Mansart, Walser, Noaksson and Frick all strike gold at Telemark Junior World Championships in Bardonecchia

Mar 14, 2026·Telemark

Team Switzerland enjoying the moment at the Junior World Championships in Bardonecchia (ITA). Photo credit @samdecout @fis_telemark

The next generation of Telemark stars took centre stage in Bardonecchia (ITA) as the FIS Telemark Junior World Championships returned to the Italian Alpine venue for a second consecutive year. Long regarded as a hub for Telemark enthusiasts, Bardonecchia once again delivered an ideal stage for young athletes, with strong support from local clubs and development initiatives such as the Telekidz project, which aims to introduce more young skiers to the discipline.

Across three days of racing, the junior athletes tackled the full spectrum of Telemark competition with Sprint, Classic and Parallel Sprint events, before culminating in an emotional Team Parallel Sprint finale.

Mansart and Walser set the standard in opening Sprint

The championships opened with the Sprint race, where France’s Lenaig Mansart delivered a composed performance to take the women’s gold medal. Skiing with confidence from the outset, Mansart finished ahead of Magdalena Kern (GER) and Saskia Hermann (SUI), securing the first Junior World Championship title of the week.

The victory was particularly meaningful for Mansart, whose younger sister Solenn also competed after recently returning from injury. "I'm really happy about my racing today, I skied for myself with no regrets, I just wanted to be proud of my skiing," she said post-race. "It was incredible to share this with the team as well as with my little sister. I'm so pleased to have been able to experience this alongside her.”

In the men’s Sprint race, Timo Walser (SUI) claimed the Junior World title with a strong and controlled display. Sweden’s Vile Noaksson finished second, while Norway’s Kristian Jordhoy completed the podium in third.

Mansart doubles up and Noaksson brothers star in demanding Classic race

Day Two brought the Classic race, often regarded as the most physically demanding format in Telemark, combining long courses with jumps, skating sections and technical turns.

Mansart proved her dominance once again in the women’s competition, securing a second consecutive gold medal of the championships. Switzerland’s Hermann improved on her Sprint result to take silver, while Germany’s Coletta Frick rounded out the podium with bronze.

The men’s Classic race produced one of the most memorable moments of the week as Alvin Noaksson (SWE) surged to victory, sharing the podium with his younger brother Vile Noaksson - who claimed a second silver in two days - while Swiss flyer Timo Walser added bronze to his growing medal collection.

I'm happy to take the top spot in today’s Classic with some fast skiing, a big jump and a clean run! Also stoked about sharing the podium together with my little brother although he is also my biggest opponent. Fun day of skiing together with an awesome Swedish team.– Alvin Noaksson (SWE) after securing Classic gold, just ahead of brother Vile.

Parallel Sprint delivers drama and emotion

The final day brought the fast-paced intensity of Parallel Sprint racing, with athletes competing head-to-head in a format that frequently produces dramatic twists.

In the women’s individual event, Germany’s Frick emerged victorious after a tense series of duels, taking gold ahead of Lenaig Mansart, who secured silver to add another medal to her impressive championship haul. France’s Fantine Jolly claimed bronze to unleash floods of joyful tears, celebrating a merited podium finish after a thrilling race.

It’s hard to describe how I feel, but finishing my last Junior World Championships with a gold medal means a lot to me! Qualification didn’t go perfectly, but in the Parallel anything can happen, and I just gave it everything. A big thank you to everyone who always believed in me – and of course to the team and the fast skis.– Coletta Frick (GER) after winning the Parallel Sprint on Day Three

The men’s Parallel Sprint final saw Timo Walser (SUI) return to the top step of the podium to secure his second gold medal of the championships. Sweden’s Alvin Noaksson took silver, while Walser’s brother Silvan completed the podium with bronze, highlighting another remarkable family storyline during the week.

Norway triumph in team finale

The championships concluded with the Team Parallel Sprint, where national squads battled for the final set of medals in front of an enthusiastic crowd.

Norway delivered a strong collective performance to claim the team gold medal, defeating Switzerland in the final. France secured bronze after edging past Germany in the small final, rounding off an action-packed finale to the championships.

Future stars on display

Across three days of racing in Bardonecchia, the Junior World Championships once again highlighted the depth of emerging talent within Telemark skiing. With standout performances from athletes such as Lenaig Mansart, Timo Walser, Coletta Frick and Alvin Noaksson, the event offered a glimpse of the future of the sport - and all four will be aiming to carry this momentum into the next event on the senior FIS Telemark World Cup circuit, also in Bardonecchia, on 15-16 March.