Cross country skier Rosie Fordham has delivered Australia's first ever medal in an international cross-country skiing event.
Fordham won silver in the 10km interval skating race at the FIS junior/U23 World Ski Championships in Bergamo-Schilpario.
Her previous best placing in an individual U23 World Championships race was 19th in the 20km mass start race at last year's championships in Planica.
The 22-year-old was stunned as she crossed the line, a mix of disbelief and joyful exuberance as Australia's nordic skiing community rejoiced a major breakthrough.
Fordham was 25.7 seconds behind Germany's gold medallist Helen Hoffmann, and 11.8 seconds ahead of Canada's Liliane Gagnon.
"I can't believe that just happened," a delighted Fordham said at the finish.
"I was hoping for a top-10 on a good day.
"I was hearing the splits and I was like, 'no way'. I can't believe it.
Fordham only started cross country skiing when she was 15, having started her snow experience going downhill.
"I always did downhill and I just tried a cross country race after running and I fell in love with the sport," Fordham said.
"I found my way onto the national team and I've just been working hard ever since.
"And I can't believe I've just come second."
The Australian is currently a senior at University of Alaska Fairbanks where she is also a member of the cross country athletics team.
On her Snow Australia athlete profile, Fordham wrote that she likes "the satisfaction of completely destroying myself and emptying the tank on the race course," and that's exactly what she did around the Abeti track.
As heavy snow fell throughout, making for tough conditions, the 20th starter Fordham set an electric pace to take the lead by over 30 seconds from her Alaska teammate Kendall Kramer of the USA.
"This course was for me," Fordham said.
"It was big uphills, it was terrible conditions, it was slow and that's what I love, just grinding out there, just really hard, just wow."
On the live stream of the event Fordham can be seen with a mobile, asking why her mother wasn't picking up her phone, before later being shown crying while taking a call.
Fellow Australian Isabella Moon finished in 59th place.
