Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International Ski Federation (FIS).
Magdalena "Magda" Forsberg is a Swedish former cross-country skier and biathlete. She was the dominating female biathlete from 1997 to 2002, when she retired, winning the Biathlon World Cup for six years straight. She is also a six-times world champion, a two-times Olympic bronze medalist, and holds the record for the most World Cup victories in women's biathlon.
Yelena Valeryevna Välbe is a Russian former cross-country skier. She won a record-high 14 gold medals at the FIS World Championships, including all five golds in the 1997 edition. She also won three Olympic gold medals and four bronze medals in various Winter Olympic Games as well as four World Cup Crystal Globes.
Markus Gandler is an Austrian former cross-country skier who competed from the late 1980s to the late 1990s.
Giorgio Di Centa is an Italian former cross-country skier who won two gold medals at the 2006 Winter Olympics, including the individual 50 km freestyle race. He is the younger brother of Olympic gold medalist, cross-country skier Manuela Di Centa.
Yevgeniya Anatolyevna Shapovalova is a Russian cross-country skier who has been competing since 2006.
Johan Arne Olsson is a Swedish cross-country skiing coach and former skier. He is a two-time Olympic champion who raced from 1998 to 2017. Olsson won five individual FIS Cross-Country World Cup victories and two additional podium finishes during his career.
Dario Cologna is a Swiss cross-country skier. He has four overall World Cup victories, four Olympic gold medals, one World Championships gold medal and four Tour de Ski victories in his career.
Chris André Jespersen is a Norwegian cross-country skier who has competed since 2002. His best World Cup finishes were second in a 30 km event in Davos in 2013, and second in the 2013–14 Tour de Ski. Jespersen's lone win was in the 4 × 10 km relay in 2008, also in Sweden.
Malta competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia from 7 to 23 February 2014. Malta made its debut at the Winter Olympics.
Élise Pellegrin is a Maltese-French alpine skier who has competed since 2006. Pellegrin was born in Blois, France, and qualified to compete for Malta at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, becoming the first Winter Olympian to represent the country. Although Pellegrin was born in France, her great-grandfather had moved to France from Malta, which gave her the opportunity to compete for the country. Pellegrin was also the flagbearer for Malta at the opening ceremony.
Federico Pellegrino is an Italian cross-country skier. Pellegrino is a world champion and Olympic silver medalist in cross-country skiing. In the 2015/2016 season, he won the sprint cup.
Dietmar Nöckler is an Italian cross-country skier. He has been in a relationship with fellow cross-country skier Ilaria Debertolis since 2009.
Iivo Henrik Niskanen is a Finnish cross-country skier who has competed in the FIS Cross-Country World Cup since 2011. He is a three-time Olympic champion.
Evgeniy Nikolayevich Belov is a cross-country skier from Russia.
Francesco De Fabiani is an Italian cross-country skier.
Lucia Joas is a German cross-country skier.
Competitive cross-country skiing encompasses a variety of race formats and course lengths. Rules of cross-country skiing are sanctioned by the International Ski Federation and by various national organizations. International competitions include the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, the FIS Cross-Country World Cup, and at the Winter Olympic Games. Such races occur over homologated, groomed courses designed to support classic (in-track) and freestyle events, where the skiers may employ skate skiing. It also encompasses cross-country ski marathon events, sanctioned by the Worldloppet Ski Federation, and cross-country ski orienteering events, sanctioned by the International Orienteering Federation. Related forms of competition are biathlon, where competitors race on cross-country skis and stop to shoot at targets with rifles, and paralympic cross-country skiing that allows athletes with disabilities to compete at cross-country skiing with adaptive equipment.
Malta sent a delegation to compete at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, from 9 to 25 February 2018, with one competitor, alpine skier Élise Pellegrin. It was the country's second Winter Olympic appearance, after the 2014 Winter Olympics. Pellegrin was designated as the flag bearer for both the parade of nations during the opening ceremony, and the closing ceremony. She was disqualified from the giant slalom, and finished 50th in the slalom.
Lucia Scardoni is an Italian cross-country skier. She competed in the women's sprint at the 2018 Winter Olympics. and Women's 10 kilometre classical, at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
