Hannah Schmidt

Biography

Hannah Schmidt made her Olympic debut at Beijing 2022 where she advanced to the small final. She finished third in that race to place seventh overall.

Schmidt joined the national ski cross team in 2018 and competed in her first Nor-Am Cup events in February and March. During the 2018-19 season, she stood on six straight podiums on the Nor-Am Cup circuit, capped off by her first tour victory. That helped her to finish third overall in the season standings. In January 2019 she got her first taste of FIS World Cup action at the Canadian-hosted event in Blue Mountain. 

Unfortunately, her season ended with a terrible crash that resulted in a fractured tibia plateau. She required surgery to install a titanium rod in her leg and was sidelined for the entire 2019-20 season. After more than eight months of rehab, she joined the World Cup team full time in 2020-21. Her best result of the season came in her debut at the FIS World Championships where she finished 10^th.  

Schmidt kept the momentum going into 2021-22 as she recorded the first top five finish of her career in December in Val Thorens, France by winning the small final. Just over a week later, she advanced to her first World Cup big final, finishing fourth in Innichen, Italy.

Schmidt earned her first World Cup podium in December 2022 when she finished second in Val Thorens. In December 2023, she earned her first World Cup victory in Arosa. It was a historic day, as her brother Jared won the men’s race, making them the first siblings to win ski cross World Cup races on the same day. It was part of the best season of Schmidt’s career, as she stood on five World Cup podiums, including three victories, and finished fourth in the 2023-24 World Cup standings.

Unfortunately, her season came to an early end after she sustained multiple fractures in her heel and ankle in February 2024. She was back for the start of the 2024-25 season and reached three more World Cup podiums, including her fourth career victory in January. But the next day, she fractured her tibia plateau and ankle, requiring surgery and ending her season. She was back for the start of the 2025-26 season.

Growing up, Schmidt had been an alpine skier and competed on the Nor-Am Cup circuit from 2012 to 2017. Schmidt competed in alpine skiing while attending Carleton University and represented Canada at the 2017 FISU Winter Universiade where she was the top North American skier in the super-G and helped Canada to fifth in the team event.

A Little More About Hannah

Getting into the Sport: Started competing in ski cross at 25… Outside Interests: Graduated from Carleton University in 2019 with a degree in criminology… Plans to become a police officer after her skiing career… Enjoys knitting, crocheting, mountain biking, camping, disc golf, and trying to learn German… Odds and Ends: Has had to manage her type-1 diabetes since she was 12… Younger brother Jared is also on the 2022 and 2026 Olympic ski cross teams… Cousin Madeline Schmidt competed in sprint kayak for Canada at Tokyo 2020… Mother Lesley Anne, who helped push for women’s canoe events to be added to the Olympic program and advocates for equality in sport, is her inspiration… Favourite motto: “Never satisfied, never disappointed” -Bevin Schmidt (her dad)…