Nordic Ski Season 2025/2026 Review: A Story in Moments
Highs and lows, close fights and breakthrough moments - the 2025/2026 Nordic ski season delivered a story full of effort, emotion, and a few surprises along the way.
Olympic Moments That Mattered
An Olympic year changes everything. The pressure builds for months – sometimes years – because everything has to come together at exactly the right moment: qualification, form, timing… and then, when it matters most, performance.
And for five athletes, it did. Oskar Opstad Vike, Hugo Lapalus, Kristin Fosnæs, Andreas Skoglund and Stefan Rettenegger.
Five medals. Five moments that will be remembered.
Here’s the reality: every race only has three medals - but a field full of athletes who have put in hard work, made sacrifices, and arrived with the same dream.
That’s what makes the Olympics what they are. The team spirit, the shared nerves, the mix of joy and heartbreak - those few days carry a weight that’s hard to put into words.
Few stories captured the tension quite like the Norwegian team qualification - arguably the toughest team to make. Oskar Vike heard all the doubts… and answered them in the best way possible. A bronze medal. Proof of where he belongs.
The Near Misses
Not every effort ends where athletes want it to - and that’s exactly what makes these moments sting.
Sometimes, the smallest margins carry the biggest emotions.
Kristin Fosnæs finished 4th in the Olympic 50K. A long, hard fight - only to end just one step away.
Hugo Lapalus crossed the line 5th in the Skiathlon after a brilliant race - strong, smart, committed. Just not quite a sprinter at the finish. His time will come… and he already answered with a relay silver.
Johanna Hagström missed out on the sprint globe by only 16 points after a standout season, including a World Cup victory in Trondheim.
And Stefan Rettenegger in Seefeld - so close to a first win, caught just before the finish after a near-perfect performance.
Close calls that won’t be forgotten.
Breakthroughs and First Wins
Every season brings breakthroughs – and this one had a few special ones.
Ansgar Evensen claimed his first World Cup victory on home snow in Drammen.
A new name stepping onto the big stage as well: Milla Andreassen, only 20 years old, qualifying for the Olympics for the first time and skiing her way into the top 10.
Alexa Brabec took her first World Cup win - backed by multiple podiums.
Einar Oftebro and Andreas Skoglund both stepped onto their first World Cup podiums, marking the start of what could be long and successful careers.
Farewells
And then, there are the farewells.
Simon Eder – a constant presence in Austrian biathlon – has decided to step away from the sport at 43.
A long career, an inspiring athlete, and a familiar face on the World Cup circuit.
He will be missed.
All the best for what comes next.
Now, it’s time to pause. A well-earned break after a long season.
Proud of what has been achieved - and already looking ahead to what’s next.