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Developing Young Athletes: What’s the Hurry?

This article was made possible through the generous support of our voluntary subscribers.  If you want more coverage like this, please support FasterSkier with a voluntary subscription.   In many endurance sports in the U.S.—including cross-country skiing—there seems to be a desire to identify standout U16 athletes as future stars. USSS, team programs, and coaches often respond by elevating their competition opportunities and increasing their training beyond what their physiological development can realistically support. In my early...

One Fine Day—Olympic Team Sprint, 2026

This article was made possible through the generous support of our voluntary subscribers.  If you would like to see more articles like this one, please support FasterSkier with a voluntary subscription.   Track and Field’s Sprint Relay is a full-throttle dash of 4 x 100 meters transporting a sometimes-slippery baton around a single lap of the 400 meter track. True sprinters only, please. Track Cycling’s Team Sprint is a one kilometer max effort in which three cyclists...

Jim Galanes—the FasterSkier Interview

This article was made possible through the generous support of our voluntary subscribers.  If you want more coverage like this, please support FasterSkier with a voluntary subscription.   Coach, competitor, correspondent, commentator—Jim Galanes has spent a lifetime on cross country skis, always serving as a keen observer of our sport. A three-time Olympian in both Cross-Country and Nordic Combined, Jim has tested the theories, initiated the instruction, assessed the results. Now, FasterSkier is thrilled to announce...

21 Athletes Named to the 2025-26 Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team

U.S. Ski & Snowboard officially nominates 21 athletes to the 2025-26 Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team roster. The team is nominated based on pre-determined selection criteria. The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team announces its teams in two phases: nomination and acceptance. The athletes are formally nominated to the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team in May. Pending their acceptance of the nomination and adherence to the team expectations outlined in the team criteria, athletes will...

World Cup Priorities, 2025-2026

This article was made possible through the generous support of our voluntary subscribers.  If you would like to see more articles like this one, please support FasterSkier with a voluntary subscription.   The International Ski Federation (FIS) recently announced its World Cup schedule for 2025-2026. The questions that announcement inpsires are these: does it really matter, and will skiers actually show up? It’s an Olympic year, after all . . . it’s hard for athletes to prioritize...

One Fine Day—Olympic 4 x 7.5 k Relay, 2026

This article was made possible through the generous support of our voluntary subscribers.  If you would like to see more articles like this one, please support FasterSkier with a voluntary subscription.   With the Norwegian men and Swedish women so likely to dominate the relays, these should be the least surprising races on the Olympic cross-country skiing schedule. But Olympic relays have a long history of not turning out the way that fans, experts, and odds-makers predict....

Johannes’ Olympic Dilemma

This article was made possible through the generous support of our voluntary subscribers.  If you would like to see more articles like this one, please support FasterSkier with a voluntary subscription.   Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo faces a bizarre dilemma of the sort experienced only by stars and legends: either he authors another miracle in 2026—making lightning strike a second time—or he disappoints the whole sporting world. Those are Klaebo’s options as he looks forward to the Olympic...

One Fine Day—Olympic 10 k Freestyle, 2026

This article was made possible through the generous support of our voluntary subscribers.  If you would like to see more articles like this one, please support FasterSkier with a voluntary subscription.   In an earlier era of our sport, all Nordic ski races were interval start events; every distance at every championship, individual skiers racing against the clock, disappearing into the woods on a single sinuous track, returning to a finish line after the challenging completion of...

Jessie’s Olympic Dilemma

This article was made possible through the generous support of our voluntary subscribers.  If you would like to see more articles like this one, please support FasterSkier with a voluntary subscription.   In 2025, Jessie Diggins won the World Cup overall title for a third time—and for the second year in a row. How can such a terrific achievement end up creating a dilemma? Here’s how . . . American media has numerous and gaping blind spots...

GMVS Seeks Nordic Program Director

Green Mountain Valley School, located in Waitsfield, VT, is seeking an experienced, inspiring, and mission-aligned Nordic Program Director to lead its cross-country ski program and help shape the next generation of champions and leaders. Interested in Learning More? As Nordic Program Director, you’ll oversee all aspects of our Nordic program, from high-level coaching and athlete development to program strategy and recruitment. You’ll play a key leadership role in a collaborative school community that values excellence,...

One Fine Day—Olympic Classic Sprint, 2026

This article was made possible through the generous support of our voluntary subscribers.  If you would like to see more articles like this one, please support FasterSkier with a voluntary subscription.   Fast-forward to February 10, 2026—Val di Fiemme, Italy. Day 2 of the Olympic Cross Country schedule is a Classic Sprint, with medals being awarded in both men’s and women’s events on the same day. That means this Classic Sprint takes place after two days of...

Revelstoke Nordic Seeks Head Coach

Revelstoke, BC, Canada Job Opportunity: Nordic Head Coach Reports To: Head Coach Supervisor Closing Date: 8:00PM, PST. May 16, 2025 The Revelstoke Nordic Ski Club (RNSC) is currently seeking a motivated and energetic individual to fill the full-time position of Nordic Head Coach. The position will lead and/or oversee programming from the Learning to Train through to the Training to Win phases of athlete development. The RNSC is a nationally affiliated club and a registered...

One Fine Day—Olympic Skiathlon, 2026

This article was made possible through the generous support of our voluntary subscribers.  If you would like to see more articles like this one, please support FasterSkier with a voluntary subscription.   Everybody will be fresh on Day 1 of the Olympic Cross Country schedule; the racing is likely to be fast and furious. The 16-day Olympic schedule is more spread out than last season’s 10-day World Championship schedule. Athletes will have the benefit of more rest...

Park City Ski & Snowboard Seeks Devo Lead Coach

  Employment Status: Part-time hourly employee, non-exempt, June – March   Supervises: Cross Country Devo athletes, assistant coaching staff    Click to Apply   Position Summary Park City Ski & Snowboard (PCSS), one of North America’s premier winter sports organizations, seeks a dynamic and passionate cross-country devo Lead Coach. This key position serves as the crucial bridge between our foundational Kickers and Gliders program and our high-performance Competition team, developing athletes ages 9-14 through a comprehensive...

Russian Rule-ette

During the ancient Olympics, the Greeks practiced ékécheiria: an Olympic truce, a temporary peace during which wars would pause, combatants would lay down their arms, and athletes competed peacefully and nobly in Olympic contests. The Olympic Games would literally stop wars, the violence and aggression and acrimony of the battlefield replaced with the spirit of the Games. We’re reminded of that notable history during every modern Olympic broadcast, and we’re certain to be reminded of...

Park City Ski & Snowboard Seeks XC Comp Team Assistant Coach

  Reports to: Cross-Country Director Employment Status: Part-time hourly employee, non-exempt, May- March Supervises: Cross Country Comp athletes Click to Apply Position Summary Park City Ski & Snowboard (PCSS), one of North America’s premier winter sports organizations, seeks a passionate and dedicated Cross Country Competition Team Assistant Coach. This position plays a vital role in developing competitive Nordic athletes while upholding PCSS’s core values of Passion, Accountability, Respect, Team, and Integrity.  The Ideal Candidate Will:...

One Fine Day

The old season just ended. Let the new season begin . . . Ten months from now, the Olympic Winter Games are scheduled to begin in Milano-Cortina, Italy. Ten months is practically enough time to build a ski team from scratch: to cure lingering illnesses, to heal nagging injuries, to initiate new training strategies, to fix any technique foibles, even to learn new secrets for waxing and ski prep. If only Norway and Sweden would...

Boulder Nordic Team Seeks Head Competition Coach & Program Manager

Overview The Boulder Nordic Team (BNT), based in Boulder, CO, has been training athletes aged 8-19 in the USSS Rocky Mountain Division for over 38 years. With an average of 30-35 athletes per season, BNT is dedicated to creating an environment that promotes a lifelong passion for Nordic skiing. Some athletes compete nationally, while others use Nordic skiing to enhance training for other sports. BNT emphasizes a supportive “family” atmosphere where athletes of all ages...

Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks (NSCF) Seeks an Energetic and Enthusiastic Head Coach

Head Coach Position Fairbanks Cross Country (FXC) Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks The Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks (NSCF) seeks an energetic and enthusiastic Head Coach to lead its Fairbanks Cross Country (FXC) junior racing and training program. Position Details: Salary: $43,000 to $57,000 DOE Benefits: Flexible Personal Time Off during training breaks & $5,000 health stipend Relocation Assistance: Negotiable About FXC & NSCF: FXC has been a cornerstone of competitive skiing in Fairbanks for...

Time to Make the Donuts

Here on the other side of winter—snow not yet fully melted, grass not yet fully green—I’ve spent the week sleeping in. It’s been kind of awesome: lolling happily under a fluffy comforter, flipping the pillow to the cool side again and again, dozing luxuriantly, secure in the knowledge that I’m not missing a race, not late on a deadline, not overlooking details that might make a story better or more informative. These spring mornings are...