2026 Olympic Games | Cross-country skiing: three French in the top 10, four in the top 16
In the shadow of two-time Olympic medallist Mathis Desloges, there are a number of French distance runners in excellent form.
We’ve got one of the strongest French teams ever,” Hugo Lapalus, eighth in the day’s individual skate, told France TV. When you see that Mathis [Desloges] came second, it’s incredible! It’s crazy for the French cross-country skiing team to experience this. I’m so happy for all the staff and for him. We’re experiencing some historic moments.
Tenth in this individual free, Victor Lovera still can’t believe it. “I still can’t believe it. Mathis [Desloges] is 5 seconds away from the gold medal,” says the 25-year-old cross-country skier from Chartres, full of emotion. Four Frenchmen in the sixteen and me in the top 10: we’ve never done that in a distance event. It’s incredible.
“We’ve got a crazy teamHugo Lapalus speaks to France TV
On a personal level, Hugo Lapalus is still a little disappointed: “Obviously, I’m a little disappointed because we always come here to win medals. But I’m where I belong. My legs didn’t respond as well as they did in the skiathlon. This race was incredibly difficult. I’ve never seen anything like it. The track was horrible, so hard with long bumps.
Despite everything, the French team’s collective performance puts it in second place behind the Norwegians, which should give the French cross-country skiers plenty of ideas. With the relay team we have, we’ll have to fight for the medal, “ says Hugo Lapalus. It’s not already in the bag. But frankly, we’re a crazy team.
- Mathis Desloges in silver in the individual skateboard event, gold for Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo
- Mathis Desloges becomes France’s first double individual Olympic medallist
- “I’ve never skied so fast in my life”: Olympic silver medallist in the 10km skate, Mathis Desloges indulges in another moment of intense happiness
