Cross Country Community Update - October
Published Fri 15 Oct 2021
October 2021
Dear XC Skiers,
Our second Covid-19 winter is now ticked off, and while it’s easy to become frustrated by not being able to ski as much as we’d like (or at all), I’m inclined to feel grateful for the opportunities we’ve had. I would also like to give a big shout-out to the officials, volunteers and resort staff that helped to get events underway and keep the trails groomed, not least those who put in countless hours only to have events cancelled due to circumstances beyond their control.
In contrast to the 2020/2021 season, Snow Australia is now endorsing larger numbers of athletes to travel overseas to compete in international competition. We will have cross country skiers competing in World Cup events, at the World Junior and U23 Championships, at the World University Games, and of course at the Winter Olympics. With the prospect of the international travel ban lifting next month, other development and travel opportunities may arise. Though things are looking up, I would encourage all members of the ski community to carefully weigh up pros and cons before undertaking international travel. This pandemic is still far from over and there are risks that were not on our radar two years ago that need to be mitigated.
A challenge thrown up by two years without competitions for many Australian junior skiers is how to select a national team. This is a conundrum the Snow Australia Cross Country Committee has not yet resolved, and consequently we will not be announcing national teams for 2021/2022 in October as per normal. We are working closely with state and club programs to find solutions to support a larger number of junior athletes than the dozen or so typically selected to the national junior team. Training camps and rollerski events in different regions are likely to feature in nationally driven athlete development strategies over the next 6-8 months. Team selection policies for major international events remain unchanged – indeed teams for several events are being announced in this update.
Continuing the practice of finishing these updates with a photo… This one is of the women’s finalists at the Australian Sprint Championships in August. Best wishes and safe travels to all athletes heading overseas this summer, and fingers crossed for many more days like the one below in 2022.
Finn Marsland
Cross Country Skiing Program Director
In this update:
- Bentley Walker-Broose wants to put Cross-Country on the Map
- WJC-U23 Team Preliminary Selection
- WWUG Team Announcement
- FIS Alpine and XC World Cup Sub-Committee Meetings Updates
- ETP Support makes a Difference for Developing Athletes
- Prohibited Fluorinated Wax Products
- Competing Overseas: Snow Australia International Travel Policy & International Competition and Travel Insurance