2024 FIS World Junior/U23 Championships
Planica, Slovenia
February 5 – 11, 2024
Results - FIS Cross-Country - Planica (SLO) - Event Details (fis-ski.com)
February 11th, 2024
I have had the privilege to coach the U-20 team for Canada during World Junior Championships (WJC) in Planica, Slovenia. This is my first time going to WJC as a coach, however during last year’s event in Whistler I had the opportunity to be Chief of Stadium.
Our trip started out with a week in beautiful Ramsau, Austria. I had spent several weeks there during the summers as an athlete skiing on the Dachstein Glacier (a long time ago), and it was amazing to come back to this pretty mountain village and discover it was just as spectacular as I remembered it. The pre-camp gave our coaching support team an opportunity to get to know all the athletes on the Canadian team and work with them during the training sessions. Most athletes followed a suggested training plan from Nordiq Canada and this helped them do some valuable training together with their peers.
The pre-camp in Ramsau could not have been more perfect. Our team stayed at a small family-owned hotel where we ate delicious meals together in the restaurant; there were not many other guests at the hotel and it felt like we almost had exclusive use of the place. It was a perfect atmosphere for our athletes to get ready for the big event. We only had to walk 10 meters to the ski trails and five minutes to the grocery store if we needed more snacks. The hotel bar became our meeting room in the evenings and it was also a place for the athletes to meet up to do homework, play board games or do team challenges. The kid’s playroom at the hotel was used for individual meetings and mobility sessions. During the trip we had the privilege of having our own physiotherapist (Jennifer Bull) and she was an amazing asset for the athletes.
Once the rest of our U23 team, including Eric De Nys (NextGen Coach) and Tormod Vatten (U23 Lead Coach), arrived from the World Cup, our World Jr/U23 Championships team felt complete. Liliane Gagnon’s amazing results (9th at 20km at the World Cup in Gom) gave such an inspiration and amazing boost to everyone that the positive energy felt like a “gold sprinkle” around the team.
After a week long of sunshine we packed up in Ramsau on a grey and rainy day to drive to Planica, Slovenia. It was a short drive through lots of tunnels and windy roads before we arrived at the destination. The next morning, we woke up to beautiful sunshine over majestic mountains and the excitement to visit the race site was high. For many athletes on the team it was the first time they had an opportunity to see Nordiq Canada’s wax truck. The space in the wax truck allows the tech team a great environment to prepare fast skis, and the tent space outside was a great place for athletes to hang out before and between races. I especially liked our “motivation board” in the tent where athletes and coaches shared quotes on a whiteboard.
The memories from Planica include some highlights for me in my coaching career. The excitement and adrenaline from watching Sonjaa free skate to the gold medal in the U23 sprint will forever be a moment of joy. Also, Sonjaa proved for all of us that nothing is impossible as long as you give your everything (and free skate really hard to the finish line).
Another highlight for me is how well our team did overall – so many athletes had amazing performances, and this really showed the depth in our team. It also showed us that we have the potential to be on top of the podium again.
The week in Planica went by quickly, with racing every day (U20 and U23 athletes on alternating days). The event was well run and was hosted at an impressive venue. The volunteers put on a world class event, working day and night to ensure the best possible tracks.
It was such an unreal experience to end the event on some of the iciest tracks I have ever seen, in pouring rain, and with a GOLD in the U23 relay. The celebrations out on the trail together with the rest of Team Canada’s athletes and their parents are some of my best memories as a coach. It truly felt like a win for everyone on our team, I loved to see how this was celebrated. While packing up in the rain we had coaches from Norway, Sweden, USA, Italy, Switzerland (to mention a few) come over to congratulate us on the success. It was so special to hear from the other nations on how excited they were for Canada’s success and future in our sport.
Success feeds success and I am thrilled to continue supporting our young and talented Canadian athletes. This is only the beginning for our team and I am confident that a successful future lies ahead of them.
By Maria Lundgren (U20 Lead Coach)
February 6th, Planica, Slovenia
Is it April in Slovenia?
Today was the U20 20km mass start in Planica. Six times around a 3.3km loop that you could probably swim through because the course it was so soft and slushy. Alexandra Luxmoore, Clara Hegan and Sabine Comeau started at 11:15 am, followed by the men, Alexandre Cormier, Garrett Siever, Samuel Picard and Raleigh Tarte starting at 1:30 pm.
It was a very interesting day. For the girls the track held up decently well, but as the race went on the conditions deteriorated fast under the hot sun, and by the end of the race it was looking pretty chewed up. It was a super exciting race; the pace was fast, and we fought hard to the end with Alexandra finishing 30th, Clara 40th, and Sabine 53rd. Up next, after the course sat in the sun for two more hours, the men lined up, and the gun went off for what was a battle of the elements and competitors alike. One of the Norwegians who seemed to float and not sink in the slush due to his size and awesome technique, put on one of the greatest performances ever seen at world juniors, lapping out almost 40 athletes and winning by over two minutes. Our guys also ended up with some good results with three men in the top 30. Alex coming in 23rd, Sam in 24th, Raleigh in 26th and Garrett in 52nd. I can still feel the puddles of water in my boots at the finish.
It was definitely not conditions that we Canadians are used to, but the crowd was awesome, the weather was beautiful, and we had a ton fun racing for Team Canada!
By Raleigh Tarte (Kimberley Nordic Club)
February 6th, Planica, Slovenia
“History for Canada today!
Today was the skate sprint day for the U23s, with Liliane Gagnon, Sonjaa Schmidt, Amelia Wells, and Jasmine Drolet starting for the women and Luke Allan, Sasha Masson, and Derek Deuling starting for the men.
The beautiful sunny day began with some icy tracks and some sketchy corners on a very short but difficult sprint course, with Liliane qualifying 20th, Sonjaa 29th, and Derek in 16th. Jasmine and Amelia ended just outside of the top 30 in 33rd and 36th.
Both Liliane and Sonjaa moved onto semis after some impressive and tactical quarters. Two Canadians in the semis was already beyond exciting for us, but Sonjaa surprised us even more by winning her semi and moving onto the final. We watched with anticipation as she raced for the gold medal, coming over the last hill in third, free skating into first, and winning with a generous lead. Jasmine Lyons, Amelia and I screaming at the top of our lungs from the side of the trail, rushing to the finish to hug our teammate. It was an exceptionally electric moment for Canada, with our first ever u23 champion on the women’s side and an 8th place by Liliane, who also raced incredibly well! I’ve never been more proud of anyone and never been more proud to be Canadian. What a day!"
By Jasmine Drolet (Black Jack Cross Country Ski Club, Rossland)
February 1st-4th, Planica, Slovenia
“On February 1st, the team would embark on its journey to Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. It was a grey and rainy day, just as it was upon our arrival in Austria. Thankfully, the sun followed us to Planica. We drove through the mountains, through impressive tunnels, and past thousand-year-old castles. We even got a taste of Italy for fifteen minutes, the fourth country we will see on the trip. Upon checking into our hotel in the heart of Kranjska Gora, many of us went for a quick walk around town before going for dinner.
The next day was a good one. One of my (Garrett) favourite things to do is exploring new trail systems, and Planica does not disappoint. It is an impressive venue with insane views of the Alps surrounding, tunnel systems that are used as a ski tunnel in the summer, and one of the largest ski jumps in the world. The atmosphere of an international competition had everyone fired up to get some final preparation in before the championship. I put my classic skis on and did a zone three intensity session with teammate Luke and American friends Jack and Johnny. We went around the distance course four times for good measure. Others chose different sessions ranging from easy skiing to zone four high intensity and short sprints. Athletes choose training that suits them for their upcoming events during this critical period leading up to racing. Once we finished up training we went straight for lunch, which consisted of an authentic Italian/Slovenian pizza for most.
The next couple of days (February 3rd – 4th) consisted of more skiing, a lot of school for me, and many great moments with the team. The highlight for me was the opening ceremony. An impressive presentation with dancers, numerous musicians, fire features, a speech from the president of Slovenia, and loud dance music commenced in the village square drawing the whole town out to watch. And with that, the event is on!”
By Garrett Siever (Telemark Nordic Club, Kelowna)
Link to earlier reports: https://www.crosscountrybc.ca/bc-ski-team-reports-2024-fis-world-junioru23-championships
BC Athletes Competing in the 2024 World Jr/U23 Championships
Alexandra Luxmoore (Revelstoke Nordic Ski Club)
Amelia Wells (Strathcona Nordic Ski Club, Victoria)
Finn Redman (Telemark Nordic Club, Kelowna)
Garrett Siever (Telemark Nordic Club, Kelowna)
Jasmine Drolet (Black Jack Cross Country Ski Club, Rossland)
Raleigh Tarte (Kimberley Nordic Club)