U.S. Cross Country Ski Team Announces Four New Hires for Upcoming 2026-27 Season

The U.S. Cross Country Ski Team officially announces four new hires, including a World Cup Coach, two Service Team members and a Development Coach.

“We are very excited to start working with all four of these new hires,” said Chris Grover, Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team program director. “Ville will already be working with the Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes in our upcoming training camp in Sjusjoen and Sognefjell, Norway, beginning June 6. Our service team will join the Sognefjell camp on snow for a testing project, during which both Esben and Simen will be introduced to the Team. Meanwhile, Lizzie will join development projects already starting in June. We are so thankful to have these four very talented and knowledgeable people joining our ranks as we embark on the journey towards the French Alps in 2030 and the Salt Lake City Games in 2034. Each of them brings new and varied experiences that we all can learn from.”

Ville Oksanen joins the team as the new World Cup Coach. Oksanen has been instrumental in guiding Finnish skiers to top-tier international success, including preparing athletes during major events like the World Cup, World Championships and the Olympic Winter Games. Holding multiple roles within the association, Oksanen recently led the Finnish National Team and World Cup program. From 2019-22, he led the women's national team; from 2022-26, the men’s national team, specializing with the sprint athletes. Under Oksanen's leadership, many of his athletes medaled at major championships. Alongside coaching, Oksanen led the support team, including medical and physiotherapy professionals. His coaching is high standard, athlete-centered, with emphasis on teamwork, trust and the process. Oksanen is pursuing a degree at the premier Finnish institution for sports sciences, the University of Jyväskylä. He lives in Helsinki, Finland, with his family.

Lizzie Larkins joins the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team as the Development Coach. A competitive skier herself, Larkins competed on the D1 collegiate circuit at the University of Vermont and graduated with a degree in Nutrition and Food Science. She began her coaching career at the Auburn Ski Club (ASC), then pursued a Master of Science in Sport and Coaching Sciences and an Assistant Coaching position at Montana State University. Recently, Larkins has been a part of several U.S. Ski & Snowboard projects, including leading Team USA’s trip to the 2024 Youth Olympic Games, directing western Regional Development Camps, serving as a key staff member on the World Junior Championships team and participating in the Trail to Gold fellowship program. Larkins was among the coaching staff at the Paralympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina, supporting the U.S. Paralympic Nordic Team. Larkins lives in Bozeman, MT.

Esben Tøllefsen joins the service staff as a World Cup technician. Throughout his career, Tøllefsen worked for the Norwegian service team, spending nine years as a full-time staff member and the last three, part-time. In recent years, Tøllefsen split his time working for Norway and Iceland. Tøllefsen lives in Tromsø, Norway.

Simen Finjord also joins the service staff as a World Cup technician. Finjord joins the team after critical years leading the Aker Dæhlie wax team in Ski Classics. This past winter, Finjord supported the Aker Dæhlie team at the Olympic Winter Games in Predazzo, Italy, where he spent critical time with the Stifel U.S. Ski Team staff observing their process. When not working on skis, Finjord is currently pursuing a law degree in Tromsø, Norway.