History-making results for Junior / U23 Australian Cross Country World Championship Team

The Australian Cross Country Team has recorded its best ever Nordic World Junior and U23 Championships campaign, with a record number of top-30 performances, plus career-best results.

The nine-strong team competing in Lygna, Norway, recorded six top-30 results from four different athletes. 

Following a strong 27th place in the Men's Junior 30km Freestyle Mass Start at the beginning of the competition, Beijing 2022 Olympian Hugo Hinckfuss backed up this result with a 30th place finish in the Men’s Junior 10km Classic out of 101 competitors. He also placed 47th in the 1.2km Sprint, only 1.6 seconds outside the top 30.

Fresh off his Olympic debut, the 18-year-old said he was thrilled to achieve his major goal of a top-30 result.

“I was really happy to see one of my largest goals realised in the World Junior Championships,” Hinckfuss said

“The [30km] race went really well, everything went according to plan.

“I have to thank all the support staff and my teammates for making this happen, even though it is an individual sport nothing can be achieved without a team.”

17-year-old Zana Evans also recorded two top-30 results, placing 28th in the Women's Junior 1.2km Sprint and  27th in the Junior 5km Classic.  After placing 25th in the Sprint qualification, Zana became the first ever Junior Australian to compete in the Sprint Finals.

“I am super stoked to have this experience under my belt and be able to perform even after some months overseas,” Evans said.

“It was an awesome way to end the trip and I am hungry for more skiing and competitions in the future.”

Beijing 2022 Olympian Lars Young Vik joined an exclusive group of athletes who have recorded a top-30 U23 result, when he placed 29th in the Men’s U23 1.2km Sprint. He joins the likes of Olympians Esther Bottomley, Ben Sim, Amiee Watson, Phil Beiilingham and Casey Wright as the only other Australians to have achieved a top-30 result when racing in the U23s.

Young Vik also placed 46th in the 15km Classic and helped the team of Phoebe Cridland, Tuva Bygrave and Bentley Walker-Broose place 17th in the 4x5km Mixed Relay.

Rosie Fordham placed 30th in the Women’s Junior 15km Freestyle Mass Start, with Zana Evans 50th and Junior World Championships debutant Lily Murnane recording her best result in 61st.

Head Coach Alexei Sotskov said Australia’s great results stemmed from a really close and supportive team environment.

“The success of athletes at the 2022 Junior/U23 World Championship was a result of great teamwork,” Stoskov said.

“For over three months they lived together, trained together, supported each other day after day. 

“It was so much fun to see, where everyone is not only caring about his or her performance, but making sure that everyone on the team is getting the most from each session.

“There is no doubt in my mind that this is only the beginning, I am super excited to continue to be part of this team," he said.