Bend Nordic skier Neve Gerard competes at the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, South Korea, on Jan. 29.

Bend Nordic skier Neve Gerard posted multiple top-20 results at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games, held Jan. 19 through Feb. 1 in Gangwon, South Korea.

The Bend High senior finished sixth in the women’s 7.5-kilometer classic, 17th in the freestyle sprint and, along with her team, fifth in the mixed 4x5K team relay, in which Gerard boasted the third-fastest leg of the day.

Gerard is a full-time competitive Nordic skier for the Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation and will continue her racing career as part of the University of Utah’s Nordic Ski Team this fall.

Drawing top athletes from all over the world, the Youth Olympic Games was Gerard’s second experience representing her country while competing on the world stage, following an impressive showing at last season’s Nordic Nations Championships in Finland.

After a first-place result in the junior women’s freestyle 10K at U.S. Nationals this past January, Gerard and her coaching team felt confident she was in good shape for this year’s Youth Olympic Games, according to an MBSEF news release.

Gerard qualified to represent Team USA more than a year in advance of the Youth Olympic Games at U.S. Nationals in January 2023, in Houghton, Michigan.

“Asking any athlete to target a single week of events, from such a long way out, is a lot of pressure to put on any athlete, let alone a 17-year-old who is tackling school, college applications, and life as a teenager,” said Reitler Hodgert, Nordic director for MBSEF. “Neve has handled that pressure with a focus and athletic professionalism far beyond her years of skiing.”

Gerard, who started training with MBSEF as a freshman, made up her mind early in her high school racing career that she wanted to pursue a dream of racing professionally as a Nordic skier. According to the release, her success in the sport has impressed many since most of her competitors have been training exclusively in the sport for many years longer than her.

“I think MBSEF’s training approach has allowed me to grow a lot as an athlete in a short amount of time, while keeping it sustainable for the future,” Gerard said.

Utah has dominated collegiate skiing in the U.S., winning the NCAA championship every year it has been held since 2019.

“I am super excited to ski with Utah next year because of the level and the location,” Gerard said.

The strength of Utah’s ski team will provide the training and competition Gerard requires at this stage in her career, according to Hodgert.

“It is the natural next step in her progression toward competing as a Nordic skier at the highest level,” Hodgert said, “and we are excited to continue cheering and supporting Neve, as much as we can, from Bend.”

MBSEF is a nonprofit organization that “creates opportunities through competitive snow sports programs to support Central Oregon athletes in achieving their individual athletic, academic, and personal goals,” according to its website.

For more information on MBSEF, visit www.mbsef.org.