Max Hollmann Claims Day Two Victory at Olympic Trials While Sonjaa Schmidt Celebrates her Birthday with Back-to-Back Wins
Vernon, B.C. Dec. 15, 2025 — Max Hollmann and Sonjaa Schmidt captured the 10km interval start free race on Day Two of the Nordiq Canada 2026 Olympic Winter Games Trials. With that win Hollmann adds his name alongside Sonjaa Schmidt and Tom Stephen to the nomination list for Canada’s Olympic cross-country skiing team.
Hollmann, from Thunder Bay, Ont., crossed the line in 24:50.8 to take the men’s victory, just ahead of Rémi Drolet (25:04.0, Rossland, B.C.) and Tom Stephen (25:16.7, Calgary, Alta.).
The win was surprising for Hollmann, who broke his scaphoid bone and underwent surgery in early October, spending months training without poles. “Feels great. I was definitely not expecting it,” Hollmann said. “Eleven weeks ago I broke my scaphoid, got surgery five weeks ago, and the surgeon said I might not even be skiing by now. Honestly, I had no expectations, I’m just happy to be here.”
From not even knowing if he was going to able to race at the event to winning, Hollmann said the moment he realized he had won was unforgettable.
“I didn’t actually realize I was leading when I crossed the line until I saw my teammates,” he said. “Seeing their faces light up and feeding off that energy was amazing.”
In the women’s race, Schmidt celebrated her birthday by claiming her second consecutive win with a time of 28:36.2. Jasmine Drolet (29:05.7, Rossland, B.C.) came back from a tough first day of racing to finish second, while Amelia Wells (29:36.1, Victoria, B.C.) rounded out the podium.
Drolet’s rebound was one of the highlights of the day. After crossing the line in tears yesterday, the U23 World Championship relay gold medalist showed resilience in a technique that isn’t her specialty.
Her brother Rémi also finished second in the men’s race, making it a family double podium.
“It feels good,” Drolet said. “I had a lot of pent-up energy from yesterday and wanted to give it my all today. Free technique isn’t my strongest, so to finish second feels amazing. Yesterday was hard, but I knew I had more to give.” Both Hollmann and Drolet were part of Canada’s U23 gold medal relay team in Planica, Slovenia, and their performances prove their potential for the Olympic stage.
Tomorrow will be the trials first head-to-head format race with the sprint free event hosting the perfect platform for athletes to try to grab a remaining nomination spot on Canada’s cross-country Olympic Team.
Women’s podium:
- Sonjaa Schmidt — 28:36.2 (Whitehorse, Yukon)
- Jasmine Drolet — 29:05.7 (Rossland, B.C.)
- Amelia Wells — 29:36.1 (Victoria, B.C.)
Men’s podium:
- Max Hollmann — 24:50.8 (Thunder Bay, Ont.)
- Rémi Drolet — 25:04.0 (Rossland, B.C.)
- Tom Stephen — 25:16.7 (Calgary, Alta.)
Full Results: https://zone4.ca/race/2025-12-15/67a43f40/results
Photos for Media use (Photo Credit Vanessa Garrison): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QjgMmcsHsAcaGfXsxIPiyk2z8eyvGlTe?usp=drive_link
Athlete interviews: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QjgMmcsHsAcaGfXsxIPiyk2z8eyvGlTe?usp=drive_link