Alison Mackie of Canada won gold in the women's 20-kilometre mass start free technique at the U23 World Ski Championships in Lillehammer, Norway, on Thursday. Teammate Xavier McKeever secured bronze in the men's event, marking Canada's second medal of the day. The races featured tight finishes amid strong international competition.
The FIS U23 World Ski Championships continued in Lillehammer on March 5, 2026, with the 20km mass start free technique events drawing top young talents. In the women's race, 20-year-old Alison Mackie from Edmonton, Canada, crossed the finish line in 49 minutes and 41 seconds to claim gold. Norway's Eva Ingebrigtsen took silver, 0.7 seconds behind, while France's Léonie Perry earned bronze, 1.1 seconds off the pace. Mackie, fresh from an eighth-place finish in the 10km interval start at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympics, expressed her joy post-race: "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."
Perry, 21, from Bresse, France, played a key role by leading accelerations that splintered the field late in the race. She told Nordic Magazine, "That was the big objective... I was hoping for at least a podium. I’m happy and I have no regrets." A leading group of five, including Mackie, Ingebrigtsen, Perry, Sweden's Evelina Crüsell and Norway's Oline Vestad, contested the final lap, but Mackie surged ahead in the closing kilometre.
In the men's race, Germany's Elias Keck, 22, edged Russia's Savelii Korostelev by 0.3 seconds for gold in a thrilling bunch sprint involving 12 skiers. Canada's Xavier McKeever, 22, from Canmore, Alberta, finished third, 0.6 seconds behind Keck, in 43:33.1. McKeever, who contributed to Canada's fifth place in the Olympic 4x7.5km relay and sixth in the team sprint, called it "amazing," adding, "I’ve been dreaming of having a medal individually at these championships for years now." Keck, surprised by his victory after a silver in the sprint earlier in the week, said, "I didn’t expect that. It was so lucky for me in the end."
Both athletes credited their Olympic experiences for building momentum, with McKeever noting lingering fatigue but strong team support. The championships, held at the 1994 Olympic venue, continue through Sunday with classic technique races.
