2024 Youth Winter Olympics - XC FAQ

The next Winter Youth Olympic Games (WYOG) will take place in Gangwon, South Korea, at the end of January 2024. Australia is in the running to send up to two men and two women to compete in Cross Country Skiing, which has three competition days on the schedule between January 29 and February 1.

Selection of cross country skiers to represent Australia at the WYOG will be based on performances during the 2023 Australian winter. The full nomination and selection criteria is available on Snow Australia's Gangwon 2024 information page. This article provides an overview of the events to be held in Gangwon and key features of the nomination criteria.

What Cross Country Skiing events will be held?

Equal distances for men and women were rolled out by FIS on the World Cup and World Junior Championships last season, and are also on the schedule for the WYOG.

• 29 January – Freestyle Sprint 
• 30 January – Classic 7.5km 
• 1 February – Mixed Relay (2 Classic / 2 Freestyle)

Who is eligible to compete?

For cross country skiing, athletes need to be born between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2008, be FIS registered, and have scored FIS points between 1 July 2022 and 17 December 2023. To acquire a FIS licence, athletes need to have the XC International Racer membership (Sport or National Racers can upgrade from within the membership portal).

How many athletes can compete?

A total of 160 cross country skiers are able to compete, with a maximum quota per nation of three men and three women. The quota allocation is determined by FIS and the IOC, and is detailed in the document Qualification System - Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024.

As of 1 July 2023, Australia has a quota of two male and two female cross country skiing athletes. The final quotas are determined after 17 December 2023, when the YOG quota allocation list is finalised. It is expected that Australia will retain these four quota places - at this stage it is not possible to gain more.

How will the Australian Team be selected?

As outlined in the YOG 2024 Nomination and Selection Criteria for Cross Country Skiing, a Snow Australia Selection Panel will recommend athletes for nomination who are likely to achieve the best results in the 2024 WYOG in individual or multiple events. In particular, the selection panel will consider performances in the following selection events:

• 19 August - Australian Open Sprint Freestyle, Falls Creek
• 20 August - Australian Open 10km Classic, Falls Creek
• 2 September - Australian Junior Sprint Classic, Perisher
• 3 September - Australian Junior 7.5km Freestyle, Perisher

Following these events, a ranking list of athletes in line for nomination will be produced.

Can athletes represent Australia in both Cross Country Skiing and Biathlon?

To maximise the opportunity for more athletes to gain experience at the WYOG, it has been agreed that the same athlete will not be nominated in both Cross Country Skiing and Biathlon. Any athletes in line to be nominated in both sports will need to choose their preferred discipline.

How will athletes prepare for Gangwon?

Planning is underway for a Snow Australia preparation camp in Europe in the month leading into the WYOG. This is likely to be a combined camp with athletes preparing for the 2024 World Junior Championships in Planica, Slovenia, which take place at the start of February. A coach and wax technician will then head to Gangwon with the WYOG athletes, while other coaches continue the preparation for Planica. In addition, a training camp will be held at the end of the winter in Australia.

Further information

Any questions on the cross country skiing nomination and selection for the 2024 WYOG should be directed to Cross Country Program Director Finn Marsland via fmarsland@snow.org.au.

John Mordes competing at the 2020 WYOG in Lausanne