Defining moments of the 2025/26 Cross-Country season

The 2025/26 Coop FIS Cross-Country World Cup season delivered a winter of remarkable performances, historic milestones and emotional breakthroughs. From dominant displays at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games to season-long battles for the Crystal Globes, the campaign showcased both the sport’s established stars and a new generation ready to challenge them.

At the centre of it all stood Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR), whose unprecedented success redefined the limits of excellence, while athletes like Jessie Diggins (USA) and Federico Pellegrino (ITA) brought their careers to a close on their own terms. Alongside them, breakthrough names and long-awaited comebacks added depth and drama to a season that consistently delivered on the biggest stages.

These are the moments that defined the 2025/26 Cross-Country season: the performances, stories and turning points that shaped an unforgettable winter.

Klaebo redefines greatness in a season for the ages

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo entered the 2025/26 season as the favourite in virtually every race he started, but still found ways to elevate his legacy even further.

At the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, he delivered perfection, winning six gold medals from six events to establish himself as the GOAT – greatest of all time – not only in Cross-Country skiing. The medal haul made the 29-year-old the most decorated Winter Olympian of all time and the second most decorated Olympian, beaten only by swimmer Michael Phelps (USA).

Yet among all the records, one moment stood out: his victory in the 10km Interval Start Free – an event he had never previously won at an international level.

After years of meticulous preparation and isolation, Klaebo approached this season differently, training alongside teammate Emil Iversen (NOR) and embracing a more relaxed approach.

“I’ve felt that we’ve been able to lower our shoulders and have a bit of fun. I think that’s important,” Klaebo said.

The result was a campaign that combined joy with dominance – from his 100th World Cup victory in his Norwegian hometown of Trondheim, to becoming the only skier with five Tour de Ski titles and a historic clean sweep of the Overall, Sprint and Distance Crystal Globes – as Klaebo cemented his status as the undisputed benchmark of the sport.

Diggins departs as one of the sport’s greats

The farewell tour of Jessie Diggins (USA) was a masterclass in endurance, consistency and competitive spirit. The 2018 Olympic Team Sprint champion secured her third Tour de Ski title and remained on course for her fourth Overall Crystal Globe for most of the season.

“The Tour de Ski is one of the hardest things to win,” said Diggins after the Tour victory.

“When you win the Olympics, that’s amazing, but that’s one race. The Tour is day after day. You have to put it together and you have to be on – and that’s a lot of pressure on you and the team. You have to keep it fun – it’s really hard.”

The 34-year-old won the Crystal Globe through relentless consistency across formats and conditions. She made it onto 11 World Cup podiums – including a victory in the season-opening 5km Heat Mass Start Free in Val di Fiemme, Italy – and claimed an Olympic bronze in the 10km Interval Start Free before celebrating her impressive career in front of a home crowd in Lake Placid.

Pellegrino signs off with a final flourish

Federico Pellegrino’s final season was shaped by legacy, emotion and fulfilment. The Italian veteran, with two consecutive Olympic Sprint silvers and a 2017 world title to his name, had set his sights on an Olympic team medal on home snow before bowing out from the sport, showing that there is a new generation after him that could carry the Italian Cross-Country legacy forward.

The 35-year-old made no one at the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium disappointed, celebrating his bronze medals – in Team Sprint Free with Elia Barp (ITA), and in the Relay with Barp, Davide Graz (ITA) and Martino Carollo (ITA) – as if they were gold.

“It is something I’ve been dreaming about for a long time,” Pellegrino said after securing his first medal at Milano Cortina 2026: the Relay bronze.

“Two years ago, when I started thinking about a home Olympics, seeing my teammates increasing their level, the dream became a goal and today we achieved it.

After the Team Sprint Free bronze, Pellegrino said: “It means that I’ve done a good job and now the legacy can continue.
“We (older athletes) have done enough and now we have some strong, younger, focused guys who will carry us forward into the future.”

Boosted by the success on home snow, Pellegrino decided to postpone his retirement until the end of the season. That proved to be a great decision as he won the Sprint Free in Lake Placid, USA, the final stop of the 2025/26 FIS Cross-Country World Cup calendar.

"Thank you, Lake Placid," Pellegrino said after the race, close to tears.

"The energy in the warm-up lap before qualification – I stopped on the climb and got this feeling of power coming from the public, cheering for me – 'Chicco Pelle!' – and then in the final I could not wait.”

With 18 victories, the Italian became the second-most successful sprinter in World Cup history, ending his career on the Overall World Cup podium as No.3 in the standings, behind Klaebo and Harald Oestberg Amundsen.

Karlsson dominates and delivers on the biggest stage

Sweden’s Frida Karlsson left Milano Cortina 2026 with two individual gold medals, a Relay silver – and a newfound love for Cross-Country skiing.

After winning the first race of the season – the 10km Interval Start Classic in Ruka, Finland – the 26-year-old had not managed to make it back to a World Cup podium before the Olympic Games.

The 2022/23 Tour de Ski winner dropped out of this year’s Tour before the Final Climb due to a foot issue. Her next race was back in Val di Fiemme, Italy, at the Olympic Games. And there, she looked more than ready.

Karlsson crushed the competition in the Skiathlon and 10km Interval Start Free, beating Ebba Andersson (SWE) twice, by margins of 51 and 46.6 seconds respectively.

“I have never been as in love with skiing as I am now. This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment,” Karlsson said after her Skiathlon triumph.

Karlsson, who left last season exhausted after her 50km world title, carried her dominance into the World Cup.

She claimed first place in the 10km Classic in Lahti, Finland, before storming to victory in the iconic Holmenkollen 50km by almost a two-minute margin. Linn Svahn (SWE) and Jonna Sundling (SWE), second and third respectively, made it a clean podium sweep for Sweden.

“It’s such a magic day for our team,” Karlsson said.

“It’s our first triple in the distance and it’s sick.”

Desloges steps into the spotlight

Mathis Desloges (FRA) emerged as one of the defining breakout names at the Olympic Winter Games, turning potential into podium performances on the biggest stage.

The French 23-year-old had never finished among the top five in an individual World Cup or championship race, but bagged three silver medals at Milano Cortina: in the 20km Skiathlon, 10km Free and Men’s Relay.

“Two years ago today I became a world champion in under-23, now it’s different. I’m better than two years ago,” Desloges said after the Skiathlon success.

Svahn claims elusive championship medal

Once one of the most dominant sprinters on the circuit, Linn Svahn, 26, had to wait years for her first championship medal. A shoulder injury forced the Swedish talent to leave the 2021 FIS World Ski Championships after one race. The same injury kept her out of the Beijing 2022 Games one year later. Before the Sprint at the Trondheim 2025 World Championships, Svahn fell in training and suffered a concussion, missing the whole championships.

When she came back from a six-week absence to win the Sprint Classic in Goms, Switzerland, at the end of January, it was her first World Cup victory in just under a year.

"It's so nice to be back and compete again," said Svahn, who has been battling injuries and illness.

"It's been like a rollercoaster year, but it's nice to be here. It’s one of my favourite courses on the whole World Cup.”

The long road made her milestone at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games all the more significant, as she delivered under pressure to win gold in the Sprint Classic, leading a historic Swedish podium sweep ahead of silver medallist Jonna Sundling and bronze medallist Maja Dahlqvist. It was her first Olympic start and her first major medal.

“There are so many mixed feelings. One thing I feel is a relief, to finally get to take that medal and take that gold. And it’s so nice to be able to share a moment like this with my friends,” Svahn said.

Svahn’s fine form continued into the last stretch of the season, where she made it onto the podium seven times in nine World Cup starts, winning the Sprint Free in Falun, Sweden, before finishing with two victories and a second place in Lake Placid.

Hedegart’s meteoric rise continues

This winter, Norway’s former biathlete Einar Hedegart completed his transformation from a promising talent to an established Cross-Country star, crowned by two Olympic gold medals and a victory in the iconic Holmenkollen 50km.

At Milano Cortina 2026, the 24-year-old claimed Team Sprint and Men’s Relay gold, adding to a bronze in the 10km Interval Start Free.

But according to the man himself, it was perhaps his victory in one of the sport’s most prestigious races – the Holmenkollen 50km – that fully confirmed his arrival among the elite.

“This is the greatest feeling I’ve ever had,” Hedegart said after his triumph.

“This is such a nostalgic stadium, a legendary race, and almost all of my heroes have won this race, especially Petter Northug (NOR).

Hedegart had won his first World Cup race in Trondheim in December, where he finished first in the 10km Free – his fourth World Cup start. Since his debut in December 2024, Hedegart has made six individual World Cup starts, recording six podiums, including three victories.

Weng’s long road back to victory

Heidi Weng’s return to the top step of the podium was one of the most emotional stories of the season. After four years without a World Cup win, the Norwegian veteran delivered a dramatic Skiathlon victory in Falun, edging out Diggins and Karlsson in a thrilling finish.

Her performance was built on experience and tactical intelligence, particularly on Falun’s demanding climbs.

“I feel so good,” Weng said.

“In the last metres, I didn’t know if I was going to be the first to cross the finish line, but I felt so strong today that I knew I could do everything.”

Weng also ended a long Olympic medal drought this winter. Having reached her first and only Games podium at Sochi 2014, the 34-year-old won three medals of all colours at Milano Cortina 2026, including a Relay gold with Norway.

She made it onto eight World Cup podiums this winter, finishing fifth in the Overall standings.

USA’s men break new ground

The introduction of the 5km Heat Mass Start brought a new dynamic to Cross-Country skiing – and Gus Schumacher (USA) was the first man to master it. His second World Cup win showcased both adaptability and tactical awareness in a format blending Sprint and Distance elements.

“Fighting for the win is always a good time,” Schumacher said after his breakthrough performance.

The skier played a big role in a strong season for the USA men’s team, claiming an Olympic Team Sprint silver with Ben Ogden (USA). Ogden also finished in second place in the Men’s Sprint, claiming the USA’s first Olympic men’s Cross-Country medal in 50 years.

Simpson-Larsen announces herself among the elite

Before the season, Norway’s Karoline Simpson-Larsen had never stood on a World Cup podium. In December, she stunned the field in Davos, Switzerland, to claim her first victory.

“I’m just in shock, I can’t believe it,” she said after beating Moa Ilar of Sweden by 2.1 seconds to claim the Women’s 10km Interval Start Free victory.

"I felt strong today, but not that strong.”

Just weeks later, the 28-year-old proved it was not a one-off as she won the iconic Final Climb in Val di Fiemme, beating both Heidi Weng and Jessie Diggins on one of the toughest courses in the sport.

“I didn’t know I was so good. I just had to win this race, so my only thought was ‘just get to the finish line’,” Simpson-Larsen said.

The second victory carried extra emotion, as she dedicated it to her friend, Norway biathlete Sivert Guttorm Bakken, who had been found dead in his hotel room on Christmas Eve, aged 27.

“I don’t know how I did it. I was tired. I think Sivert was with me today,” said Simpson-Larsen, who went on to crown her breakthrough season with an Olympic Relay gold in February.

Andersson rises to historic Olympic 50km gold

Sweden’s Ebba Andersson claimed her place in history by winning the inaugural women’s Olympic 50km gold medal. The 28-year-old had come to Val di Fiemme chasing her first Games gold and a first individual medal, but had to settle for three silver medals – two individual behind an unstoppable Frida Karlsson, and a Relay second place that could have been gold had Andersson not fallen twice on her second leg.

Andersson, however, took her final chance of the Games. After a fall earlier in the race, she responded with a decisive move at the 30km mark, breaking away to secure a dominant victory, more than two minutes ahead of silver medallist Heidi Weng.

Andersson waited for Weng at the finish line, wrapped in the Swedish flag, the runner-up taking the winner on her shoulders.

“I have dreamt about this day for a long time now. It’s almost unbelievable that everything went as planned,” said Andersson.

Iversen’s comeback completes the circle

Norway’s Emil Iversen had only made six Coop FIS Cross-Country World Cup starts in the past two seasons when he started his first event this winter – and made it straight onto the podium.

In the Men’s 20km Skiathlon Classic/Free in Trondheim, Iversen was less than a second from victory as he finished in third place behind winner Klaebo and runner-up Harald Oestberg Amundsen to secure his first individual World Cup podium in almost five years.

"It feels really good. I've worked hard this year to get myself back to the top," said the 34-year-old, whose last World Cup podium was a Skiathlon victory in Lahti, Finland, in January 2021.

His resurgence also played a role in Klaebo’s season, with the two training together and rediscovering enjoyment in the sport.

The Klaebo training regime also seemed to benefit Iversen, who closed his season with four World Cup podiums, an Olympic Relay gold medal and a bronze in the Olympic 50km Mass Start.

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