In a team relay race, athletes compete two laps of a 1500 meter course, one after another, mimicking the steps in an individual sprint. While a similar setup to the sprint, the relay is a much longer run and takes up to a half hour to complete.
On top of the endurance needed simply to complete their climb and descent, athletes are also scored on their technique in storing and holding onto their gear. For example, if an athlete loses or incorrectly stores their ski skin amid the race, it can lead to up to a 30-second penalty (meaning 30 seconds will be added to their final time).
This year, the United States has representatives in the relay, a team consisting of Anna Gibson and Cam Smith.
Smith, for his part, is a seasoned skimo pro, but Gibson—a world bronze medalist mountain and trail runner—only picked up the sport last year with the support from her now-teammate.
“All of that makes me super excited, but I think in my head, I’m going to approach it the exact same way that I approached the world cup,” Gibson told Team USA in a statement leading up to the Olympics, “which was loose and without a ton of expectation, and just going in hoping to learn stuff.”
And considering Gibson and Smith’s entry into the Olympics 2026 will mark Gibson’s third time ever competing in a skimo event, the 26-year-old is mostly just happy to be there.
“For me, a win in terms of the outcome, is just to have another really cool experience,” she said. “I think we know what we’re capable of. And we know that we are now part of the conversation more than we’ve ever been.”
For a deeper look into what has unraveled at the Olympics 2026 so far, keep reading…
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