class venue used to hosting some of the most prestigious events in the sport.  

“One of the best ways we can help grow the sport is by giving Canadians greater exposure to high performance racing,” said Megan Begley, Nordiq Canada’s CEO. “Not only will it allow ski fans to watch live, but the footage will allow us to create tools for coaches, officials, and athletes to continue learning and developing. It’s a super exciting project we are glad to see come to life”.  

The event will feature senior, junior, and Para Nordic skiers competing in sprints, distance races, and team events. In addition to national titles, the results will play a pivotal role in shaping next year’s World Cup and National Ski Teams. 

“We’re thrilled to have Salomon supporting the live stream at Nationals,” said Beckie Scott, a member of the Organizing Committee. “This partnership is an incredible opportunity to showcase our sport and the beautiful landscape of the Canmore Nordic Centre. We know there is demand for friends, family, and fans of the sport to be able to watch the events, and we are excited to be able to meet that demand.”  

The live stream will be available on Home Team Live, and more information on accessing the stream will be provided soon.  

For more information on the 2025 Nordiq Canada Ski Nationals visit:  

https://www.skinationals2025.ca/ 

Nordiq Canada Marketing and Engagement Coordinator 

Nathaniel Mah    

Nordiq Canada   

C: 403-700-4927  

E: nmah@nordiqcanada.ca  

Get your ideas ready!

Here is the template for your design

The criteria for entering in the contest is as follows:

• Contestants must be currently enrolled in a Nordiq Canada Track Attack program
• Contestants must be under 12 years old
• Artwork must be of original work

Selection process and timelines:

• Designs should be submitted to Julie Beaulieu (jbeaulieu@nordiqcanada.ca) by February 18, 2025.
• Nordiq Canada will select 10 final designs and voting will occur via Survey Monkey. The voting period will run from February 18 – 25. Please remember that only Nordiq Canada members are eligible to vote!
• Announcement of the ‘winning’ neck warmer design will be posted on Nordiq Canada’s Facebook page and website.

Get your ideas ready!

Here is the template for your design

The criteria for entering in the contest is as follows:

• Contestants must be currently enrolled in a Nordiq Canada Jackrabbit or Bunnyrabbit program
• Contestants must be between the ages of 5-9
• Artwork must be of original work

Selection process and timelines:

• Designs should be submitted to Julie Beaulieu (jbeaulieu@nordiqcanada.ca) by February 18, 2025.
• Nordiq Canada will select 10 final designs and voting will occur via Survey Monkey. The voting period will run from February 18 – 25. Please remember that only Nordiq Canada members are eligible to vote!
• Announcement of the ‘winning’ toque design will be posted on Nordiq Canada’s Facebook page and website.