By Shannon Lukens. (Photos courtesy Ben Barbier.)

 

Steamboat’s Grey Barbier was on the winning relay team for Team USA at the U18 Nordic Nations Cup in Finland. It is the first time the United States team has won the relay at the international event.

 

Here’s more from Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; Feb. 20, 2023.

 

SSWSC Cross Country Athlete Grey Barbier on Winning Relay Team for USA at U18 Nordic Nations Cup

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. – Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club cross country ski athlete Grey (Benjamin) Barbier is part of the winning relay team for the USA at the cross country U18 Nordic Nations Cup in Jyvaskyla, Finland. Barbier and teammates Finegan Bailey from Stratton Mountain School and Tabor Greenberg from Green Valley Mountain School won the 3×5 team relay on Sunday, February 19. This is the first time the US has won the relay in this event. The top six U18 cross country ski athletes from the United States in each gender qualified for their first international race experience based on their results from the U.S Cross Country Skiing National Championships in early January.

The U18 Nordic National Cup features the top athletes from Finland, Estonia, Norway, Sweden, and the United States. Barbier is a first-year U18, meaning he is in the youngest age group able to qualify for the event. He placed 16th in the 10-kilometer skate race on February 18 and 14th in the sprint race on February 17.

 

Also in Nordic skiing on the high school level, Steamboat Springs High School sent a team to the CHSAA State Championships. The Steamboat women finished third in the 5 km Classic at the Frisco Nordic Center, with Dixie Barnes at 6th and Wren Capra finished 7th.

For the Steamboat Springs High School men’s team, the Sailors finished 5th with Griffin Rillos finishing in 3rd at the top spot for the Sailors.