With her victory at Jizerská50 last weekend, Anikken Gjerde Alnæs reached one of the most exclusive milestones in Ski Classics history.
The win marked her fifth individual Ski Classics Pro Tour victory, officially making the Team Engcon athlete a Ski Classics Legend and securing her place in the Ski Classics Hall of Fame.
To earn Legend status, a Pro Team athlete must win at least five individual Ski Classics Pro Tour events, with results from races before the first official season also counting. Only a select group of the sport’s greatest athletes have achieved this feat, and Alnæs now joins that elite list.
Winning once on the Ski Classics Pro Tour is already a significant achievement. Winning five times elevates an athlete into a category reserved for the very best. With her triumph at Jizerská50, Anikken Gjerde Alnæs becomes the latest skier to reach this historic mark.
Jizerská50 was a particularly meaningful place for Alnæs to secure her Legend status. After crossing the finish line, she admitted the achievement had been on her mind for some time.
“I think the legend thing is something I’ve been chasing, so if it would happen somewhere, I love that it’s Jizerská50. I love this venue, I love the crowd, I just love this race,” Alnæs said after the finish, watch here on SC Play.
The race itself was far from straightforward. Alnæs struggled in the early stages and was unsure of her form, but as the race progressed, she grew stronger and positioned herself for the decisive sprint.
“I was struggling a lot in the beginning today, and I was so unsure where I was standing. But I felt pretty decent in the end,” she explained.
The finish saw a sprint between teammates, a scenario Alnæs knows well from training sessions.
“That’s what we do in training, and that’s the perfect thing. Either one of us will win this race, and it’s just super awesome that it’s me and Hanna (Lodin) in the sprint together,” she said.
The story continues below.
The victory at Jizerská50 was Alnæs’ fifth Pro Tour win, a result that confirms her consistency at the very highest level of skiing. Over several seasons, she has established herself as one of the most reliable and competitive athletes in Ski Classics, capable of delivering when it matters most.
Also Read: Strong performances set the tone at the Grand Classics Jizerská50
Now officially a Ski Classics Legend, Anikken Gjerde Alnæs adds her name to a Hall of Fame that includes some of the biggest profiles in the sport. Among them are Britta Johansson Norgren, the most successful skier in Ski Classics history with 25 victories, alongside stars such as Emil Persson, Andreas Nygaard, Astrid Øyre Slind, Seraina Boner, and Anders Aukland.
For Alnæs, however, the immediate focus after the milestone was simple.
“I will take it quite chill. I need some time to calm down and be with my boyfriend. I think I need a break and just get back home at this moment,” she said.
With Legend status secured, Anikken Gjerde Alnæs has already written her name into Ski Classics history. And with some of the biggest races of the season still ahead, her story may be far from finished.
Re-watch Jizerská50 here on SC Play
Next up is Vasaloppet, taking place on Sunday, March 1, 2026. The event marks the seventh Ski Classics Pro Tour stage and the third Grand Classics of Season XVII.
Read More: Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XVII 2025/2026
Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XVII (2025/2026)
Season XVII of the Ski Classics Pro Tour consists of 13 events across 9 event weekends in 6 countries.
- Event 1: December 13, 2025 – Bad Gastein Pro Team Tempo – Sportgastein, Austria, 7km
- Event 2: December 14, 2025 – Bad Gastein Criterium – Sportgastein, Austria, 36km
- Event 3: January 17, 2026 – Engadin La Diagonela – Pontresina-Zuoz, Switzerland, 47km
- Event 4: January 25, 2026 – Marcialonga – Moena-Cavalese, Italy, 70km
- Event 5: January 30, 2026 – Bedřichov Sprint – Bedřichov, Czech Republic, 1.5km
- Event 6: February 1, 2026 – Jizerská50 – Bedřichov, Czech Republic, 50km
- Event 7: March 1, 2026 – Vasaloppet – Sälen-Mora, Sweden, 90km
- Event 8: March 7, 2026 – Orsa Grönklitt 50k ITT Women – Grönklitt, Sweden, 50km
- Event 9: March 8, 2026 – Orsa Grönklitt 50k ITT Men – Grönklitt, Sweden, 50km
- Event 10: March 14, 2026 – Birkebeinerrennet – Rena-Lillehammer, Norway, 54km
- Event 11: March 21, 2026 – Marcialonga Bodø – Bodø, Norway, 50km
- Event 12: March 28, 2026 – Reistadløpet – Setermoen-Bardufoss, Norway, 35km
- Event 13: March 29, 2026 – Grand Finale Summit 2 Senja – Bardufoss-Finnsnes, Norway, 60km
For more updates and detailed information about the Ski Classics Pro Tour, make sure to visit skiclassics.com
Author: Leandro Lutz
Photos: Reichert/NordicFocus
