2026 Winter Olympics: Cross-Country Skiing Qualification and Team USA

The 2026 Winter Olympics, hosted in Milano Cortina, Italy, will feature cross-country skiing events with a total of 296 athletes competing – 148 men and 148 women. Qualification for these events is governed by the International Ski Federation (FIS) and involves a points-based system, with specific standards for distance and sprint events.

Qualification Standards

A maximum of 16 athletes per nation are permitted to compete, with a limit of 8 males or 8 females from any single nation. No nation may enter more than four athletes in any individual event, or one team in each gender’s team combined events.

Athletes can qualify based on two primary standards:

• ‘A’ Standard: Athletes with less than 150.00 FIS Distance points (as of January 19, 2026) are eligible for distance and/or sprint events.
• ‘B’ Standard: Athletes who don’t meet the ‘A’ standard but have less than 350.00 FIS Distance points can enter the 15km men’s or 10km women’s race, and team events. Similarly, athletes with less than 350.00 FIS Sprint points can qualify for sprint or team sprint events.

each National Olympic Committee (NOC) may utilize one athlete from Nordic Combined or Biathlon in relay events, provided they meet the FIS standards.

Quota Allocation

Every NOC is guaranteed at least one quota spot by meeting the basic standard at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2025 or the 2025 Nordic Junior World Ski Championships. To meet this standard, male athletes must have 300.00 or fewer FIS points, even as female athletes must have 330.00 or fewer. Additional quotas per gender will be allocated based on the FIS Cross Country Nation Ranking 2024–2025.

Team USA at Milano Cortina 2026

The U.S. Olympic Cross-Country Ski Team for the 2026 Games includes several seasoned veterans and rising stars:

• Rosie Brennan: Qualified for her fourth Olympic Games (2018, 2022, 2026).
• Jessie Diggins: A decorated Olympian (2014, 2018, 2022, 2026) with one gold, one silver, and two bronze medals.
• Lauren Jortberg: Making her Olympic debut in 2026.
• Julia Kern: Returning Olympian (2022, 2026).
• Zak Ketterson: Making his Olympic debut in 2026.
• Kendall Kramer: Making her Olympic debut in 2026.
• Novie McCabe: Returning Olympian (2022, 2026).
• Zanden McMullen: Making his Olympic debut in 2026.

Event Formats

The cross-country skiing events at Milano Cortina 2026 will include various formats, such as the skiathlon (where athletes start together and leverage both classic and freestyle techniques) and individual and team sprints.

Where to Find More Information

For the official schedule and results of the Cross-Country Skiing events at the 2026 Winter Olympics, visit the official Olympics website. More information about the U.S. Team can be found at Team USA’s website. Qualification rules are detailed on Wikipedia.