Australian team selected for Cross Country Junior/U23 World Championships

Eleven athletes have been selected to represent Australia at the 2024 Nordic World Junior and U23 Championships, which takes place from 5-11 February in Planica, Slovenia.

Phoebe Cridland, Rosie Fordham, Lars Young Vik and Bentley Walker-Broose all competed at the recent Goms World Cup in Switzerland as part of their preparation, while Fedele de Campo made his World Cup debut earlier this winter.

All five have competed previously at the U23 World Championship, while for Emily Champion, Hannah Price and Noah Bradford this will be their first U23 Worlds..

Jayden Spring and Heli Laajoki are set to make their World Junior Championship debuts in Planica with Maddie Hooker (pictured) looking to improve on her performances from last year’s event.

Most of the team has been in Europe at least since late December, with Fordham and Hooker joining recently from the USA where they have been racing for their university teams.

Australian Team Head Coach Alexei Sotskov will lead the team to Planica, and knows the venue well from the 2023 World Championship held on the same tracks.

Sotskov is supported in Planica by his wife and team manager Victoria Sotskov, assistant coach and former U23 representative Adam Barnett (seeing a FIS championship from behind the fence for the first time), and experienced wax techs Fabian Mauz and Toni Escher. 

The team is certainly looking forward to competition getting underway on Monday:

Noah Bradford: “I’m excited to be attending my second XC Championships and after competing in juniors am looking forward to see how I can do at my first U23s.”

Fedele de Campo: “Feeling strong heading into U23s. Battles ripe for the winning lay ahead.”

Maddie Hooker: “It’s been incredible skiing here in Europe and with World Juniors a couple of days away l’m super excited to start racing.”

Jayden Spring: “I am ecstatic to be racing with the Aus crew, it will be nice to have a hit out with the best in the world.”

Rosie Fordham: I’m excited to be back racing with the Australian team at the upcoming U23s. Hoping to build on my early season races to put together a good result at these championships!”

Lars Young Vik: “I’m really excited for the events in Planica! I did the senior world champs here last season so I feel like I already know the course quite well. Also very excited to have a big team here this year!”

Bentley Walker-Broose: “After having some issues healthwise last year I’m really keen to show how fast I can ski in Planica this year. My shape has been improving with every race weekend this season and I’m super excited to lay it all out on track for my last U23 championships.”

Live timing for all events is available via the FIS website:
https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/general/event-details.html?sectorcode=CC&eventid=53968&seasoncode=2024

FIS U23/Junior Cross Country World Championships
5-11 February | Planica SLO

AUSTRALIAN TEAM
U23 Women: Emily Champion, Phoebe Cridland, Rosie Fordham, Hannah Price
U23 Men: Noah Bradford, Fedele de Campo, Bentley Walker-Broose, Lars Young Vik
Junior Women: Maddie Hooker, Heli Laajoki

Junior Men: Jayden Spring 

Event Schedule
Mon 5 Feb - Junior Sprint Freestyle
Tue 6 Feb - U23 Sprint Freestyle
Wed 7 Feb - Junior 20km Freestyle (Mass Start)
Thu 8 Feb - U23 20km Freestyle (Mass Start)
Fri 9 Feb - Junior 10km Classic (Interval Start)
Sat 10 Feb - U23 10km Classic (Interval Start)
Sun 11 Feb - Junior & U23 4x5km Mixed Relay

It’s not too late to support the team! Though team fundraising activities were limited in 2023, some of the accommodation expenses at the WJC-U23s will be offset by funds raised via the Sundeck Cup in August and from a donation from AGL.

Additional tax-free donations can be made via the link below – each additional $175 will cover one night per athlete:

https://asf.org.au/projects/snow-australia/ausxc-2024-world-junior-u23-championship