Keck edges Korostelev in 20km Mass Start thriller: 'I didn’t expect that'

On Tuesday, Elias Keck (GER) claimed a silver medal in the Men’s Sprint Free at the FIS U23 World Ski Championships in Lillehammer, Norway. Two days later, the 22-year-old climbed to the top of the podium as he finished first in the 20km Mass Start Free.

In a thrilling finish, where the 10 first skiers crossed the line within two seconds of each other, Keck edged Savelii Korostelev (AIN) in second place by 0.3 seconds, as Xavier McKeever claimed bronze, 0.6 seconds behind the winner.

”(It feels) great. I didn’t expect that. It was so lucky for me in the end. The race was so f***ing tough. Now I’m so happy,” Keck said.

”I’m so happy for the team, we had so good skis, thanks for that.”

Coming into the last of four 5km laps, a front group of 19 skiers were separated by only 7.3 seconds, with Keck in 11th position. The German continued to move up and was sixth with 1.1km left to ski, making his winning push in the final meters of the race, to the surprise of leader Korostelev – and the winner himself.

"I didn’t have a tactic actually, I was just lucky in the end,” Keck said.

The celebrations will, however, have to wait for Keck, who will be going for a third U23 World Championships medal in Saturday’s 10km Interval Start Classic.

"We’ll definitely do a party on Sunday,” he said.

It was the first time this week that a skier leading into the home straight did not win the race, and Korostelev, who went down in a split to try to keep his first place over the finish line, had to settle for silver.

”It seems today that I’m too old for U23,” Korostelev joked.

The 22-year-old had finished fourth in the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games 20km Skiathlon Classic/Free and fifth in the 50km Mass Start Classic, before finishing fourth in the Coop FIS Cross-Country World Cup Skiathlon in Falun, Sweden, on Sunday.

He spent much of the race in front, trying to increase the speed and blow the group apart, but never managed to break away.

”I tried to push to give a good pace. I also talked with Xavier (McKeever) and he said the pace was good, but it’s difficult to push alone all the race, and when I went to rest, the group got bigger,” Korostelev said.

Next up for Korostelev is Sunday’s World Cup 10km Interval Start Classic in Lahti, Finland. He hopes to make it onto his first World Cup podium before the season is over.

”I will try, but it will be difficult,” he said.

McKeever made his World Cup debut four years ago and came to Norway boosted by a fifth place in the Milano Cortina 2026 Relay, as well as a sixth place in the Games Team Sprint Free. The bronze was his first individual medal in seven championships at junior or U23 level. At the 2020 Junior World Championships in Oberwiesenthal, Germany, he had been part of the relay team winning silver.

”It’s amazing. I’ve been dreaming of having a medal individually at these championships for years now,” the 22-year-old said.

”I just had a tough start, I was trying to stay out of trouble and was maybe not aggressive enough and dropped back, so I had to make up some spots in the end.”

McKeever’s parents, Milaine Theriault and Robin McKeever, are former Cross-Country skiers who have competed for Canada at the Olympic Games. His uncle Brian McKeever is Canada’s most decorated Winter Paralympian.

In February, he became the next generation of Games participants in his family, and he said he could still feel the races in Val di Fiemme, Italy, in his body.

”The shape is OK but I’m still carrying some fatigue from the Olympics and I was just trying to hang on the whole time,” McKeever said.

”We had so many guys left in the pack that it was just a big bunch sprint, and I was really happy to have a really strong sprint at the end and come in to take third.”

McKeever said he did not have the strength to help Korostelev break up the pack.

”I would’ve loved to try to help at the front and pull and try to break away but I just don’t think I was strong enough today and I was just trying to hang on,” McKeever said.

”He was super strong today and he’s just having such a good season, you’ve seen at the Olympics how good he was. When you have a talent like that, it’s hard to try and push him as well.

McKeever’s medal was the second for Canada on Thursday after Alison Mackie (CAN) claimed the Women’s 20km Mass Start Free title.

”These world juniors have been amazing for our team,” McKeever said.
”We had an amazing Olympics as a team too, so we’re really putting Canada on the map and I think we’ve got a bright future ahead of us.”

Making his last U23 championship, McKeever has decided to stay at the venue of the 1994 Olympic Games until the end, skipping this weekend’s World Cup action in Lahti.

”I’m committing to staying here. As an older athlete, I think it’s important to try and race my last year at this event strongly and try to finish on a good note, and also try to inspire the juniors and be there as a team leader,” he said.

”That’s my goal here, as well as trying to help the juniors figure this event out and talk through things with them.

U23 World Cup leader Mackie wins first gold for Canada

In the women’s race, a front group of Mackie, Eva Ingebrigtsen (NOR), Line Vestad (NOR), Leonie Perry (FRA) and Evelina Crusell (SWE) had managed to break away heading into the final 5km loop.

With one kilometer left to ski, Crusell and Vestad had fallen behind, leaving Mackie, Ingebrigtsen and Perry to battle for the podium positions. And the 20-year-old Canadian, who did not compete in the Sprint, had the strongest finish.

Cheered on by a strong Canadian presence in the stands, Mackie came down the final hill in the lead, with Ingebrigtsen chasing behind. But Mackie held her lead across the finish line, claiming the gold medal 0.7 seconds ahead of the home skier, as Perry won bronze 1.1 seconds behind the winner.

Crusell and Vestad, who had done most of the work during the 20km race, finished fourth and fifth respectively, 9.2 and 11.6 seconds behind the winner.

”It’s a really, really special feeling being a U23 world champion has been a goal of mine for many, many years and I’m so, so happy to take the win here today,” Mackie said.

Mackie holds the green bib as the U23 World Cup leader, but did not know whether she will try to maintain her first place at the races in Lahti this weekend.

”We will see,” she said.

”I’m here right now, so I want to represent the U23 team in Canada as good as I can, but keeping the U23 bib is definitely a goal, so that’s another focus for the rest of the season as well.”

She credited her teammates for her strong season.

”It’s so special. I’ve got amazing teammates to learn from and I train with them, they learn from me every day for the entire year,” Mackie said.

Ingebrigtsen made it back-to-back 20km Mass Start silver medals, having finished second in the Classic event at the U23 World Championships in Schilpario, Italy, last year.

”I feel very good,” she said.

”My goal was to take the first place, obviously, but I’m very happy with the second, because I know a couple of these girls have done very well at the Olympic Games and didn’t know if I could be in the front at all, so I’m very happy with the silver medal.”

At the 15km mark, she had been in fifth place, more than five seconds behind the leader.

”I tried not to stress about it and spend some time taking (over) the first girls. I never thought it was impossible. But I had to bite my teeth to get it,” she said.

Perry was one of the favourites before the competition and stayed at the front for most of the 20km race.

"I had a big ambition for this race. I hoped to get the win, but of course I’m happy to be third, but I’m hungry for the rest of the races,” the 21-year-old said.

She is fifth in the U23 World Cup standings, ahead of Ingebrigtsen in sixth place, on 268 points. Mackie has 413.

”Today, Alison was a lot stronger. It will be difficult to take her place and the green bib, but I will try and we will see in the rest of the World Cup (season),” Perry said.

The U23 World Championships continue on Saturday with the Men’s and Women’s 10km Interval Start Classic.

"I’m doing the Classic too so I hope I’ll be on the podium there too,” Perry said.

Before that, the Lillehammer 2026 Junior World Championships continue on Friday with the Men’s and Women’s 10km Interval Classic.

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