Boise teen wins silver at World Championships. It’s the best-ever finish for a U.S. skier
Boise High multisport star Sammy Smith made another mark on the world stage Monday.
The 18-year-old finished second in the skate sprint at the FIS Ski Junior World Championships in Slovenia, earning the best-ever American finish in the cross country event at the Junior World Championships.
Smith finished the 1.25-kilometer race in 2 minutes, 41.91 seconds — 1.07 seconds behind Gina Del Rio of Andorra. She’s just the second American woman to win a silver medal at the Junior World Championships.
“I’m super excited about today’s race,” Smith said in a news release from the U.S. Ski Team. “I was not thrilled with my qualifier. I knew I made some mistakes that cost me some time, but I was really happy with how the heats went. It was a competitive field and congrats to all the other racers on an awesome day.”
Monday’s silver medal adds to a breakout season for the Boise High senior and Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation product. She has made 16 starts and ranks 52nd on the World Cup tour while competing against Olympic medal-winning veterans.
But Smith is a world-class athlete in more places than the mountain.
Smith played for the U.S. women’s national soccer team at the U-17 World Cup in 2023. And she led the U.S. to a bronze medal at the Pan American Games in November as part of a U-19 squad competing against senior national teams from North and South America.
Smith has committed to play soccer at Stanford with her older sister, Logan Smith. She also has won multiple Idaho high school state championships in track and cross country.
Monday’s record-setting performance marks just the start for Smith at the Junior World Championships. She’s also scheduled to compete in the 10- and 20-kilometer races later this week.
“We’re launching the week on a high note,” U.S. coach Greta Anderson said in a news release. “Our athletes arrive with significant ambitions, and it’s incredibly rewarding for all of us to see them achieve their objectives collectively.
“Sammy’s second-place finish in the sprint is a testament to the hard work and determination that defines our team. It’s an ideal beginning to our week.”
This story was originally published February 5, 2024 at 3:57 PM.
