Dear XC Skiers,

As we draw toward the end of this winter the Snow Australia XC Committee is pleased to announce provisional National teams for 2022-2023. With Covid-19 hampering team selection over the past two years, it’s refreshing to be able to invite new faces formally onto the Junior Team in particular. These teams will be made official at the start of November after athletes have accepted the invitation and completed other team requirements.

This update includes flashbacks to the closing races of the 2022 winter, including yet another sensational day at the Kangaroo Hoppet, the first Australian Junior Championships since 2019, and an Interschools at Perisher that somehow managed to escape a torrential downpour. In the middle of all this the 2022 ANC Continental Cup was wrapped up - congratulations to the overall series winners Katerina Paul and Seve de Campo and all the competitors involved.

Recent weeks have seen great spring skiing, including an excellent spring training camp at Falls Creek. I would like to take the opportunity to praise the efforts of NSWACT coach Alexei Sotskov, who, in addition to supporting multiple levels of the athlete pathway at Perisher throughout the winter, has bookended the season as lead coach on our national team camps.

Planning is now in full swing for the northern hemisphere winter, where Australia will send teams to the 2023 World University Games in the USA, the 2023 World Junior/U23s in Canada, and the 2023 World Championships in Slovenia. The qualification status of athletes for these events (and selections when finalised) are available here on the Snow Australia site. Athlete fees to attend these events are in the range of $2500-$3500 each. Donations to help fund expenses can be made via Snow Australia’s ASF project page, adding to funds already raised via the Sundeck Cup, Hoppet waxing and T-shirt / buff sales.

In the coming months a stack of reviews and planning will take place within the various national and state committees. Feedback on Snow Australia events and programs is welcome and can be supplied directly to committee members or via email to fmarsland@snow.org.au.

Happy skiing to all, see below for a snapshot from my last family ski of the winter.

Finn Marsland

Cross Country Skiing Program Director

Snow Australia would like to announce the provisional Cross-Country Skiing National Teams for 2022-2023. These athletes have met the required performance standards and will be invited to join the teams. The final teams will be confirmed at the start of November following consideration of discretionary selection, reviews of individual performance plans and signing of athlete agreements.

The provisional teams include seven Winter Olympians, including the six that represented Australia in Beijing earlier this year, a really strong Continental Cup Team, and a new cohort of Junior Team athletes for the first time since 2020. The Junior Squad program that began during Covid-19 will also continue on, with opportunties for up and coming juniors to attend training camps when availability allows.

Over 50 of the best up and coming junior cross country skiers competed in the National championship races at Falls Creek on the first weekend of September. The weather was brilliant and the track setting and courses were top notch. Freestyle sprints were contested on Saturday and classic distance races on Sunday.

The sprint races began with a time trial, followed by quarter finals, semi-finals and finals depending on the number of entrants. In the Open Junior class there were close battles for the podium places. Maddie Hooker from Falls Creek won the U20 women’s final, ahead of Heli Laajoki from Canberra and Olivia Schubert from Melbourne. In the men’s final Jayden Spring from Melbourne won out ahead of 2020 Youth Winter Olympian John Mordes from Melbourne and Noah Bradford from Sydney.

AUSXC athletes took advantage of excellent late snow conditions for a spring training camp at Falls Creek from September 11-16. Fourteen athletes participated in the camp under the guidance of NSWACT / AUSXC coach Alexei Sotskov, with guest coaches Alessandro Longo (Italy) and Arlo Hook (S&C, ACTAS). Training for the week was predominantly high volume, with technique refinement throughout.

“It was awesome to get Alexei and Alessandro’s technique drills and feedback during the week, and also lovely to have a team back skiing together again. There was a great balance between having a technique focus and skiing to cement these, and I got a great deal out of the classic technique coaching session that Alexei ran as well.” - Ella Jackson

Following a five-race 2022 domestic Cross Country season, Katerina Paul and Seve de Campo have been crowned Australia’s XC Continental Cup winners.

Taking out her third XC Continental Cup title, Katerina Paul won the women’s championship with a total of 390 points.

Paul won the two Sprint events at the Australian Open at Falls Creek and Australian Championships at Perisher. She placed second in the 10km Freestyle at Falls Creek, and third in the 5km Classic at Perisher. She also secured 50 points with her 4th place finish in the 42km Kangaroo Hoppet last weekend, securing her the top spot on the Continental Cup standings.

Phoebe Cridland was second with 280 points following one gold and three bronze results this season. Zana Evans was third with one gold and two silver medals for a total of 260 points.

Nearly 1,000 cross country skiers from 22 countries descended on Falls Creek for the 30th staging of the Kangaroo Hoppet XC Ski Marathon.

The Hoppet, part of the prestigious Worldloppet Ski Federation of marathon events, is the largest annual snowsports event in the southern hemisphere and attracts elite and citizen skiers from around the world.

Perfect weather and tracks greeted the skiers as they wound their way through the course from the Falls Creek Nordic Bowl across the Bogong High Plains.

The USA took out the men’s and women’s main 42km events with Jessie Diggins and Peter Wolter making it a US double. Diggins positioned herself well in the lead pack on the tough Paralyser climb and was able to get a break on teammate Julia Kern as the skiers descended from the Bogong High Plains. Kern was able to put a good break on Casey Wright, third place, after Wright and Kat Paul battled hard for the final podium placing. 

The Sport Australia Hall of Fame (SAHOF) has announced the remaining 16 scholarships for up-and-coming elite athletes in its 2023 Scholarship and Mentoring Program

Cross Country Skier Hugo Hinckfuss has been named as one of the 16 recipients of the Tier 3 Scholarship, with each athlete receiving a grant of $2,500 plus support from SAHOF and its esteemed member base over the next 15 months.

It comes off the back of an incredible international season for the 19-year-old who made his Olympic debut at Beijing 2022, represented Australia at the Junior World Championships and made his World Cup debut

Braving a mixture of falling snow and chilling rain, hundreds of athletes sped around the Cross Country Skiing course, chasing national titles at the 2022 SUBARU Australian Interschools Championships.

While the weather conditions made for slushy and challenging terrain, spectators lined the course to cheer on the athletes in the individual and relay events.

NSW/ACT Junior Team members Satara Moon and Charlotte Walker-Broose both took home two medals from the event.