Skiers Hollmann, Schmidt celebrate key Olympic trials victories

VERNON — Max Hollmann and Sonjaa Schmidt won their 10-kilometre interval start free race on Monday at the Nordiq Canada 2026 Olympic Winter Games Trials.

With the win Hollmann, from Thunder Bay, Ont., adds his name alongside Schmidt and Tom Stephen to the nomination list for Canada’s Olympic cross-country skiing team.

Hollmann crossed the finish line in 24:50.8 to take the men’s victory, just ahead of Rémi Drolet (25:04.0) of Rossland, B.C., and Stephen (25:16.7) of Calgary.

The win was surprising for Hollmann, who broke his scaphoid bone and had surgery in early October, spending months training without poles.

“Feels great. I was definitely not expecting it,” Hollmann said. “Eleven weeks ago, I broke my scaphoid, got surgery five weeks ago, and the surgeon said I might not even be skiing by now. Honestly, I had no expectations. I’m just happy to be here.”

Hollmann said the moment he realized he had won was unforgettable.

“I didn’t actually realize I was leading when I crossed the line until I saw my teammates,” Hollmann said. “Seeing their faces light up and feeding off that energy was amazing.”

In the women’s race, Schmidt celebrated her birthday by claiming her second consecutive win with a time of 28:36.2. Jasmine Drolet (29:05.7) of Rossland came back from a tough first day of racing to finish second, while Amelia Wells (29:36.1) of Victoria, B.C., rounded out the podium.

Drolet’s rebound was one of the highlights of the day. After crossing the line in tears on Sunday, the U-23 World Championship relay gold medallist showed resilience in a technique that isn’t her specialty.

“It feels good,” Drolet said. “I had a lot of pent-up energy from (Sunday) and wanted to give it my all today. Free technique isn’t my strongest, so to finish second feels amazing. Yesterday was hard, but I knew I had more to give.”

Both Hollmann and Drolet were part of Canada’s U-23 gold medal relay team in Planica, Slovenia, and their performances prove their potential for the Olympic stage.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 15, 2025.

The Canadian Press