Canada’s Mackie races to gold, McKeever takes bronze at U23 cross-country worlds

By Canadian Press on March 5, 2026.

LILLEHAMMER — Alison Mackie won gold in the women’s 20‑kilometre mass start and fellow Canadian Xavier McKeever took bronze in the men’s event Thursday at the 2026 under-23 cross-country skiing championships.

Mackie, from Edmonton, finished her race in 49 minutes 41 seconds, with Norway’s Eva Ingebrigtsen finishing second and France’s Léonie Perry third.

The 20-year-old was coming off an impressive Olympic debut at last month’s Milan Cortina Games, where she finished eighth in the women’s 10km interval start.

McKeever, finished third in the men’s race in a time of 43:33.1, six-tenths of a second behind gold-medallist Elias Keck of Germany. Russia’s Savelii Korostelev took silver.

The 22-year-old from Canmore, Alta., also had an impressive Olympic debut last month, helping Canada finish fifth in the 4×7.5km relay and sixth in the men’s team sprint.

Competition in Lillehammer continues through Sunday.


This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 5, 2026.

The Canadian Press