The Nordic skiing world has ignited with the opening of multiple World Cup seasons and several historic announcements that will shape the competitive landscape heading into the 2026 Winter Olympics. Here’s what you need to know from this pivotal week in cross-country skiing, biathlon, ski jumping, and collegiate racing. FFR will release the “Nordic Sports Weekly” – An easy and lightweight article- form summary of the important highlights without to much else. We will include also events from the less known arenas and each week we will profile an athlete we think has a story to tell.
Lets make it a habit to catch up together with Nordic Sports Weekly
Table of Contents
Cross-Country: Season Kicks Off with Early Competition
The international cross-country skiing season officially opened last weekend with the Olos/Muonio Ski Race Weekend in Finland (November 14-16), one of the sport’s most anticipated early-season events. Austria’s Benjamin Moser claimed victory in the men’s classic sprint on Friday, November 14, finishing in 3:09.43 and edging out Finland’s Juuso Haarala by just 0.16 seconds in an exceptionally tight competition. Eero Rantala of Finland rounded out the podium, establishing the sprint as a thrilling opening statement for the season.
This week, attention shifts to Gällivare, Sweden (November 21-22), where the Swedish domestic season opener will serve as a critical qualifier for the national teams. However, the event faces logistical challenges—temperatures are forecast to dip dangerously close to or below the Swedish Ski Association’s competition threshold of -17 degrees Celsius, creating the possibility of cancellations. The sprint qualifications are scheduled for Friday morning at 8:45 CET, with the 10km classic race following on Saturday, providing skiers their first opportunity to secure Olympic spots through formal qualification events.
The FIS World Cup calendar proper begins November 28-30 in Ruka, Finland, marking the official start of the elite competition season. Over 150 of the world’s finest skiers will descend on the Finnish resort for three days of intense racing featuring 10km classic intervals, sprint classics, and 20km freestyle mass starts for both men and women.
A Legend’s Final Lap: Jessie Diggins Announces Retirement
In one of the week’s most significant stories, American cross-country skiing icon Jessie Diggins announced on November 18-19 that she will retire at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season. The decision marks the end of an extraordinary career that redefined women’s cross-country skiing in the United States and globally.
Diggins’ achievements stand as a testament to excellence: a three-time Olympian (Sochi 2014, PyeongChang 2018, Beijing 2022), she earned three Olympic medals including Team USA’s first-ever cross-country skiing gold medal in the team sprint at PyeongChang 2018 alongside Kikkan Randall. Beyond the Olympics, she has amassed seven World Championship medals, 29 individual World Cup victories, 79 total World Cup podiums, two Tour de Ski titles, and three overall FIS Crystal Globes—a record no American has matched.
Diggins’ final season will begin at the Ruka World Cup opener on November 28 and conclude at the Finals in Lake Placid, USA (March 19-22, 2026), following the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. In a statement reflecting her influence beyond competition, she expressed her hope to be remembered “not just for the pain cave and ability to suffer deeply for a team that I love and a sport I care about so much, but for the joy, sense of fun on snow, heart-on-sleeve racing, deep vulnerability and openness that I brought to everything I do.”
Biathlon World Cup Kicks Off in Östersund
The biathlon season officially begins November 29 – December 7 in Östersund, Sweden, with both relays and individual races. The opening weekend features Women’s and Men’s 4x6km/4×7.5km relays on November 29, followed by single and mixed relay formats on November 30. Individual races continue through early December, setting the stage for what promises to be one of the most competitive seasons in recent memory with athletes testing their form before the Olympic Games in February.
Ski Jumping Returns to Lillehammer
Ski jumping enthusiasts should mark their calendars for November 21-23 in Lillehammer, Norway, where the world’s best jumpers will compete on the iconic Lysgårdsbakken hill. The weekend begins Friday with the Mixed Team Large Hill competition, followed by individual events for both men and women on Saturday and Sunday. This competition represents the first significant gathering of the season’s elite jumpers.
U.S. College Skiing: NCAA Cross-Country & Nordic Programs
In North American collegiate competition, the NCAA Division I Cross-Country National Championships concluded on Saturday, November 22, 2025, at Gans Creek in Columbia, Missouri. Meanwhile, elite programs like St. Olaf College continue to build their competitive rosters, with both men’s and women’s Nordic skiing teams preparing for the 2025-26 season. St. Olaf has historically been one of the strongest collegiate Nordic programs in the United States, and their selection of nationally-ranked athletes signals another competitive campaign.
The NCAA Skiing Championships for alpine and Nordic disciplines will take place March 5-8, 2025, at Dartmouth College, with qualifying events throughout the season.
Norwegian Club Scene Heats Up
In Norway, early-season club racing has already begun, with skiers heading to traditional training grounds like Beitostølen for structured racing and technique development. These club events serve as crucial stepping stones for athletes aiming to break into the national team system and secure World Cup spots ahead of the Olympics. This season was kicked off with crosscountry skiing Beitostølen.
ATHLETE PROFILE: Benjamin Moser – Austria’s Rising Sprint Specialist
Benjamin Moser
Benjamin demonstrated exactly why he’s one of Europe’s most exciting young cross-country skiers this week, dominating the men’s classic sprint at Olos/Muonio with a commanding performance that leaves little question about his trajectory heading into the Olympic season.
Born July 24, 1997, the Austrian racer hails from Eben am Achensee in Tyrol—a region steeped in Nordic skiing tradition. Moser represented Austria at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, where he competed in both sprint and team sprint events, establishing himself as a reliable international competitor. That Olympic experience, though not medal-yielding, provided him with the high-pressure racing exposure that now defines his approach to competition.
His recent victory this week—winning by the razor-thin margin of just 0.16 seconds over Finland’s Juuso Haarala—showcases the explosive speed and tactical acumen Moser possesses in sprint racing. The sprint discipline demands not just raw speed but the ability to read competitors, execute strategic positioning changes, and deliver maximum power in critical moments. His victory over a field of elite European sprinters, including Italy’s Federico Pellegrino, signals that Moser has evolved from a promising junior talent into a genuine World Cup contender.
What Distinguishes Moser from his competiters
What distinguishes Moser’s approach is his combination of technical consistency in classic technique with competitive mentality. Austrian cross-country skiing has historically emphasized this classical foundation—the smooth, economical movements that define the best distance skiers. Moser embodies this philosophy while proving he can compete effectively in the modern, faster-paced sprint format that has become central to World Cup competition.
With the World Cup season officially underway and the 2026 Olympics just months away, Moser enters this campaign as one of the athletes capable of reshaping European men’s sprint racing. His performance this week suggests we’ll be seeing his name on podiums regularly throughout the season. For FFskis followers familiar with the technical demands of Nordic skiing, Moser’s efficient, controlled style—blending power with precision—reflects exactly the kind of movement quality that separates elite performers from the competition.
This Week’s Key Dates Ahead:
- November 21-22: Gällivare, Sweden (domestic season opener) – potential weather challenges
- November 21-23: Lillehammer, Norway (ski jumping World Cup)
- November 28-30: Ruka, Finland (FIS Cross-Country World Cup opening)
- December 2-7: Östersund, Sweden (biathlon World Cup)
The Nordic calendar has shifted into full competition mode. Whether you’re tracking elite World Cup performers, following college programs, or watching club-level racers, this week marks the true beginning of the 2025-26 season. Stay tuned for results as the world’s best Nordic athletes begin their journeys toward Milano-Cortina 2026.
What are the traditional Nordic sports?
The term Nordic Skiing is the official umbrella term used by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) to cover these four disciplines:
1. Cross-Country Skiing
2. Ski Jumping
3. Nordic Combined
4. Biathlon
FF Rollerskis are the only FIS approved Rollerski Supplier. Read about the partnership here
The article is written by AI and edited by FFskis Team