The Winter Olympics just finished a couple of weeks ago, but Lake Placid is in for an incredible weekend: the FIS World Cup Finals for cross-country skiing will be hosted from March 19 – 22 at Mt. Van Hoevenberg. This is the final race of the season, with the overall champion being presented their crystal globe.
Johannes Hosflot Klaebo won six gold medals at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. He’ll be competing in Lake Placid. Photo credit: Olympics.com
This is a historic weekend for the community. It is the first time that a cross-country skiing World Cup Final has ever been held in the United States. Equally impressive is that this is the first time since 1979 that Lake Placid has hosted a World Cup, which would have been a warm-up event to assess the facilities before the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics.
On Friday, March 20th, races will begin in the afternoon with both the women’s and men’s 10km classic. Saturday morning will have the women’s and men’s sprint free qualifications, with the finals in the afternoon. Finally, on Sunday, the men’s 20km free will start at 12:30 pm, and the women’s 20km final will follow at 2:30 pm. Tickets are available online for students for $10 per day or $25 for the full weekend at www.mtvanhoevenberg.com. Ms. Fagan is working hard to give her ADK students the chance to watch the World Cup and is hopeful that ORDA will get us tickets.
So, what exciting stories are coming out this weekend? First, there is American skier Jessie Diggins competing in the final World Cup races of her career. She is a three-time Olympian who has announced her retirement. Diggins is the most decorated American cross-country skier ever. She has a gold medal from the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, a silver medal and a bronze medal from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, and, most recently, a bronze medal in the 10 km freestyle at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. She has also won and medaled in numerous World Cup events. She has a very good chance of medalling again on her last weekend of skiing.
The highlight of the weekend will likely be watching Johannes Hosflot Klaebo of Norway. You probably know his name because at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, he won gold in all six events he entered. He is the first athlete to win six gold medals at a Winter Olympics and now trails only American swimmer Michael Phelps for the most overall Olympic gold medals ever. Klaebo is a cardiovascular freak of nature. He went viral over the Olympics for a video of him sprinting up a hill on skis. His fastest pace up the hill was 11.4 mph, and he took off from the pack with such a lead that nobody was near him. He is the strongest cross-country skier in the world. It is a great opportunity to see him ski since he will probably win all his races again and will be awarded the crystal globe. It is your chance to see this sporting superstar.
If you have the opportunity this weekend to head up to Mt. Van Hoevenberg, go up and check it out. You will be seeing a little bit of cross-country history happening.
