Benum wins 10km gold as Northug protege Strand takes men’s title

Leopold Strand (NOR) and Ingrid Wollan Benum (NOR) made it two gold medals for the host nation at the FIS Junior World Ski Championships in Lillehammer, Norway, on Friday, as they won the Men’s and Women’s 10km Interval Start Classic.

In her first Junior World Championship start, Benum had the best times from the 2.6km mark onwards and beat runner-up Heidi Bucher (AUT) by 28.6 seconds. Sweden’s Tove Norgren claimed bronze, 35.3 seconds behind the winner.

The 18-year-old winner described her event debut as “unreal”.

“It’s so amazing. I felt good today, so it’s just a perfect day,” Benum said.

In the two-lap race, Benum made her winning push at the beginning of the second lap, where she took 20 seconds out of her opponents on the climb to the high point – all according to plan.

“I decided to really push there and it worked out,” she said.

Another cross-country talent from Trondheim, Benum said rubbing shoulders with one of the best of all time, her Byaasen IL teammate Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR), could have helped her on the way.

“I think so. We have a really great club, so that’s fun,” she said.

Bucher, with bib number 36, started strongly and beat Benum’s times at the 1.4km and 1.7km marks before the Norwegian became too big a challenge.

“I tried to go fast in the first round but the second round was so hard,” the Austrian 19-year-old said.

“I tried to get to the finish but I was so done in the second round. I lost some time but it’s a second place and it feels amazing.”

It was the third podium in as many events at Lillehammer 2026 for Bucher, who completed a set of medals after her Sprint gold and 20km Mass Start bronze.

“It feels amazing. I couldn’t have imagined (winning) the silver medal today,” she said.

Bucher, who made her Coop FIS Cross-Country World Cup debut in Davos, Switzerland, in December, will not compete in Lahti, Finland, this weekend and has not yet decided whether she will do the World Cup city Sprint in Drammen, Norway, next week.

“Maybe I’ll go to Drammen but I don’t know yet. I need to see how I feel. I’m pretty done now, but let’s see,” she said.

Norgren had started with bib number 23, crossing the finish line as the leader before Benum and Bucher beat her time. The silver and bronze medallists were the only skiers to finish within a minute of the winner. Luisa Dahlke (GER) claimed fourth place, 1:09.2 behind Benum.

“It’s fantastic, it was a good day,” the 18-year-old Swede said.

Rather than planning a push in the first or second lap, the championship debutant had planned to go at full speed throughout all 10km, especially in the climbs.

"I thought I would go hard for the whole race and work in the uphills,” Norgren said.

Agathe Margreither (FRA) completed the top five, 1:09.7 behind the winner.

Success for Northug's student Strand

Earlier on Friday, 18-year-old Strand had claimed his first junior world title with a tactic similar to Benum’s.

Starting with bib number 44, Strand knew what times he needed to beat and saved his energy for the second lap. He took the lead at 2.6km and kept beating the times of his opponents, but in the second loop he increased his lead from 9.3 seconds to almost half a minute, pacing his race to perfection.

Daniel Pedranzini (ITA) claimed the silver medal, 29.6 seconds behind the winner. Torjus Magnus Harbo (NOR) made it two Norwegians on the podium.

“Today was a very good feeling,” Strand said.

“I had some unbelievable skis, so in the start I just went easy.

Strand is part of Petter Northug’s team and credited the 13-time world champion for much of his development.

“I learn a lot from him. He’s probably the best guy to learn from when it comes to this sport, so that’s great,” Strand said.

After the Junior World Championships, Strand is targeting Norway’s senior national championships in Harstad.

“I hope so. It would be nice to see how good I am compared to those,” he said.

Pedranzini also paced his race well. The 18-year-old was in fourth place after the first lap but had plenty of energy left in the tank to cross the finish line in second place.

“I feel very good,” the Valdisotto skier said.

In the 20km Mass Start Free, Pedranzini and three other skiers had broken away early into the second half of the race, battling it out for the medals. Pedranzini had sprinted for third place but missed a medal by 0.3 seconds, making up for it with a silver in the last individual race of the championships.

“I’m in good shape. I like the track and I’m so happy for this silver medal," he said.

"I want to thank all of my team; my coach, my ski man and all my family.”

Harbo won his first Junior World Championship medal, competing in the event for the second time. The 20-year-old had, however, started as the 28th skier and spent a lot of time in the leader’s chair before Pedranzini, in bib 40, beat him by less than three seconds.

“I’m happy with a bronze medal, but it was really close with the silver so I was kind of sad when that chance went by,” Harbo said.

“But it’s a medal so I’m happy.”

He had started the race slowly before picking up the pace. Finishing 32.2 seconds behind the winner, Harbo beat No.4 Gaspard Cottaz (FRA) by five seconds.

“I’m pretty good at double poling, so I started a little slowly until the double poling began and then I just started pushing,” Harbo said, accepting that he was only the second-best Norwegian in the race.

“He (Strand) is a good Classic skier but he had a good day today.

Jonas Malmo Skogstad (NOR) finished three seconds behind Cottaz, making it three home skiers among the top five.

The Junior World Championships conclude on Sunday with the 4x5km Relay Classic/Free. Next up at the Lillehammer 2026 FIS Junior and U23 World Ski Championships, however, is the U23 10km Interval Start Classic on Saturday.

Click here for full schedule and results from Lillehammer 2026, and here to follow FIS Cross-Country on Youtube.