Cross-country skiers Andrew Musgrave, Andrew Young, and James Clugnet fear that British cross-country skiing will lose all financial support from the British Ski Association next season. On July 21, the “verdict” will come from the UK Sport. 

“In the UK, they analyze Olympic and World Cup results every four years and try to estimate whether there is hope for medals in the next championship. During the Olympics in Beijing, we had hoped for more (than the 12th place of Andrew Musgrave as the best result). But now everything is very uncertain,” James Clugnet explains to Nordic Mag, and continues: 

“Our first application for support from UK Sport was rejected because UK Sport does not think we have medal chances in the 2026 Olympics.”

The British national cross-country skiing team appealed the rejection and argued that support could now be the essential piece that points the results in the right direction for the 2026 Olympics. The decision on the appeal comes on July 21. 

If UK Sport maintains the refusal, the British cross-country skiers will at best be on their own until October 1, without coaches and support staff. 

“In the UK, it is “all-or-nothing” regarding support. Either they see opportunities for medals, and we get good support from the association, but if not, we get nothing,” says Clugnet. 

In addition, the British cross-country team also lost the support of GB Snowsports from July 1. It was an additional support that, among other things, made it possible for the team to have coaches and support staff. 

“The worst thing for us is actually to lose our coaches and serviceman, who has been responsible for everything for the last three years. If we are now going to start doing this ourselves, it is going to be extremely complicated. And if we lose support, it will put British cross-country skiing 15 years back,” says Clugnet. 

The decision on July 21 will also have consequences on the skiers’ personal lives. Clugnet fears that his entire career may be over just four years after he started. He says that living with that uncertainty is tough.

“I am always optimistic, and I hope for the best. But if we do not get any support from UK Sport and I cannot find my own sponsors, I will be forced to move home to my parents in France. That will mean the end of my whole Norwegian dream, which started four years ago,” concludes the 25-year-old James Clugnet.