Three of Summit’s fastest – and youngest – ski mountaineering racers are going to Switzerland next month, joined on the sport’s biggest stage by at least five of their local counterparts.
Team Summit athletes Jay McDonald, Finn Brown and Ashley Adkins have qualified for skimo World Championships in Morgins, Switzerland, hosted by the International Ski Mountaineering Federation March 2-8.
All three are racing the U-18 division.
“Team Summit’s ski mountaineering team is relatively new, and we’re thrilled to be sending three athletes to the World Championships so early in our tenure,” Team Summit coach Tim Faia said in a statement. “The athletes have worked hard and shown dedication to improve upon both technical skills and existing fitness to reach the elite level of US SkiMo racers.”
Summit is incredibly well-represented at Worlds. Nearly one in five national team members calls Summit home, including:
- World Cup winner Grace Staberg, of Summit, races the U.S. women’s U-23 team
- Rising star Sam Burke, of Dillon, races the U.S. men’s U-23 team
- Arthur Whitehead, of Summit, races the U.S. men’s senior team
- John Rauen, of Breck, races the U.S. men’s senior team
- Gwen Rudy, of Summit, races the U.S. women’s senior team
This year’s Worlds is a preview of the 2026 Winter Games, when skimo makes its Olympic debut.