Cross Country Athletes Ready for Perisher ANC

Australia’s top athletes in cross country skiing are primed for the first round of the 2025 Australian Open Cross Country Ski Championships to be held at Perisher from 1-2 August. The 2025 championships are FIS endorsed and form part of the 2025 Australia – New Zealand Continental Cup series (ANC).

Five of Australia’s top World Cup athletes from the 2024/25 season are amongst the list of starters, including Rosie Fordham, Tuva Bygrave, Seve de Campo, Phil Bellingham and Bentley Walker-Broose. There are also eight Australian athletes from the 2025 World Junior and U23 Championships in the mix. 

With the championships poised to double as a selection event for the 2026 World Junior and U23 World Championships, competition is set to be fierce amongst the emerging crop of athletes. 

Entries for the event close on Wednesday 30 July, click here to find out more and for your last chance to register and compete. 

Phil Bellingham racing on World Cup in Falun in February

Triple Olympian and 2024 ANC winner Phil Bellingham attended the national training camp at Falls Creek earlier in July and is focused and ready to take to the snow this weekend.

“I got some quality time working with the head coach Alexei (Sotskov) and feel I made some good technique improvements,” Bellingham said.

“These camps can be really valuable, especially for motivation. You get a chance to ski with other great athletes, and learn from each other while having head-to-head hard training sessions, which is always fun.”

Excited to get back to competition this weekend, Bellingham will use the competition as a self checkpoint against a strong Australian field. 

“I'm just looking forward to racing again, for me it's all about the racing, that's the part which is truly enjoyable to me,” he said. 

“For me this weekend is more of a measuring stick, you get to see where you're positioned against fellow team-mates and competitors which is valuable as you can see if you're going ok or maybe need to go away and do more work. 

“There are a lot of strong athletes at the moment and the competition should be pretty fierce, but I think Seve de Campo will be one to watch,” Bellingham said.

2024 AUS Championship Classic Sprint Podium - L-R Darcie Morton, Rosie Fordham, Lily Murnane

The other reigning ANC champion from 2024, Rosie Fordham, has been back in Australia for just a couple of weeks. Fordham resides in the USA for most of the year, where she trains and competes with the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

“I think it’s always special to race at home and on the trails I trained on as a teenager,” said Fordham.

“My family is going to be at the Perisher races and I don’t often get to race in front of them, so I’m excited to have them all there watching me.

In addition to pride and an Australian championship medal, at stake in the ANC is a quota place on World Cup for the 2025/2026 season.

“Winning the ANC Continental Cup is advantageous as it guarantees World Cup starts for the whole season,” she said.

“Ultimately though, in this period it’s most important to be building for the season ahead. It’s always good to get some racing on snow, but the focus is on getting good training and high volume to build a big base.

The Australian Championships are also open to Masters and Junior skiers, for whom a Snow Australia XC Sport Racer licence is required for entry. The races kick off the start of NSW Cross Country Ski Week, which sees races and activities at Perisher through until 9 August, including the iconic KAC Classic Perisher to Charlotte Pass, the Sundeck Cup and the Snowy Mountains Classic.

Live timing for the Australian Championship will be available via Alpine Timing. (https://www.alpinetiming.com.au/results/live/)