Madona crowns the World Champions as Roller Ski season heads towards its finale

Four days of intense racing have brought the 2026 FIS Roller Ski World Championships in Madona, Latvia, to a close, with World Championship titles decided across a wide range of formats.

From classic interval starts and team sprints to the explosive 200m sprint and final mass starts, the Championships delivered plenty of memorable performances.

Aarekol leads the way

Norway’s Ragnhild Aarekol was one of the standout athletes of the Championships, enjoying a remarkable three-gold-medal week.

She won the opening 10km classic interval start before adding gold in the team sprint and completing her hat-trick with victory in the 20km freestyle mass start.

Three races, three victories – a perfect World Championship record.

Vigants shines for Latvia

The home crowd also had plenty to celebrate, with Latvia’s Raimo Vigants producing a memorable Championships.

Vigants claimed gold in the men’s team sprint before finishing the week in style with victory in the 20km mass start, becoming World Champion in front of his home fans.

The combination of strong international fields, demanding courses and an enthusiastic home crowd made Madona a fitting host for the World Championships.

One final battle remains

With the World Champions now crowned, attention turns back to the FIS Roller Ski World Cup, with the final stage coming up in Val di Fiemme, Italy, from 18–20 September.

The weekend will begin with Alpe Cermis – the legendary climb synonymous with the Tour de Ski in winter. This time, the iconic ascent comes to life on roller skis, giving the world’s best a chance to write their own chapter on one of Cross-Country skiing’s most famous climbs.