Graham Ritchie from Parry Sound | Canadian Olympic Cross-Country Skier

Graham Ritchie is a Canadian Olympic cross-country skier from Parry Sound, Ontario, who represented Canada at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Raised in Parry Sound, Ritchie developed his skiing career through local Nordic programs before competing internationally for Team Canada

About Graham Ritchie

Graham Ritchie is a Canadian Olympic cross-country skier from Parry Sound, Ontario. Raised in a community where winter is part of everyday life, Graham grew up skiing local trails and learning the sport through Parry Sound’s Nordic programs, long before international competition was ever part of the picture.

Those early years in Northern Ontario shaped both his work ethic and his connection to the sport. Over time, local races turned into provincial starts, then national teams, and eventually international competition. In 2022, Graham represented Canada in cross-country skiing at the Beijing Winter Olympics, competing as a member of Team Canada.

Since then, he has continued to compete at the highest levels of the sport, including World Cup events, World Championship races, and major international tours such as the Tour de Ski, racing under the governance of Nordiq Canada and Cross Country Canada. Despite competing on the world stage, his story remains closely tied to Parry Sound and the trails where it all began.

A special edition of, Pete's Ponders, for Peter Istvan Photography, because Nordiq Canada revealed the cross-country skiing team for Beijing Winter Olympics and Parry Sound's Graham Ritchie is heading to the Winter Olympics, representing Team Canada.

I live in Parry Sound and our community is very excited for Graham and his team, for their upcoming competition at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Parry Sound is known for some great athletes such as Bobby Orr, Aidan Dudas, Mark Ideson, and Megan Oldham. Add Graham to the list!

Graham Ritchie, was born and raised in Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada. He skied with the Parry Sound High School (PSHS) Nordic team and trained at the Georgian Nordic Activity Centre.

My daughter was also on the PSHS Nordic Ski Team, and probably much to her dismay, I started following the PSHS Nordic Ski Team to various events to cheer them on and photograph the skiers in action. I had the opportunity to capture some photos of Graham, in his early days of competitive skiing.

Another skier that I was able to watch was Shaylynn Lowen, who we will also likely see in the Winter Olympics, one day.

Here is one of my daughter, she will love this.....NOT! 

Videos with Graham Ritchie

PSHS Nordic Ski Team - Mass starts at OFSAA 2016 (Check out Graham's hair)

Some of Graham Ritchie's coaches in Parry Sound.

After high school, Graham joined the National Team Development Centre in Thunder Bay and it was a thrilling 12th place finish in a sprint skate at the 2018 Nordic Junior World Championships that earned Graham a spot on the Nordiq Canada Ski Team.

In 2016, Graham's classmates at the PSHS, voted him to be the student....

They were right. 

In January 2022, Graham, 23, was officially named to Canada’s Cross-Country Ski Team - Winter Olympics.

Career highlights for Graham Ritchie:

• 2021 – World Cup, Ulricehman, SWE: 17 (Sprint F)
• 2021 – World Ski Championships, Oberstdorf, GER: 10 (4x10km Relay), 7 (Team Sprint)
• 2021 – Under-23 World Championships, Vuokatti, FIN: 9 (4x5km Relay), 20 (15km F), 29 (Sprint C)
• 2020 – Under-23 World Ski Championships, Oberwiesenthal, GER: 13 (15km C), 26 (Sprint F)
• 2019 – World Cup, Quebec City, CAN: 69 (Sprint F)
• 2019 – Haywood NorAm, Red Deer, Alta.: 1 (Sprint F), 3 (10km F)
• 2019 – Under-23 World Ski Championships, Lahti, FIN: 52 (15km F), 26 (Sprint C)
• 2018 – World Junior Championships, Goms, SUI: 12 (Sprint F)
• 2018 – German Nationals, Obersdtorf, GER: 2 (15km F mst)
• Full results 

Recent media about Graham:

• Parry Sound North Star
• CTV interview with Graham Ritchie:
• CBC article on announcement of Canadian Olympic cross-country ski team
• Official announcement from Nordiq Canada
• Ritchie, Stewart Jones earns Olympic skiing berths

Olympic Cross-Country Ski Overview

What are the 2 styles of cross-country skiing? Traditionally, Olympic cross-country skiing events alternate between classical and free technique from Games to Games. The classic technique is the stride-and-glide motion and skis move parallel to each other. In comparison, the free technique has more of a skating motion and often referred to as skate skiing.

What are the Olympic Cross-Country Skiing Events?

For Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, there are six categories:

Skiathlon

Individual

Mass start

Sprint

Team Sprint

Relay

Canada's Cross-Country Skiing at the Olympics

Cross-country skiing originated in Scandinavia over 5000 years ago, and was  introduced to Canada in the 1890s.

Cross-country skiing at the Winter Olympic Games started 1924 in Chamonix, France. In 1924, legendary Norwegian skier, Thorlief Haug, won all three skiing events, the 18 km, 50 km, and combined. The women's events were added at the 1952 Oslo Winter Olympics.

Canada has won three Olympic medals in cross-country skiing, all by women.

First medal: In 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, Beckie Scott won Canada's first GOLD medal in the pursuit event.

Second and third medals: At the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics, Sara Renner won Canada's first SILVER medal in the classic team sprint event. Chandra Crawford won Canada's second GOLD medal the free sprint event.

One of the more notable performances for the men was at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. In the free team sprint, Alex Harvey and Devon Kershaw skied to a fourth place finish, just missing a medal! 

In the 50 km classic mass start event, Devon Kershaw, after skiing for 2 hours, finished a six-tenths of a second, out of bronze medal position.

Ivan Babikov also placed fifth in the skiathlon.

At the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, Alex Harvey skied to a fourth place finish in the 50 km classic mass start.

Check out these thrilling and nail-biting finals of Cross Country Skiing from the Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer 1994, Nagano 1998, Salt Lake City 2002 and Vancouver 2010

Check out Team Canada’s Olympic Winter Games flag bearers

Beijing Winter Olympics 2022  

At the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, Graham is joined by:

• Dahria Beatty (Whitehorse, Yukon)
• Cendrine Browne (Saint-Jérôme, Que.)
• Antoine Cyr (Gatineau, Que.)
• Laura Leclair (Chelsea, Que.)
• Olivier Léveillé (Sherbrooke, Que.)
• Katherine Stewart-Jones (Chelsea, Que.)
• Rémi Drolet (Rossland, BC)
• Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt (Morin Heights, Que.)

Best of luck to Graham, Dahria, Cendrine, Antoine, Laura, Olivier, Katherine, Rémi, and Olivia, as you ski for 🥇GOLD🥇, at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics! The Olympic competition schedule shows the first cross-country ski event is Saturday, February 5th, 2022.

Check out this link for all things Olympic from Nordiq Canada

Also, cheering on two other Parry Sounders, Megan Oldham, going to the Olympics, competing in the Freestyle skiing, and Mark Ideson, competing in the Paralympic Games Beijing 2022, in Wheel Chair Curling.

Local Athletes are representing Canada and we need your help!

• Megan Oldham: Beijing Olympics Profile | CBC Sports 
• Mark Ideson on how he went from able-bodied athlete to a wheelchair curling champion | CBC Sports 

Results from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics Cross-Country Skiing Races

Feb 5th - Women's 7.5 km + 7.5 km Skiathlon

 Feb 6th - Men's 15 km + 15 km Skiathlon

• 1st - Alexander Bolshunov
• 2nd - Denis Spitsov
• 3rd - Livo Niskanen
• 31st - Olivier Léveillé 
• 42nd - Antoine Cyr 
• DNF  - Remi Drolet 
• Full results

Feb 8th - Men's/Women's Sprint Freestyle

Feb 10th - Women's 10 km Classic Results

• 1st - Therese Johaug
• 2nd - Kerttu Niskanen
• 3rd - Krista Parmakoski
• 18th - Dahria Beatty 
• 36th - Katherine Stewart-Jones 
• 48th - Cendrine Browne 
• 61st - Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt 
• Full results

Feb 11th - Men's 15 km Classic Results

• 1st - Ivo Niskanen
• 2nd - Alexander Bolshunov
• 3rd - Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo
• 29th - Olivier Léveillé  
• 33rd - Remi Drolet  
• 37th - Antoine Cyr  
• Full results
• Video Replay of Cross-Country Skiing Men's 15 Classic Final

Feb 12th - Women's Cross-Country 4 x 5 km Relay Classic 

• 1st - ROC
• 2nd - Germany
• 3rd - Sweden 
• 9th - Canada 
• Full results

Feb 13th - Men's Cross-Country 4 x 10 km Relay Classic 

• 1st - ROC
• 2nd - Norway
• 3rd - France
• 11th - Canada 
• Full Results

Feb 16 - Team Sprint Cross-Country- Classic Qualifications

• Women's Sprint Classic Semi-finals Results - Olympic Cross-Country Skiing
• 1st - Germany
• 2nd - USA
• 3rd - Austria
• 6th - Canada 

• Women's Sprint Classic FINAL Results - Olympic Cross-Country Skiing
• 1st - Germany
• 2nd - Sweden
• 3rd - ROC

• Men's Sprint Classic Semi-finals Results - Olympic Cross-Country Skiing
• 1st - Germany
• 2nd - USA
• 3rd - Austria
• 6th - Canada 

• Men's Sprint Classic FINAL Results - Olympic Cross-Country Skiing
• 1st - Norway
• 2nd - Finland
• 3rd - ROC
• 5th - Canada 

From Nordiq Canada

Antoine Cyr and Graham Ritchie ski to a historic 5th place in the Men's Team Sprint Classic!

The pair again showed confidence as they would lead on the climbs, and fight for the podium positions up until the second last exchange. Norway, Russia, and Finland would go off the front creating a gap. Ritchie would do his best to close the gap on the anchor leg but would come across the line in 5th place behind Sweden. This is Canada's second-best ever Men's Olympic Team Sprint result, and the best ever in the classic discipline! This result shows the promise of things to come for the two young skiers, who at the age of just 23 have achieved a historic result!

Media: Thunder Bay skier races to historic cross-country Olympic finish in Beijing

Feb 19 - Cross-Country Skiing - Men's 30 km Mass Start Free Final

• Note, race was reduced from 50 km to 30 km, due to weather
• 1st - Alexander Bolshunov 
• 2nd - Ivan Yakimushkin
• 3rd - Simen Hegstad Krueger
• 27th - Olivier Léveillé  
• 42nd - Remi Drolet  

Feb 20th - Cross-Country Skiing - Women's 30 km Mass Start Free Final

• 1st - Therese Johaug
• 2nd - Jesse Diggins
• 3rd - Kerttu Niskanen
• 16th - Cendrine Browne 
• 30th - Katherine Stewart-Jones 
• 39th - Dahria Beatty 
• 51st - Laura Leclair 

Results from the Free Ski Big Air

Feb 6th. Megan Oldham puts down the best run to qualify in 1st place in women's freeski big air

• Finals
• 4th- Megan Oldham 
• 8th - Olivia Asselin 

Feb 14 - Women's Freeski Slopestyle Qualification Results - Olympic Freestyle Skiing

• 11th - Olivia Asselin 
• 13th - Megan Oldham  

Update on Meg Oldman, January 2023

Megan Won Gold in the Women’s Ski Big Air at X Games in Aspen while making history as she becomes the first woman skier to land a triple, taking home X Games GOLD!

Canada's Megan Oldham lands 1st triple cork in women's events to claim X Games gold - January 2023

Paralympic Wheelchair Curing Beijing Olympics 2022

 Friday, March 11, Semi-Finals

• Canada   5, China 9 

Friday, March 11, Bronze Medal Match

• Canada   4 , Slovakia 3 

Late 2023, Graham had injury and has been working hard to to get back on the skis. He did a fun video with Collin. 

Graham Ritchie tries out for the Para nordic team?

Updates about Graham Ritchie

In the news:

• What Being an Ice Hockey Goalie Taught Graham Ritchie About Cross-Country Skiing

2026 - Olympic Winter Games

Canada’s top cross-country skiers set for Olympic trials at the Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre in Vernon, B.C.

• Dec 14^th 2026 Olympic Trials – Interval Start Classic 
• Dec 15^th 2026 Olympic Trials – Interval Start Free 
• Dec 16^th 2026 Olympic Trials – Sprint Qualifier Free 
• Dec 16^th Final Heats 
• Dec 16^th Heat Brackets 

Men’s Final Podium

1. Xavier McKeever — (Canmore, Alta.)
2. Graham Ritchie — (Parry Sound, Ont.)
3. Rémi Drolet — (Rossland, B.C.)

Women’s Final Podium

1. Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt — (Morin-Heights, Que.)
2. Katie Weaver —  (North Vancouver, B.C.)
3. Sonjaa Schmidt — (Whitehorse, Yukon)

Graham Ritchie, who competed at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, finished second after setting the fastest qualifying time. Ritchie’s journey to this moment has been remarkable; he broke his leg two years ago, missed an entire season, and spent months rebuilding his strength to return to racing. To be nominated as an alternate is no small feat considering everything he has endured to return to racing.

“It takes a village to produce an Olympian,” Ritchie said. “I’ve had so many people in my corner helping me get back to racing at this level. If Canada gets another spot, it would mean so much, not just for me, but for the team. We’re within reach of a medal as a nation, and I want to be part of that.”

Peter Istvan Photography

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