The junior and U-23 World Championships in Nordic skiing have started in Lillehammer, Norway, with the first event being the junior freestyle sprint. In the qualifying heats, three Estonian skiers—Herta Rajas, Gerda Kivil, and Toni Andree Saarepuu—successfully advanced to the quarterfinals, marking a significant achievement for the Estonian team. Herta Rajas and Gerda Kivil both qualified in 13th and 14th positions respectively, with both trailing behind the fastest qualifier, Iselin Bjervig Drivenes from Norway, by just over 15 seconds.

In the men's junior qualification, the fastest skier was Finn Redman from Canada, who set a time that left Saarepuu in 21st place after a 5.71 second gap. Other Estonians competing included Stefan Kivil, who finished in 38th place, Juss Leiner in 41st, and Oskar Lehto in 44th, out of a total of 101 competitors. The strong performance of Rajas, Kivil, and Saarepuu signals a promising future for Estonian skiing at the junior level.

The crucial heats for the young males will start at 13:30, followed by the females at 14:00. This event showcases the talent within the Estonian skiing community and provides a platform for young athletes to compete against international competitors in a prestigious championship setting, which could inspire further successes on the global sporting stage.