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Ben Ogden: Ben Ogden delivered a historic performance for the United States on Tuesday, ending a 50-year Olympic medal drought in men’s cross-country skiing.
He secured the silver medal in the sprint, marking a breakthrough moment for American skiing.
The finish represented just the second Olympic medal ever won by U.S. men in the sport.
Norwegian star Johannes Høsflot Klæbo dominated the race to take gold.
The victory gave him his second straight gold medal of the Games. His teammate, Oskar Opstad Vike, finished third to claim bronze for Norway.
Before Tuesday, the last time an American man stood on the Olympic podium in cross-country skiing was in 1976.
Bill Koch achieved that milestone with a silver medal in the 30-kilometer event in Innsbruck, Austria.
Ogden’s result now places him alongside Koch in U.S. Olympic history.
His achievement highlights a rare and significant step forward for the American program in a discipline traditionally ruled by Nordic nations.
Ogden, 25, moved through the early stages with authority on Tuesday. He clocked the second-best time in qualifying, finishing only behind Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo.
In the quarterfinal, he timed his attack perfectly, pushing hard on the final uphill stretch and pulling clear of the field.
His effort produced the fastest mark of any heat. The semifinal was far more competitive. Ogden was edged out in a tight finish and placed third in his heat.
His overall time was strong enough to keep him in contention, allowing him to advance to the final as a lucky loser.
In the decisive race, Ogden battled to the finish and crossed less than a second behind Klæbo. The Norwegian secured his second gold medal in two events.
Klæbo continues his pursuit of a full sweep across the Olympic cross-country program.
Ogden has emerged as one of the most distinctive young talents in U.S. cross-country skiing.
The 6-foot-4 Vermonter first made his mark in the 2022–23 season. He finished that campaign as the fastest skier in the under-23 category.
The achievement earned him the sport’s prized green bib, awarded to the top youth competitor.
His rise continued the following winter. In December 2023, he reached his first World Cup podium during a sprint at the Tour de Ski.
It is widely regarded as one of the toughest events on the calendar. The next season, he secured another third-place finish in a 10-kilometer race in France.
He added a third podium last month in a team event in Switzerland.
All three previous podiums were bronze-medal performances. On Tuesday, Ogden surpassed those results.
He claimed silver on the Olympic stage, delivering the biggest finish of his career.
American men’s cross-country skiing has shown clear progress in recent years. Ben Ogden and Gus Schumacher have been at the center of that rise.
The two Olympic teammates have helped push the U.S. program from an afterthought toward a more competitive position.
In January 2025, they discussed that shift in an interview with The Athletic’s Matt Futterman.
Both skiers described a growing confidence within the team. Ogden said their mindset had changed.
“We want to be someone that people are looking out for,” he said at the time. “We do that for other people. Right now that’s becoming us.”
U.S. women have historically produced stronger Olympic results in cross-country skiing.
They have won three medals in the sport. All three belong to Jessie Diggins.
She earned two individual medals at the 2022 Winter Games. In 2018, she partnered with Kikkan Randall to win gold in the team sprint.
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