Mix of experience and new faces in 2026/27 Australian Cross Country team

Snow Australia is pleased to announce the Australian Cross Country Ski Team for the 2026/27 international season, featuring a mix of world-class performers and emerging talent across four tiers of representation.

Off the back of a history-making 2025-26 season, headlined by strong performances at the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, the World Cup team includes six returning athletes in Hugo Hinckfuss, Seve de Campo, Lars Young Vik, Rosie Fordham, Phoebe Cridland and Ellen Soehol Lie.

Part of Australia’s first-ever women’s Olympic Cross Country relay team, Fordham said touching down in Europe had made her even more excited for the upcoming season.

“We just got on snow here in Norway and that’s gotten me really excited to get the racing season started,” she said.

“The big goal is the World Champs in Falun, but I’m also excited to do the whole World Cup season. I think it’ll be a good opportunity to really test myself all season long.”

Young Vik said Australia’s Cross Country skiers had plenty of confidence after making some big strides in recent seasons.

“The results show that we’ve taken huge steps as a team over the past seasons, delivering best ever Aussie results and all new personal bests,” he said.

“It has shown us that we’re on the right path and we will bring that confidence into the season, with the World championships in Falun as the main goal for many of us.”

The Continental Cup Team has expanded this year with new faces Maddie Hooker, Isabella Moon, Noah Bradford and Vincent de Souza joining returning duo Fedele de Campo and Bentley Walker-Broose, both who raced in the World Cup last season and will have opportunities again this season. 

Four-time Winter Olympian Phil Bellingham has retired after a long, decorated career, while 2025 World Championship and World Cup skier Tuva Bygrave is taking a season away from FIS level racing. Hannah Price, who represented Australia at the 2025 World U23s and World University Games, is also stepping back from international competition.

Hooker and Jayden Spring head up the U23 team, joined by a number of athletes moving up from the junior ranks including Samuel Johnson, Clancy Harvey and Ava McCann.

Spring said it was exciting to get another chance to represent Australia again.

“I’m super grateful and proud to have been selected to represent my country on the international racing circuit again,” he said.

I'm particularly looking forward to race at the World U23’s in Estonia and to make my World Championship debut in Falun in Sweden,” he said.

This season’s junior team includes Rosie Franzke and Satara Moon as returning faces while Thea Harvey, Ben Wichgers and Ethan Zhang make their national Junior Team debuts.

Moon said earning another opportunity to represent Australia was a really special moment.

“Being selected again for the Australian Cross Country Junior national team truly means a lot to me,” she said.

“It shows that my hard work and dedication has been paying off.

“I am super excited to represent Australia at the Junior World Championships in Estonia but mostly overall I am super excited just to be back on snow doing what I love most.”

2026 junior team member Harri Silvester, who raced at the World Junior Championship earlier this year, is also taking a break from competition.

The team is gearing up for the 2027 World Championships in Falun, Sweden, the World Junior/U23 Championships in Otepaa, Estonia, and the World Cup series, kicking off in Ruka on November 27.

Head coach Alexei Sotskov said Australia’s Cross Country skiers were ready to make a statement this season.

“Our ambition is clear: to demonstrate to the international Cross Country skiing community that Australia is ready to compete for leading positions at the highest level of the sport,” he said.

“We believe in our athletes, the work we have put in, and the direction in which the team is moving.”

World Cup Team 
Hugo Hinckfuss
Seve de Campo
Lars Young Vik
Rosie Fordham
Phoebe Cridland
Ellen Soehol Lie

Continental Cup Team 
Bentley Walker-Broose
Fedele de Campo
Noah Bradford
Vincent de Souza
Maddie Hooker
Isabella Moon

U23 Team 
Jayden Spring
Samuel Johnson
Clancy Harvey
Maddie Hooker
Ava McCann

Junior Team
Ben Wichgers
Ethan Zhang
Rosie Franzke
Satara Moon
Thea Harvey

The team can be followed throughout the season via @ausxc on Instagram and other Snow Australia’s social media channels.