This is a list of medalists from the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in women's cross-country skiing. Bold numbers in brackets denotes record number of victories in corresponding disciplines.
Debuted: 1954.
Classic style: 1954–1987, 1989, 2001, 2003, 2009, 2011, 2017, 2019. Free style: 1989, 1991, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2015, 2021, 2023.
Interval start: 1954–1991, 2001–2023.
Medal table
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Norway | 10 | 1 | 6 | 17 |
2 | Soviet Union | 9 | 4 | 4 | 17 |
3 | Finland | 2 | 7 | 6 | 15 |
4 | Czech Republic | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
5 | Sweden | 1 | 5 | 3 | 9 |
6 | United States | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
7 | Russia | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
8 | Italy | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Poland | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
10 | East Germany | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Estonia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
12 | Czechoslovakia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Totals (12 entries) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 75 |
Debuted: 1954.
3×5 km classic style: 1954–1970. 4×5 km classic style: 1974–1985. 4×5 km free style: 1987. 2×5 km classic style + 2×5 km free style: 1989–2023.
Medal table
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Soviet Union | 9 | 2 | 1 | 12 |
2 | Norway | 8 | 8 | 4 | 20 |
3 | Russia | 5 | 1 | 3 | 9 |
4 | Finland | 4 | 2 | 7 | 13 |
5 | Sweden | 1 | 5 | 7 | 13 |
6 | Germany | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
7 | East Germany | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
Italy | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | |
9 | Russian Ski Federation | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
10 | Czechoslovakia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Totals (10 entries) | 28 | 28 | 28 | 84 |
Debuted: 1962. Discontinued: 1999.
Classic style: 1962–1987, 1991–1999.
Interval start: 1962–1987, 1991–1999.
Medal table
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Soviet Union | 4 | 4 | 5 | 13 |
2 | Norway | 4 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
3 | Russia | 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
4 | Finland | 2 | 4 | 0 | 6 |
5 | Italy | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
6 | Czechoslovakia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
7 | Czech Republic | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Switzerland | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Totals (8 entries) | 13 | 13 | 13 | 39 |
Debuted: 1978.
Classic style: 1978–1985, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2015, 2021, 2023. Free style: 1987–1995, 2001, 2003, 2009, 2011, 2017, 2019.
Interval start: 1978–1999, 2003. Mass start: 2005–2023.
Medal table
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Norway | 8 | 9 | 5 | 22 |
2 | Soviet Union | 4 | 5 | 2 | 11 |
3 | Russia | 4 | 3 | 2 | 9 |
4 | Sweden | 2 | 0 | 5 | 7 |
5 | Italy | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
6 | Finland | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
7 | Poland | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
8 | East Germany | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
9 | Estonia | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
10 | Ukraine | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Totals (10 entries) | 22 | 22 | 22 | 66 |
Debuted: 1989. Discontinued: 2003.
Season | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
1989 Lahti | Marjo Matikainen (FIN) | Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi (FIN) | Pirkko Määttä (FIN) |
1991 Val di Fiemme | Yelena Välbe (URS) | Trude Dybendahl (NOR) | Stefania Belmondo (ITA) |
1993 Falun | Yelena Välbe (RUS) | Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi (FIN) | Marjut Rolig (FIN) |
1995 Thunder Bay | Larisa Lazutina (RUS) | Yelena Välbe (RUS) | Inger Helene Nybråten (NOR) |
1997 Trondheim | Yelena Välbe (RUS)(3) | Stefania Belmondo (ITA) | Kateřina Neumannová (CZE) |
1999 Ramsau | Stefania Belmondo (ITA) | Kristina Šmigun (EST) | Maria Theurl (AUT) |
2001 Lahti | Bente Skari (NOR) | Olga Danilova (RUS) | Kaisa Varis (FIN) |
2003 Val di Fiemme | Bente Skari (NOR) | Kristina Šmigun (EST) | Olga Zavyalova (RUS) |
Classic style: 1989–1995, 2001, 2003. Free style: 1997, 1999.
Interval start: 1989–2001. Mass start: 2003.
Medal table
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Russia | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
2 | Norway | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
3 | Finland | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
4 | Italy | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
5 | Soviet Union | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
6 | Estonia | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
7 | Austria | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Czech Republic | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Totals (8 entries) | 8 | 8 | 8 | 24 |
Debuted: 1993.
Medal table
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Norway | 6 | 5 | 5 | 16 |
2 | Russia | 4 | 4 | 6 | 14 |
3 | Italy | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
4 | Sweden | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
5 | Finland | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
6 | Poland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
7 | Estonia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
8 | Czech Republic | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Germany | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
10 | Ukraine | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Totals (10 entries) | 16 | 16 | 16 | 48 |
Debuted: 2001.
Season | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
2001 Lahti | Pirjo Manninen (FIN) | Kati Sundqvist (FIN) | Yuliya Chepalova (RUS) |
2003 Val di Fiemme | Marit Bjørgen (NOR) | Claudia Künzel (GER) | Hilde Gjermundshaug Pedersen (NOR) |
2005 Oberstdorf | Emelie Öhrstig (SWE) | Lina Andersson (SWE) | Sara Renner (CAN) |
2007 Sapporo | Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen (NOR) | Petra Majdič (SLO) | Virpi Kuitunen (FIN) |
2009 Liberec | Arianna Follis (ITA) | Kikkan Randall (USA) | Pirjo Muranen (FIN) |
2011 Oslo | Marit Bjørgen (NOR) | Arianna Follis (ITA) | Petra Majdič (SLO) |
2013 Val di Fiemme | Marit Bjørgen (NOR) | Ida Ingemarsdotter (SWE) | Maiken Caspersen Falla (NOR) |
2015 Falun | Marit Bjørgen (NOR)(4) | Stina Nilsson (SWE) | Maiken Caspersen Falla (NOR) |
2017 Lahti | Maiken Caspersen Falla (NOR) | Jessie Diggins (USA) | Kikkan Randall (USA) |
2019 Seefeld | Maiken Caspersen Falla (NOR) | Stina Nilsson (SWE) | Mari Eide (NOR) |
2021 Oberstdorf | Jonna Sundling (SWE) | Maiken Caspersen Falla (NOR) | Anamarija Lampič (SLO) |
2023 Planica | Jonna Sundling (SWE) | Emma Ribom (SWE) | Maja Dahlqvist (SWE) |
Classic style: 2005, 2007, 2013, 2015, 2021, 2023. Free style: 2001, 2003, 2009, 2011, 2017, 2019.
Medal table
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Norway | 7 | 1 | 4 | 12 |
2 | Sweden | 3 | 5 | 1 | 9 |
3 | Finland | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
4 | Italy | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
5 | United States | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
6 | Slovenia | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
7 | Germany | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
8 | Canada | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Russia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Totals (9 entries) | 12 | 12 | 12 | 36 |
Debuted: 2005.
Classic style: 2009, 2011, 2017, 2019. Free style: 2005, 2007, 2013, 2015, 2021, 2023.
Medal table
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sweden | 4 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
2 | Norway | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 |
3 | Finland | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
4 | United States | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
5 | Russia | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Slovenia | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
7 | Germany | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Switzerland | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
9 | Italy | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Poland | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Totals (10 entries) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 |
Table updated after the 2023 Championships.
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Norway | 48 | 26 | 31 | 105 |
2 | Soviet Union | 27 | 15 | 12 | 54 |
3 | Russia | 19 | 17 | 17 | 53 |
4 | Finland | 14 | 20 | 23 | 57 |
5 | Sweden | 12 | 20 | 19 | 51 |
6 | Italy | 5 | 11 | 8 | 24 |
7 | United States | 2 | 3 | 4 | 9 |
8 | Poland | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
9 | Czech Republic | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
10 | Germany | 1 | 6 | 1 | 8 |
11 | East Germany | 1 | 4 | 2 | 7 |
12 | Estonia | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
13 | Slovenia | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
14 | Czechoslovakia | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
15 | Switzerland | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
16 | Russian Ski Federation | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
17 | Ukraine | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
18 | Austria | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Canada | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Totals (19 entries) | 134 | 134 | 134 | 402 |
Boldface denotes active cross-country skiers and highest medal count among all cross-country skiers (including these who not included in these tables) per type.
Rank | Cross-country skier | Country | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Marit Bjørgen | Norway | 2003 | 2017 | 18 | 5 | 3 | 26 |
2 | Yelena Välbe | Soviet Union Russia | 1989 | 1997 | 14 | 3 | – | 17 |
3 | Therese Johaug | Norway | 2007 | 2021 | 14 | 2 | 3 | 19 |
4 | Larisa Lazutina (Ptitsyna) | Soviet Union Russia | 1987 | 2001 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 16 |
5 | Alevtina Kolchina | Soviet Union | 1958 | 1966 | 7 | 1 | – | 8 |
6 | Nina Gavrylyuk | Soviet Union Russia | 1987 | 2003 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 11 |
7 | Virpi Kuitunen | Finland | 2001 | 2009 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
8 | Heidi Weng | Norway | 2013 | 2021 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 9 |
9 | Galina Kulakova | Soviet Union | 1970 | 1982 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
10 | Bente Skari (Martinsen) | Norway | 1997 | 2003 | 5 | 2 | – | 7 |
Rank | Cross-country skier | Country | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Marit Bjørgen | Norway | 2003 | 2017 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 17 |
2 | Yelena Välbe | Soviet Union Russia | 1989 | 1997 | 10 | 2 | – | 12 |
3 | Therese Johaug | Norway | 2007 | 2021 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 14 |
4 | Larisa Lazutina (Ptitsyna) | Soviet Union Russia | 1987 | 2001 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 10 |
5 | Bente Skari (Martinsen) | Norway | 1999 | 2003 | 5 | – | – | 5 |
6 | Stefania Belmondo | Italy | 1991 | 1999 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 9 |
7 | Alevtina Kolchina | Soviet Union | 1958 | 1966 | 4 | 1 | – | 5 |
8 | Galina Kulakova | Soviet Union | 1970 | 1980 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
9 | Justyna Kowalczyk | Poland | 2009 | 2013 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
10 | Marjo Matikainen | Finland | 1987 | 1989 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
Here are listed most successful cross-country skiers in the history of each medal-winning national team – according to the gold-first ranking system and by total number of World Championships medals (one skier if he holds national records in both categories or few skiers if these national records belongs to different persons). If the total number of medals is identical, the gold, silver and bronze medals are used as tie-breakers (in that order). If all numbers are the same, the skiers get the same placement and are sorted by the alphabetic order.
Country | Cross-country skier | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Norway | Marit Bjørgen | 2003 | 2017 | 18 | 5 | 3 | 26 |
Soviet Union Russia | Yelena Välbe | 1989 | 1997 | 14 | 3 | – | 17 |
Russia (as such only) | Larisa Lazutina | 1993 | 2001 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 13 |
Soviet Union (as such only) | Alevtina Kolchina (by the gold first ranking system) | 1958 | 1966 | 7 | 1 | – | 8 |
Raisa Smetanina (by total number of medals) | 1974 | 1991 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 | |
Finland | Virpi Kuitunen (by the gold first ranking system) | 2001 | 2009 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
Aino-Kaisa Saarinen (by total number of medals) | 2007 | 2017 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 10 | |
Italy | Stefania Belmondo | 1991 | 2001 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 13 |
Sweden | Jonna Sundling (by the gold first ranking system) | 2021 | 2023 | 4 | – | – | 4 |
Charlotte Kalla (by total number of medals) | 2009 | 2019 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 13 | |
Poland | Justyna Kowalczyk | 2009 | 2015 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
United States | Jessie Diggins | 2013 | 2023 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
Czech Republic | Kateřina Neumannová* | 1997 | 2007 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
Germany | Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle | 1999 | 2009 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
Estonia | Kristina Šmigun* | 1999 | 2003 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
East Germany | Veronika Hesse (Schmidt) (by the gold first ranking system) | 1974 | 1982 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Barbara Petzold (by total number of medals) | 1974 | 1982 | – | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
Slovenia | Anamarija Lampič | 2019 | 2021 | – | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Czechoslovakia | Blanka Paulů | 1974 | 1974 | – | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Russian Ski Federation (as such only) | Yana Kirpichenko | 2021 | 2021 | – | 1 | – | 1 |
Natalya Nepryayeva | 2021 | 2021 | – | 1 | – | 1 | |
Tatiana Sorina | 2021 | 2021 | – | 1 | – | 1 | |
Yuliya Stupak | 2021 | 2021 | – | 1 | – | 1 | |
Switzerland | Nadine Fähndrich | 2021 | 2021 | – | 1 | – | 1 |
Laurien van der Graaff | 2021 | 2021 | – | 1 | – | 1 | |
Austria | Maria Theurl* | 1999 | 1999 | – | – | 1 | 1 |
Canada | Sara Renner* | 2005 | 2005 | – | – | 1 | 1 |
Ukraine | Valentyna Shevchenko | 2009 | 2009 | – | – | 1 | 1 |
Iryna Taranenko-Terelya | 1999 | 1999 | – | – | 1 | 1 |
An asterisk (*) marks athletes who are the only representatives of their respective countries to win a medal.
Marit Bjørgen is a former Norwegian cross-country skier. She is ranked first in the all-time Cross-Country World Cup rankings with 114 individual victories. Bjørgen is also the most successful sprinter in Cross-Country World Cup history, with 29 victories. She headed the medal table at the 2010 Winter Olympics by winning five medals, including three gold. A five-time Olympian, her five Olympic medals at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games brought her total number of medals up to a record 15, the most by any athlete in Winter Olympics history.
Stefania Belmondo is an Italian former cross-country skier, a two-time Olympic champion and four-time world champion in her career.
Justyna Maria Kowalczyk-Tekieli is a Polish cross-country skier who has been competing since 2000. Kowalczyk is a double Olympic Champion and a double World Champion. She is also the only skier to win the Tour de Ski four times in a row and one of two female skiers to win the FIS Cross-Country World Cup three times in a row. Kowalczyk holds the all-time record for wins in the Tour de Ski with 14, and had 29 podiums in total. She also won the Vasaloppet women's edition in 2015.
Alevtina Pavlovna Kolchina was a Soviet cross-country skier who competed during the 1950s and 1960s for Burevestnik and later for Dynamo sports societies. She competed in four Winter Olympics, earning a total of five medals. Kolchina also competed several times at the Holmenkollen ski festival, winning three times at 10 km (1961–1963) and once at 5 km (1966).
Pavel Konstantinovich Kolchin was a Soviet cross-country skier who competed during the 1950s and 1960s, training at Dynamo in Moscow. He was born in Yaroslavl.
Maria Ivanovna Gusakova was a Soviet cross-country skier who competed from the late 1950s to the early 1960s for VSS Spartak. She won a complete set of Winter Olympic medals with a gold in the 10 km (1960), a silver in the 3 × 5 km relay (1960), and a bronze in the 10 km (1964). Gusakova also earned a complete set of medals at the 1962 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships with a gold in the 3 × 5 km relay, a silver in the 10 km, and a bronze in the 5 km. Her husband Nikolay Gusakov also competed at the 1960 Winter Olympics and claimed bronze in Nordic combined event.
Kristin Størmer Steira is a retired Norwegian cross-country skier. She competed from 2002 to 2015, and won six individual World Cup victories and five individual medals at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships and Winter Olympic Games. She also won four gold medals with the Norway relay team. In Norwegian media, Steira was dubbed "the eternal fourth" due to her many finishes in fourth place.
The Holmenkollen medal is Norwegian skiing's highest award for competitors. It signifies top placings in international championships and other international events, including the Holmenkollen events.
The Tour de Ski (TdS) is a cross-country skiing event held annually since the 2006–07 season in Central Europe, modeled on the Tour de France of cycling. The Tour de Ski is a Stage World Cup event in the FIS Cross-Country World Cup. Each Tour de Ski has consisted of six to nine stages, held during late December and early January in the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. As of 2022, the prize money for the event amount to 770,000 Swiss francs, shared out on both men and women. Men's and women's events are held together on the same days, with the only difference being the distance skied.
Marianna Longa is an Italian cross-country skier from Livigno. She started her professional career in 1997, and her first appearance in a world cup race was on 17 March 2000 in Bormio. Longa is currently part of the Fiamme Gialle, and the Italian cross-country national team. Longa is also a strong runner. She retired from cross-country skiing after the 2010–11 season.
The Women's 10 kilometre classical cross-country skiing competition at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy was held on 16 February, at Pragelato.
The women's 15 kilometre skiathlon cross-country skiing competition at the 2014 Sochi Olympics took place at 14:00 (MSK) on 8 February 2014 at Laura Biathlon & Ski Complex.
The women's 30 kilometre mass start freestyle cross-country skiing competition at the 2014 Sochi Olympics took place on 22 February at Laura Biathlon & Ski Complex. Three Norwegian athletes, Marit Bjørgen, Therese Johaug, and Kristin Størmer Steira, took the lead from 1 km on and skied in the group, never being threatened by other competitors. At the finish line, Bjørgen won gold, Johaug finished second, and Størmer Steira was third. This is the first gold for Norway in women's 30 km race, and the first clean sweep in Olympic cross country skiing since 1992. For Bjørgen, this was the sixth Winter Olympic gold medal, which, together with Lidiya Skoblikova and Lyubov Yegorova, made her a woman with the largest number of Winter Olympics gold medals won. Størmer Steira won her first individual Olympic medal. The defending 2010 champion Justyna Kowalczyk did not finish.
The 10 kilometre cross-country skiing event was part of the cross-country skiing programme at the 1960 Winter Olympics, in Squaw Valley, California, United States. It was the third appearance of the event. The competition was held on Saturday, February 20, 1960, at the McKinney Creek Stadium.
The Nordic Opening is a cross-country skiing event held annually since the 2010–11 season in Ruka, Finland or Lillehammer, Norway. The Nordic Opening is a Stage World Cup event in the FIS Cross-Country World Cup, and are held as the first or second World Cup race weekend of the season. The inaugural Nordic Opening was held in 2010 and was originally named Ruka Triple. The editions of the mini-tour hosted in Lillehammer is also known as Lillehammer Triple. Each Nordic Opening consists of three stages; a sprint, an individual race and a pursuit. As of 2019, the prize money for the event amount to 240,000 Swiss francs, shared out on both men and women. Men's and women's events are held together on the same days, with the only difference being the distance skied.
The women's 15 kilometre skiathlon competition in cross-country skiing at the 2022 Winter Olympics was held on 5 February, at the Kuyangshu Nordic Center and Biathlon Center in Taizicheng. The event was won by Therese Johaug of Norway. The event was noted for its extreme weather, which many athletes complained. Temperature was −17 °C (1 °F) or −35 °C (−31 °F) with windchill, according to the International Ski Federation.
The women's 30 kilometre freestyle competition in cross-country skiing at the 2022 Winter Olympics was held on 20 February, at the Kuyangshu Nordic Center and Biathlon Center in Zhangjiakou. Therese Johaug of Norway became the champion, thereby winning all three individual distance events at these Olympics. She was only second woman to do so after Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi in 1984. Jessie Diggins of the United States won the silver medal, and Kerttu Niskanen of Finland the bronze. For Diggins, this was her first individual Olympic medal.
The women's 10 kilometre classical competition in cross-country skiing at the 2022 Winter Olympics was held on 10 February, at the Kuyangshu Nordic Center and Biathlon Center in Zhangjiakou. Therese Johaug of Norway became the Olympic champion, Kerttu Niskanen of Finland won the silver medal, and Krista Pärmäkoski, also of Finland, won bronze.