G'day Skimo Enthusiasts,

The Australian SkiMo team has been attacking the ISMF World Cup season, showcasing grit, determination, and a genuine passion for the sport as they put up some amazing results. Having had Aussie athletes competing at all World Cup stops so far, and with a vision towards seeing our full team available for the next few stops, the Australian SkiMo team has gone from strength to strength. 

Let's dive into their adventures and achievements of the season so far, then read on below to hear from one of our new representatives, Bastien Missed, from his start to the World Cup season in Andorra and Boi Taull. 

Courchevel, France – December 14-15, 2024
The season kicked off in the picturesque setting of historic Courchevel. The first stop of the season saw Phil Bellingham, Innika de Rosa and Ava McCann competing in the Sprint Event. Their participation in the first stop of the season marked a significant milestone, highlighting Australia's growing footprint in the international Skimo arena. 

• Phil Bellingham 53rd. 
• Innika de Rosa 57th.
• Ava McCann 60th. 

Shahdag, Azerbaijan – January 10-13, 2025
Phil Bellingham then ventured to the snowy peaks of Shahdag, which is a new stop on the ISMF World Cup calendar. Phil put together a great race in Sprint and came away with 41st place. 

Arinsal, Andorra – January 25-26, 2025
The World Cup then moved to Pyrenees with back-to-back weekends of racing starting in mountainous Andorra. The weekend featured the Individual Race, which was the start of Lara Hamilton and Bastien Missud's World Cup season. For the first time in Arinsal, the Mixed Relay, replaced the Vertical Race and highlighting its significance as an Olympic event. This competition attracted 130 athletes from 25 countries, underscoring the global appeal of Skimo.

Individual Race

• Lara Hamilton 21st. 
• Bastien Missud 57th. 

Mixed Relay

• Lara Hamilton/Brian Lichi 55th. 

Boí Taüll, Spain – February 1-2, 2025
The next stop was only a hop skip and jump over to Boí Taüll which provided a stunning backdrop for the team's next challenge. With the team growing to five representatives tackling both the Sprint and Mixed Relay the team's participation here is a testament to their dedication and the sport's burgeoning popularity. 

Of particular note is the amazing results of Phil Bellingham and Lara Hamilton who both put together an amazing weekend across both the Sprint and Mixed Relay setting themselves up for success as they continue to work towards Olympic selection.

Sprint 

• Lara Hamilton 44th. 
• Ava McCann 50th. 
• Phil Bellingham 50th. 
• Bastien Missud 77th. 
• Brian Lichi 84th. 

Looking Ahead: Bormio and Morgins
Excitement is building as the team prepares for the Olympic test event in Bormio, Italy, scheduled for February 21-23, 2025. This event will feature both Sprint and Relay races, offering a glimpse into the future of Skimo at the Olympic Venue for Milano Cortina 2026. 

Following Bormio, the team will set their sights on the ISMF Skimo World Championships in Morgins, Switzerland, from March 2-9, 2025. This championship will be a pivotal moment, as all our team come together to compete against the world's best and further cement Australia's place in the Skimo community. 

As the snow continues to fall and the season progresses, we eagerly anticipate more thrilling performances from our Australian team.

All the best,
Brian

Brian Lichi
Snow Australia Ski Mountaineering Committee Chair

Over the past two weeks, I had the great honour of being reacquainted with the green and gold jersey, at my first Ski Mountaineering WC. I traded the carbon-plated trail running shoes for full-carbon ski boots and super light skis.

It all started about a year ago…during my last visit to Australia.
March 2024, Bright, VIC – at the table of a café, post Buffalo Stampede marathon drinks with Reece, Sam, Nicole, and other athletes.

“Bas, do you know Snow Australia is looking for trail runners that practice skimo? Oh really? No, but I’ll reach out to them, that could be fun.”

A chat with Brian in Cronulla and a few WhatsApp messages later…
9H21AM – 1st of February 2025, Boi Taull, Spain – PYRENEES MOUNTAINS
20 seconds to go…Bip bip biiiip…off the gun for the Sprint Qualification with a pair of skins stuck under my skis…a long straight line ahead, leading into a steep set of manmade snow stairs to climb about 64m of vert and soon to go down through slalom gates and cross my first finish line…just about 3min and 49s later.

P81 for 89 finishers…the effort is brutal, and I measure the learning curve ahead to shave precious seconds. Only the top 30 make it into the heats…feels like another world now.

A week ago, I came last of my first individual WC after a gruelling 1h44min chasing a couple of Swedish and a Chilean while Remi Bonnet flew to the win. Although coming last, I loved it! And I’m so grateful for the opportunity to race the mixed relay qualifiers on Sunday, teaming up with Ava. More chances to practice for quicker adaptations!

Right now, it’s all about practicing cleaner transitions, finding the right intensity in each leg of the race, and staying calm and in control when my heart wants to get out of my chest while sprinting uphill above 2000m of altitude.

The goal is to progress through the rankings and contribute to the team's chase of Olympic Dreams, individual successes often require a strong team behind to challenge, support, and push each other. I couldn’t be happier to be part of this project.

I’m looking forward to the next Sprint in Italy and I’ll also be toeing the line of longer events like the Individual and Team Races!
I can’t wait to meet the rest of the OZ crew for the rest of the season.

With a year to go before the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milano-Cortina, Australian athletes are preparing to race the Olympic test World Cup event in Bormio in two weeks' time on February 21-23.

Information about the Nomination and Selection Process for the Australian Team is available here on the Snow Australia site. Eligbility requirements (set by the ISMF) and Nomination Criteria (set by Snow Australia and the AOC) are based on performance on World Cup and at the World Championships. The Nomination Criteria are expected to be signed off by the AOC by next week.

Currently Australia has three athletes (Phillip Bellingham, Lara Hamilton and Ava McCann) who have already satisfied the eligbilility requirements, with a fourth (Bastien Missud) partially qualified. The ISMF Olympic Eligibility List is published here on the ISMF site.

The Australian Winter Olympic Team and the country's winter sports community will today celebrate just one year until Australia takes on the world at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games in Italy.

The milestone comes amidst a flurry of competition in world-class qualifying events, as Australian Team hopefuls strive to secure their opportunity to represent the country on the world's biggest sporting stage.

An expected Australian Team of around 50 athletes will face off with 2900 athletes from more than 90 nations from 6-22 February 2026, with the Games hosting 116 medal events across 16 sports.

SkiMo membership with Snow Australia ensures that you are notified of the latest news and updates within the sport and lock in your expression of interest in local and international events.