Joe Davies has notched multiple top-20 World Cup finishes representing Great Britain. The 24-year-old takes us through his compelling backstory, starting with his childhood in British Columbia through racing on the American college circuit. The Olympic season is nearing, and we’ll hear from a few more athletes before it kicks off. Got anyone you want to hear from? Drop us a line with your requests and feedback: devon[at]fasterskier.com and nat[at]fasterskier.com. We’ll be back soon.
At the World Championships last winter, a slushy, rutted corner near the finish line became a proving ground for precision and poise. The turn was taking down skiers all week — an icy edge here, a soft patch there — the kind of technical trap that can shake even the most seasoned racers. On the U.S. team’s final course preview, Jessie Diggins, Julia Kern, Rosie Brennan, and newcomer Kate Oldham took turns testing different lines....
It’s a funny time we live in . . . one in which many of us struggle with harboring multiple opinions on particular topics (especially political ones). That’s me when it comes to whether or not Russian and Belarusian athletes should be allowed to enter the Olympic Games . . . multiple opinions make sense, and no easy or straightforward decisions seem likely. One thing’s for sure: when it comes to those decisions, someone’s going...
Annie McColgan is an independent writer contributing to FasterSkier. The opinions in this Op Ed are her own, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of FasterSkier and its staff. By: Annie McColgan On September 24, 2025 the FIS released a statement titled, “FIS Council Reinforces Commitment to Athlete Safety,” in which three announcements were made. First, the FIS wrote about the importance of establishing clear and consistent safety guidelines, further homologation of training slopes,...
U.S. Ski & Snowboard has officially announced the 21 athletes who will represent the 2025–26 Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team, a roster that blends seasoned World Cup veterans with emerging NCAA and junior talent — all gearing up for the Olympic Winter Games this February in Milano-Cortina, Italy. The team features a familiar core of Olympians and World Cup standouts returning to lead the charge, supported by a wave of rising collegiate stars and...
This World Cup coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage please contact info@fasterskier.com. When Gus Schumacher talks about training these days, he sounds more like a craftsman than a workhorse. There’s less emphasis on grinding and more on rhythm — on knowing when...
Dear Cross Country Community, We are pleased to announce the XC Team for Period 1 of the 2025-26 World Cup season: Ruka, FIN 10 km C Men John Hagenbuch Objective 24-25 Overall SuperTour Leader Gus Schumacher Objective 14th Distance World Cup 24-25 Ben Ogden Objective 22nd Distance World Cup 24-25 Zanden McMullen Objective 35th Distance World Cup 24-25 Luke Jager Discretion 21st Les Rousses 20 km C JC Schoonmaker Discretion 23rd Falun 10 km...
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...
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...
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...
The FIS Cross Country World Cup season is long and exhausting, and the performers in the World Cup circus are always at risk of illness, injury, overtraining, fatigue. They travel in planes, they live in hotel rooms, they eat in restaurants: all the worst ways to preserve health and wellness. And the world continues to be inundated with lingering pandemic viruses that take advantage of our now-maskless society. It’s no wonder so many of them...
SMST2, a globally elite cross-country ski club, announced today that Colin Rodgers will join the team as Program Director and Head Coach. SMST2 board chair Sverre Caldwell said, “Colin’s experience and proven success as a leader will be tremendous assets for both the athletes individually and the team as a whole. Most importantly, he understands how quickly both the world and our sport are changing. He brings the vision, energy, and focus necessary to evolve...
Sorry, we’re late. We know. But we haven’t forgotten about you. Devon and Nat are back to wrap up the 2025 season and recap Oslo, Tallinn and Lahti. We do really think we’ll be back for a couple of postseason episodes. Sorry we haven’t answered many of your questions but we’ve got a list and plan to tackle ’em soon. Thanks so much for following along this season — more soon. Reach us at devon@fasterskier.com...
Jessie Diggins’ victory in securing her third FIS Overall Crystal Globe marks a historic milestone, not only for her career but also for the representation of North American athletes in cross-country skiing, a sport traditionally dominated by European nations. Her achievements signify a shift in the landscape, challenging preconceived notions about the sport and setting a precedent for future generations of skiers. Historically, cross-country skiing has been overwhelmingly dominated by athletes from Scandinavia and other...
This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com. Therese Johaug (NOR) was going to retire two weeks ago, but things didn’t work out as planned. She had intended to go out after the 50 k at World Championships—to be honest, Johaug...
This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com. A few weeks ago, Norwegian commentator (and Ski Hall of Famer) Petter Northug criticized his countrymen for failing to attack Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR) more aggressively in a mass start distance race. Northug...
This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com. Just how do these athletes keep doing this? There have been 32 World Cup races so far this winter—plus an exhausting week of World Championships—and we ski fans get in the habit of...
This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com. Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR) had business to attend to, and a Crystal Globe to claim. He couldn’t afford to waste time worrying about races to come. He had today’s race to deal with...
This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com. Back in 2021-2022, Slovenia’s Annamarija Lampic won the Sprint World Cup while having stepped onto a World Cup Sprint podium only three times that season (2 x third, 1 x second). No victories...
This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com. Today’s nighttime mid-week Freestyle city Sprint in Tallinn, Estonia is an unique event. It’s one day of individual Sprint racing coming at the tail end of the season leading into the final weekend...