Ragnhild Aarekol won the women’s 10 km classic interval start at the 2026 FIS Roller Ski World Championships in Madona, Latvia. The Norwegian stopped the clock at 27:27.9 to take her first world title.
A 3-second gap across 10 kilometres
The Thursday race sent each skier off alone against the clock on the Madona course. Aarekol’s time held firm through the afternoon, but the title was not safe until the last finisher crossed the line. Poland’s Aleksandra Kolodziej came closest, exactly 3.0 seconds behind.
Estonia’s Keidy Kaasiku completed the podium in third, 11.0 seconds back from the winner. The tight spread turned an individual time trial into a long wait for the final standings to lock in.
First world gold at twenty-five
The result marks a new peak for the 25-year-old Norwegian, who had not stood atop a world championship podium before. Her gold came on the opening day of the four-day championships, which run through 6 September and also feature sprint and mass-start events.
Norway swept the senior classic titles that afternoon. Andreas Bergsland won the concurrent men’s 10 km classic by a wider margin of 45.7 seconds, completing a golden opening session for the Nordic nation.
Aarekol’s ride from interval starter to world champion leaves a quiet marker. On a course where no second could be given back, she held just enough.
