On the heels of the 2022 Beijing Olympic events, the 2022 FIS Junior/U23 World Ski Championships kicked off on Tuesday, February 22, 2022. The week-long event was originally scheduled to take place in Zakopane, Poland, but due to construction work near the skiing venue, the cross-country skiing events were moved to Lygna, Norway. The championships included U20 competitions in cross country skiing, ski jumping and Nordic combined, and in cross country skiing, a separate U23 Junior category.
Among the athletes competing were not one, but two GMVS alumni: Rena Schwartz ’18) and Brian Bushey (’21). Rena, a Vermont native, graduated in 2018 and attends Dartmouth College. As a member of the Dartmouth Ski Team, she frequents the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association (EISA) carnivals and was recently named to the Women’s Second All-East Team. Rena competed in the U23 Women’s 10km Individual Start Classic, and the U23 Women’s Freestyle Sprint.
Brian, also hailing from Vermont, is in his first year at the University of Utah and is a member of the ski team. Competing in the World Junior Championships adds to Brian’s list of international competitions, which includes the 2020 Youth Olympics in Lausanne, Switzerland, and The Scandinavian Cup in Falun, Sweden. In Lygna, Brian competed in three events, including the 4×5 km men’s relay where he joined Michael Earnhardt, Walker Hall and Will Koch to a 3rd place finish! Congratulations Brian, Michael, Walker and Will!
For event photos and more, click HERE.
Photo: flyingpointroad.com