Ben Ogden and Gus Schumacher just did something American cross-country skiers haven't done in 50 years: stand on an Olympic podium together.
The pair captured silver in the men's team sprint Wednesday in Italy, breaking a half-century drought for U.S. men in the sport. "It's insane," Ogden said after the race. "We proved today and all week we are here to stay."
For Schumacher, the moment carried particular weight. "I've had some really tough races, teaching myself to believe through all that and be confident in myself and in my team. This is the proudest moment," he said.
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Start Your News DetoxThe silver comes just days after Ogden's own history-making finish last week—the first individual medal for a U.S. man since 1976. Together, they represent a genuine shift in American cross-country skiing, a sport where the U.S. has long been outpaced by Nordic and Alpine powerhouses. Norway's Johannes Klaebo won gold, adding to an extraordinary Games where he's now claimed 10 gold medals overall, the most of any Winter Olympian ever. Italy's Federico Pellegrino took bronze on home snow.
The women's race: Diggins' final chapter
On the women's side, Jessie Diggins and Julia Kern finished fifth, missing the podium in what may be one of Diggins' last Olympic races. At 34, the four-time Olympic medalist announced her retirement after these Games, ending a career that fundamentally changed how the world sees American cross-country skiing.
Diggins made that shift possible eight years ago in South Korea, when she and Kikkan Randall won gold in this same event—America's first-ever Olympic gold in cross-country skiing. That win opened doors. Now, for the first time, women are competing in the same 50-kilometer endurance distance as men, and Diggins will get one final chance to race that distance before stepping away.
Sweden's Jonna Sundling took gold in the women's team sprint, with Switzerland and Germany rounding out the podium. Both Diggins and Schumacher are expected to enter the 50k, meaning the American breakthrough in this sport—built on decades of persistence and Diggins' willingness to be the first through the door—will have at least one more chapter to write.
