Boise Native Sammy Smith Competes in First Olympic Ski Race

The 20-year-old Stanford soccer player finished 19th in the women's cross country classic sprint event.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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Sammy Smith, a Boise High graduate, competed in her first Olympic race on Tuesday, finishing 19th overall in the women's cross country classic sprint in Tesero, Italy. Smith navigated a field of 89 skiers and was one of 30 to qualify for the quarterfinals of the bracket-style event, but her time of 3 minutes, 59.07 seconds was not fast enough to advance to the semifinals.

Why it matters

Smith's performance at the Olympics is a remarkable achievement, as she only started cross country skiing in December and competed in the national championships with just three weeks of on-snow training. Her transition from being a standout on the Stanford women's soccer team to becoming an Olympic cross country skier has drawn praise from NBC commentators as 'one of the best stories in cross country skiing right now'.

The details

Smith's time of 3 minutes, 59.07 seconds around the 0.9-mile course placed fourth in her heat, outside the top two that automatically advance to the semifinals. A luckier draw would have sent her to the semifinals, but her time was not fast enough to earn one of two lucky loser, wildcard berths to the next round, ending her day in the quarterfinals. The classic sprint stands as Smith's best individual event in this year's Olympics, as she currently stands 36th in the sprint World Cup standings and captured national titles in the classic and skate sprints last month.

  • Sammy Smith completed her first Olympic race on Tuesday, February 10, 2026.
  • Smith helped lead the Stanford women's soccer team to a runner-up finish in the NCAA tournament in December 2025.

The players

Sammy Smith

A 20-year-old Boise High graduate who competed in her first Olympic race, finishing 19th in the women's cross country classic sprint event.

Steve Schlanger

The NBC play-by-play broadcaster who noted Smith's path to the Olympics during the broadcast of the qualifying round.

Kikkan Randall

The NBC color commentator who praised Smith's ability to transition from soccer to cross country skiing in such a short time frame.

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What they’re saying

“'(She's) one of the best stories in cross country skiing right now,'”

— Steve Schlanger, NBC play-by-play broadcaster (NBC)

“'To be able to transition seasons like that, from December before the Olympic games — that's typically when athletes are putting in their top preparation, really getting onto the World Cup and mixing it up with the international field. And she was still, literally, on the field.'”

— Kikkan Randall, NBC color commentator (NBC)

What’s next

The U.S. Ski team has not announced who will compete in other cross country events later in this month's Olympics, but Smith's skills could translate to the team sprint scheduled for Feb. 18.

The takeaway

Sammy Smith's remarkable transition from being a standout on the Stanford women's soccer team to becoming an Olympic cross country skier in just a few months is a testament to her athletic versatility and determination. Her performance in the women's classic sprint event has drawn praise as 'one of the best stories in cross country skiing right now', and her potential to compete in other events later in the Olympics suggests she could be a rising star in the sport.