By Dave Branco

Sport

Prince George loses Olympic trials, but organizers promise future high-performance events

Dec 1, 2025 | 4:25 PM

PRINCE GEORGE — A significant change for Canada’s Olympic hopefuls. The Nordiq Canada 2026 Olympic Winter Games Trials, initially set for Prince George, will now take place at Sovereign Lake near Vernon. Organizers say the move was unavoidable.

“I think just with the way that the forecasts have been, have been really kind of all over the map this year. The decision was made by Nordic Canada to then move the event to Sovereign,” said Kevin Pettersen, Event Chair, Nordiq Canada 2026 Olympic Winter Games Trials.

Ski organizers have decided to relocate the 2026 Olympic Winter Games cross-country ski trials to the Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre near Vernon. The event will still occur on the original dates, December 13th to 16th, 2025.

Nordiq Canada said unreliable snow at the Caledonia Nordic Ski Centre prevents the assurance of world-class racing conditions needed for athletes competing for a spot in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

“I’m still feeling the heartbreak from the event being moved,” added Pettersen

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Prince George’s selection marked the first time Olympic Trials of any sport were awarded to Northern B.C., and the community rallied behind the event.

Despite this setback, organizers stress that Prince George maintains a strong reputation in Nordic sports, with a proven history of hosting competitions. They are committed to bringing future high-performance events back to the area.