From the FasterSkier archive — posts syndicated from athletes’ and coaches’ own blogs between 2004 and 2012, kept online as published. Current coverage is at fasterskier.com.
This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com.
Federico Pellegrino (ITA) during warmup, hearing his name called by the joyous crowd lining the course in Lake Placid. It was the beginning to a tremendous day, and the final Sprint victory of his glorious career. (Photo: Thibaut/NordicFocus.)
“The energy that I got in the warmup lap . . . I got this feeling of power from the public,” said Federico Pellegrino.”Cheering for me. “Chicco Pelle! Chicco Pelle! And then in the Final, I could not wait!”
Though this race—this glorious victory— came at the end of a long and illustrious career, Pellegrino was true to his word. He could not wait. He blazed off the front of a complex and contact-filled Freestyle Sprint final to storm to the 18th win of his World Cup career—his 46th podium. He had won silver and bronze medals in front of his countrymen at the Olympics of Milano-Cortina just a few weeks ago. Perhaps this final victory in front of the cheering throngs of Mt. Van Hoevenberg was sweeter, still.
Pellegrino was joined on the podium by Lars Heggen (NOR) and Anton Grahn (SWE), two young guns who may represent the future of the sport. But Pellegrino showed he was not yet ready to allow the great names of the past to be forgotten. One last Sprint victory, and one more chance to show his appreciation to an appreciative crowd.
“Thank you Lake Placid,” smiled Pellegrino. “It was great!”
Lars Heggen (NOR) may see himself as the heir apparent, the sprinter most likely to triumph when Klaebo is away. That may soon be true . . . just as soon as Federico Pellegrino (ITA) retires. (Photo: Thibaut/NordicFocus)
A World Cup Sprint without Klaebo is two things at the same time: both a lot less interesting, and a lot more interesting. When Klaebo is in the Sprint field, Klaebo will win, won’t he? So what does it mean when Klaebo is absent? It means almost anyone can win. And with only the World Cup Distance championship remaining to be defended (in a close race with Harald Oestberg Amundsen), Klaebo elected to sit out the Freestyle Sprint . . . marking perhaps the only time that Klaebo has been able to watch an entire World Cup Sprint competition from the sidelines.
“It’s not very often that you have the races (in the USA),” said Klaebo. “And it’s always fun—I mean it was amazing when we were in Minneapolis a couple of years ago, and I’ve been looking forward to this race for a long time. With what happens last week, (coming to Lake Placid) was a little bit uncertain. I’m really happy that I made it, and happy that I made it to the starting line.”
“The Americans really know how to make noise and a good atmosphere,” said Klaebo of the Mt. Van Hoevenberg crowds lining the 10 k course on Friday. “It was cool!”
“I think it’s the right decision to skip the (Sprint on Saturday),” said Klaebo. “Hopefully I will be back at it again on Sunday with enough energy to be able to fight.”
JC Schoonmaker (USA) was the top American among five who qualified for Lake Placid’s Freestyle Sprint quarterfinals. He would put together a fine set of performances, advancing to the semifinal and finishing the day ninth. (Photo: Thibaut/NordicFocus)
Freestyle Sprint Heats
Team USA would qualify five skiers into the quarterfinals: Gus Schumacher, Ben Ogden, Jack Young, JC Schoonmaker, and Zanden McMullen. Schumacher, Ogden, and Young delivered especially eye-popping qualifying efforts: fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively. While Americans would ski their way into the quarterfinals, it was not to be the Americans’ day.
Schumacher caught his pole in the start gate and immediately surrendered ten meters to the field, but an initial slow pace in the heat allowed him to catch up quickly, and to surge forward into third position. Schumacher followed early leaders Benjamin Moser (AUT) and Anton Grahn (SWE), though it was Lars Heggen (NOR) sitting quietly mid-pack that should have occupied everyone’s attention. Heggen was badly positioned mid-race, pinched out of a spot to advance on the climb, and found himself at the very back. Schumacher was pushed wide on the final turn while Heggen masterfully weaved far inside, squeaking past to fuel his dash down the final straightaway. Heggen would finish second (behind Grahn) while Schumacher would find himself fourth. Schumacher’s time would not hold up as a lucky loser. He would finish the day in 21st.
Quarterfinal 2 had Ogden lining up beside his teammate, McMullen, and with the legend, Federico Pellegrino. Loud cheers greeted the announcement of the Americans as Ogden waved to the crowd. The heat would be paced by Roman Alder (SUI) with Ogden and Pellegrino waiting patiently for the pace to settle. Pellegrino and Ogden vied for the lead at the top of the final uphill, but neither of them really wanted it. They baited Alder back into the lead, and prepared to take advantage of his slipstream on the descent. Pellegrino showed why he is a legend in the sport, weaving through the field and into the lead as he crossed the line. Ogden showed that he may still have much to learn as he skied himself into dead ends in the finishing straightaway, fading to fourth behind McMullen. McMullen would finish the day 15th, Ogden 17th.
Chanavat led out Quarterfinal 3; a typical tactic for Chanavat, though one that has always found itself to be ineffective against Klaebo. But Klaebo wasn’t here today . . . and no one other than Chanavat really seemed to have a plan. Counter-punching in Sprint heats can sometimes result in advancement, but it rarely results in victory. It looked like Chanavat would have the advantage. Behind him, Schoonmaker scrubbed too much speed in the hairpin turn, finding himself dropped by the acceleration of Jir Tuz (CZE) on the significant downhill. Chanavat gave chase, and the heat was all but decided. Chanavat would step out of the draft and into the lead. Tuz would follow him across the line with Harald Oestberg Amundsen claiming a lucky loser spot. Schoonmaker would finish fourth in the heat, sitting in a hopeful lucky loser position with two heats remaining.
Sasha Masson (CAN) set the pace in Quarterfinal 4, but found himself overtaken in the final curves. Eric Johansson (SWE) and Even Northug (NOR) would advance.
Quarterfinal 5 pitted Young against Ansgar Evensen (NOR) and Jaume Pueyo (ESP). Young would drop to the back in the opening meters, but forced his way forward by the top of the first uphill. He found an open lane on the next uphill, but may have spent too much energy advancing. Young entered the final downhill in second position, but he would fade in the final straightaway, finding himself overtake by Pueyo and Evensen. Young would end the day in 13th place.
Semifinals
Schoonmaker followed Chanavat, Pellegrino, and Heggen into the first semifinal, where he would mark Heggen at the rear. Maybe patience would be the righ tactic? At thefront, Chanavat drove the pace, duking it out with Pellegrino on the uphill. Grahn, Heggen, and Pellegrino would all lunge at the line in a photo finish as Chanavat faded into a lunge for fourth with Schoonmaker. Ultimately, the lucky loser spots would belong to Pellegrino and Chanavat. Schoonmaker would finish ninth on the day.
The second semifinal was led by Johansson, who was shadowed by Evensen and Amundsen. Pueyo, Northug, and Tuz trailed the field. Johanssen and Amundsen would advance at the line.
Federico Pellegrino (ITA) came storming into the finish area al alone. The crowd let him know who their favorite really is. (Photo: Modica/NordicFocus)
Sprint Final
The Sprint final offered an excellent non-Klaebo lineup: Grahn, Johansson, Heggen, Amundsen, Pellegrino, and Chanavat.. The veterans (those likely to have a plan), Chanavat and Pellegrino, had advanced as lucky losers. Would they be fast enough to contend? The Norwegians featured a proven sprinter in Heggen with a points-hungry all-rounder in Amundsen. Sweden brought two young skiers eager to upset Norway’s podium pitch. And the starter’s pistol revealed how easy it is for even the most experienced racers to suffer the most rookie mistakes—Amundsen planted his pole tip on top of his own ski, and collapsed in a tangle in the very first meter of the race. Remarkably, he would jump to his feet and take off in pursuit of the field, which he caught before 30 seconds had elapsed. Amundsen was back in the race, but at what cost?
At the front, Grahn and Pellegrino set the pace. They were followed by Chanavat who, for once, seemed willing to change his at-the-front tactics. As the climb began, Heggen’s ski tip fouled in Johansson’s binding. The Swede went down, and Heggen lost momentum. The leading three seemed to be getting away where Pellegrino was putting an entire career’s worth of energy to his hop skate up the steepest climb. Power-skating into the final downhill, Pellegrino had created a gap ahead of Grahn that meant the tall Swede would not benefit from Mt. Van Hoevenberg’s notorious draft. Pellegirno would exult across his final Sprint finish line, capping a brilliant career with one final victory. Heggen would recover to dash forward to claim second, ahead of Grahn in third.
“This was the way I dreamt, when I was young, to win races,” said Pellegrino. “To end my career in that way was fantastic.”
Feature stories like this one take time, access, and care to produce. If you value thoughtful storytelling and independent ski journalism, please consider becoming a Voluntary Subscriber. Your support directly fuels the work we do to cover the people, places, and moments that make our sport special.
This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com.
Babe Ruth, Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, this guy—Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR). (Photo: Authamayou/NordicFocus)
“It’s Johannes Klaebo’s ski world,” said skiandsnowboardlive.com’s on-air commentator, Andrew Kastening. “And we’re all just living in it.” Truer words were never spoken . . .
“I didn’t have a plan,” said Klaebo after his dominant performance in Lahti Finland’s World Cup Freestyle Sprint. “I just went for it at the end there and managed to get enough meters to the young guys. Next year it will be even harder, so we’re going to enjoy this now for the rest of this year. Next year, it’s going to be way harder, I think.”
Well, we don’t really believe Klaebo’s “no plan” claim. In fact, we probably aren’t sure we believe that next year will be “way harder,” either. Not with the way this year has gone, anyway. But Klaebo’s suggestion that we “Enjoy this for now?” No problem . . .
Ironically, Klaebo’s absolute dominance leaves ski reporters scrutinizing the strengths and weaknesses of other skiers—scanning the notoriety of other results—for stories that will continue to capture readers’ imaginations. Where the heck has Sindre Bjoernstad Skar been? And how much resentment do Even Northug and Lars Heggen harbor after being left off the Norwegian Olympic team? And, after his recent U23 World Championship (and the pedigree afforded him by his mother, legendary Nordic skier, Bente Skari), is Filip Skari the real thing? And is Harald Oestberg Amundsen still in the running for the Crystal Globe? Or does he just need a Sprint day to warm him up for the Distance races? And who the heck is Mathias Holbaek? On a normal World Cup weekend, those questions—Norwegian questions—would occupy the imaginations and fill the column inches of ski journalists. But that was before the Olympic Winter Games of Milano-Cortina . . . the Games in which Ben Ogden (USA) and Gus Schumacher (USA) created scenes of flashing silver excellence. Now, reporters have another story to report: American sprinters have arrived on the scene. If Ogden and Schumacher have any energy left after the predictable post-Olympic celebrations, then they’ll have something to say about Lahti’s Sprint results, too.
Gus Schumacher (USA) and Ben Ogden (USA) and Gus Schumacher (USA) have ushered in a new era of American men’s skiing. (Photo: Vanzetta/NordicFocus)
Granted, Ogden and Schumacher had far fewer Norwegian Sprint rivals to navigate among, through, and past on the way to their Olympic silver medals. That’s the salient reminder, folks: while the the Olympics offer the most valued, most brightly glittering prizes in the skiing world, the Olympics also offer the best chance for anyone to break through the Norwegian medals-monopoly. That’s because Norway is only allowed the maximum number of Olympic starters in any event: four starters. Conversely, in World Cup races, Norway is allowed at least seven starters . . . sometimes eight (if the race is in Norway). Any non-Norwegians—Ogden and Schumacher included—will find it far more difficult to snatch headlines in Lahti’s World Cup Freestyle Sprint. For that matter, American Sprinters (including Jack Young, JC Schoonmaker, Kevin Bolger, Zanden McMullen) will find it considerably more difficult to qualify for the heats, much less to advance through to semifinals and finals.
And all this drama occurs in the shadow of the most predictable story—the one that we’ve probably grown tired of repeating by now: Klaebo’s going to win, right? I mean, he’s won the last 13 races he’s entered (sprints, distance races, relays, Classic, Freestyle), including the six Olympic races that he swept during the Games of Milano-Cortina. And lining up for another Freestyle Sprint on a course where he has generally shown himself to be unbeatable seems unlikely to offer much hope to his rivals. Well, there’s always silver . . .
Federico Pellegrino (ITA) is in Lahti, and so soon after he captured a magnificent bronze medal for Italy in the Team Relay. And Lucas Chanavat (FRA) is here, but he may finally have realized that he has never devised a tactic that’s even come close to allowing him the sort of success that his natural power and physical prowess would’ve suggested could be his. Among Americans, Schumacher qualified eighth. Jack Young 16th, Ben Ogden 22nd, McMullen 26th. Qualifying was won by Klaebo, followed by Chanavat and Pellegrino. The stage was set in an exciting race for silver. Sorry if that sounds like a weak set-up; we’re just calling it as we see it . . .
Zanden Mcmullen (USA) held his own in a closely contested heat with Lucas Chanavat (FRA), Benjamin Moser (AUT), Lukas Mrkonjic (AUT), and Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR),. (Photo: Authamayou/NordicFocus)
Sprint Heats
McMullen drew the first heat alongside Chanavat and Klaebo. Chanavat wanted the lead, but not the pace. With Klaebo positioned alongside him (staying near the front and out of trouble) the course was clogged and the pace was slowed. Ultimately, Chanavat found himself suckered into the lead at the top of the final downhill where he surrendered the draft and was predictably passed by Klaebo. Chanavat would actually fall in the final turn, allowing Klaebo to cross the line unchallenged, and making room for Benjamin Moser (AUT in the second spot to qualify for the semifinal. McMullen would cross in a closely-contested third place, too slow to advance as a lucky loser, but good enough for 20th on the day. There was some question about Chanavat’s fall (and whether or not he was interfered with), but the slo-mo replay made it appear that he’d done the damage on his own.
In the second quarterfinal, Ogden decided to play his cards at the front where he was joined by Pellegrino. But coming through to make the pace was Skar (who has been absent from the World Cup scene for a few seasons, but returned to this venue in replacement of Olympic medalist, Oskar Oppstad Vike (NOR) who was injured at the recent U23 World Championships. Pellegrino would become impatient with Skar’s pace, driving forward to take the lead at the top of the final climb. But it was Heggen who would take advantage of the draft on the final downhill to take the heat win. He was followed across the line by Janik Riebli (SUI), Pellegrino, and Skar. Ogden would coast across the line a distant sixth, 28th on in the final Sprint results.
Schumacher bided his time at the rear of the third quarterfinal, weaving through traffic to move forward into fourth position before the final downhill. Schumacher chose the outside line on the final left-hander, rocketing forward to steal an automatic ticket into the semifinal just ahead of Holbaek and Valerio Grond (SUI).
Jack Young started at the rear of his quarterfinal, continuing to work his way through the field, but generally finding his way blocked and his momentum stymied. He entered the final downhill in fourth position, but with precieous little room to maneuver. Young came around the final turn in third, but was late to accelerate, finding himself still third at the line. In a slow heat, Young’s finishing time was not fast enough to advance. He would finish teh day in 15th.
“My training during the Olympics absolutely allowed me to come in to Period 4 fresher and sharper,” said Young. “I felt faster today than I did in Falun, and I think I’m still on the way up.
“Tactically, I’m making the progress I need to make,” Young continued. “I did a lot of things today in the heat that I haven’t done in the past. I was taking up space and shutting down moves made from behind me better than I ever have. In the future I need to keep skiing aggressively and find ways to get into the top two before the last 100 meters.
Janik Riebli (SUI), Lars Heggen (NOR), Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR), Gus Schumacher (USA), Benjamin Moser (AUT), Davide Graz (ITA) in the Freestyle Sprint inLahti, Finland. (Photo: Authamayou/NordicFocus)
Sprint Semifinals
Schumacher lined up next to Klaebo in the first semifinal. Klaebo was first off the line with Schumacher attached to his tails. They marked at the front by Heggen; no one wanted to get away, no one wanted to lead. Klaebo seemed to grow bored with the tactical pace, allowing himself to glide into the lead and initiating a small attack before the top of the uphill section. All day long, skiers in the lead on the final downhill have found themselves overtaken by those in the draft. But “all day long” is not enough of a precursor to undo the ski-dominance of Klaebo. He floated down the slope, surrendering no discernible advantage to those tucked in behind him. Klaebo would execute a couple of energetic pushes in the final straightaway to remain ahead of Riebli (who edged out Heggen). Schumacher never managed to make up enough ground, finishing the semifinal in fifth position, and ninth on the day.
Chappaz skied to tactical perfection in the second semifinal, using the draft on the downhill to slingshot into the lead in the final meters. Behind him, numerous skiers were caught in traffic as Skari emerged from the pack for the automatic semifinal spot, ahead of Grond who advanced as a lucky loser.
Sprint Final
In Lahti’s quarterfinal and semifinal heats, Klaebo had shown that he could win from the draft, or win from the front. Subsequently, he would continue to provide a cryptic puzzle for Skari, Heggen, Chappaz, Riebli, and Grond. I mean, we expect Klaebo to win, we just don’t know exactly which way he’ll choose to do it.
At the crack of the starter’s pistol, Klaebo rocketed forward (that much we could anticipate), controlling the front and dictating the early pace as he so often does. The rest of the skiers were left to wonder—will he just drill it at the front and drop us? Or will he lure one of us into the lead, only to slingshot around us at the end? Here’s what the other skiers must, by now, understand pretty clearly: if Klaebo makes you lead, you lose. On the other hand, if Klaebo puts his energy into keeping the lead, there’s no one who can come around him. That’s the kind of advantage a skier earns when he’s the best of all time. And the best of all time was simply not going to get beat in this little World Cup Sprint in Lahti. Heggen and Riebli did their best to follow Klaebo, but the draft effect that Heggen needed just never materialized. Heggen was in good position on the final downhill: all the laws of physics were on his side, all the likelihoods of ski race tactics were in his favor . . . still, Heggen never made up a single meter. He would hold on for second, ahead of a late-charging Chappaz. Klaebo would coast across the line for his zillionth career World Cup victory, his we-can’t-keep-track-of-how-many wins in a row.
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR) eases up at yet another World Cup finish line. It may not be exciting any more, but it certainly remains thrilling. (Photo: Authamayou/NordicFocus)
He doesn’t get tired, he doesn’t get sick, he doesn’t get out-maneuvered, he doesn’t get out-smarted, he doesn’t get out-sprinted. In one of the most challenging endurance sports that humans have ever contested, one guy just seems to win at will. How incredible it is to be a ski-fan in this era when one skier displays such outright dominance. The legendary Marit Bjoergen (NOR) claimed 114 wins during World Cup history’s most decorated Nordic skiing career. In Lahti, Klaebo truly began drawing within sight of that landmark number. Six races remain in the World Cup season. If he were to win out this season, Klaebo would finish the year having overtaken Bjoergen for the most-wins distinction, as well as a few others.
“I’m tired,” admitted Klaebo. “I’m barely training between the races. I’m just racing now, but we’ll see how long we continue to do that. Hopefully, we’ll be able to do that for two more weeks.”
There’s never been a season like this one that Klaebo is likely to complete: World Cup Overall, World Cup Distance, World Cup Sprint, Tour de Ski, and six Olympic gold medals. That’s the real story . . . and I’m so glad I’ve been here to see it. Next year may be “way harder,” predicts Klaebo. As he advises, we’ll enjoy this for now.
Feature stories like this one take time, access, and care to produce. If you value thoughtful storytelling and independent ski journalism, please consider becoming a Voluntary Subscriber. Your support directly fuels the work we do to cover the people, places, and moments that make our sport special.
This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com.
The Men’s 20 k Skiathlon gets underway in Falun, Sweden. (Photo: Authamayou/NordicFocus)
With fresh snow overnight and temperatures hovering just above freezing, it was the kind of conditions that keep ski technicians guessing and athletes second-guessing. A week removed from the Olympics in Italy, the World Cup resumed for the second day with a 20-kilometer Skiathlon on a course that rewards patience and punishes weakness.
And while viewers looked on, whether to witness something historic or something new, Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo won again.
Klaebo covered the 10 k classic and 10 k freestyle in 48:41.8, edging teammate Harald Oestberg Amundsen by 0.7 seconds and Martin Loewstroem Nyenget by 0.8 seconds in a Norwegian podium sweep. The victory extended one of the most remarkable streaks in modern cross-country skiing and tightened his grip on the overall standings and, maybe more importantly for the remaining season-long narrative, extended his lead in the FIS distance ranking for the Distance Crystal Globe.
The race was familiar and predictable, with Nyenget driving much of the pace, Amundsen staying close, and Klaebo remaining measured in the pack. When the decisive move came in the final sprint, Klaebo, once again, not only had the answer, but made it look easy.
“This was a tough one,” Klaebo graciously said on the FIS broadcast after the race. “I think Martin was very strong today. I think he was in the front almost for 20 k.”
Martin Loewstroem Nyenget (NOR) leads, Andreas Fjorden Ree (NOR), Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR), Harald Oestberg Amundsen (NOR), and the rest of the field at a frenzied pace at the beginning of the Men’s 20 k Skiathlon in Falun, Sweden. (Photo: Thibaut/NordicFocus)
Classic Leg: Bonus points that created a breakaway
The men opened with three laps of the 3.4-kilometer red course, climbing the Mini Mördarbacken each time. Conditions sat just above freezing, with fresh snow complicating the classic wax call. Athletes chose between traditional kick wax and zero-skis, the latter relying on a texture sanded into a softer base material underfoot.
The pace was honest from the gun. At 5.4 kilometers, where bonus World Cup points were on offer, Nyenget and Klaebo pushed hard, with Klaebo claiming the maximum 15 bonus points, followed by Nyenget and Amundsen. That acceleration fractured the field.
A lead group of Norwegians formed with Nyenget, Amundsen, Klaebo, and Andreas Fjorden Ree. Arsi Ruuskanen of Finland and Savelii Korostelew, competing as a neutral athlete, also managed to maintain contact. Behind them, a gap had opened to a chase pack led by American Gus Schumacher.
By the end of the classic leg, the leaders had established a gap that would prove decisive.
Martin Loewstroem Nyenget (NOR) continued to set a fast pace at the front of the Men’s Skiathlon. (Photo: Authamayou/NordicFocus)
The Exchange and the Mördarbacken
Transitions in a Skiathlon are rarely glamorous or decisive, but a skier can lose contact with the lead if they don’t stay calm. Amundsen executed a clean ski exchange and briefly looked poised to dictate terms once the field switched to the blue 5-kilometer skate loop.
That loop includes the full Mördarbacken, a long, layered climb that television struggles to do justice. The ascent, which parallels the ski jumping landing hill, builds in segments, steepening before easing slightly when it cuts across the slope, then rising again one last time. It is not just a memorable climb in name, but once you have skied it, you will never forget the ‘Murder Hill.’
Nyenget continued to press the pace up front. Klaebo, as he often does, sat tucked in, attentive and measured.
On the first lap of the skate course, the lead group remained six, with the four Norwegians, Ruuskanen, and Korostelew. By the second ascent of Mördarbacken, it was effectively a three-Norwegian affair with Korostelew, Ree, and Ruuskanen fading slightly and fighting to limit losses and eventually finishing fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively.
Behind them, the chase pack raced for seventh.
Martin Loewstroem Nyenget (NOR), Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR), and Harald Oestberg Amundsen (NOR), (l-r) crest the second to last climb. (Photo: Thibaut/NordicFocus)
The Finish
With less than a kilometer remaining, the three Norwegians — Klaebo, Amundsen, and Nyenget — remained locked together. Nyenget, who historically has the least sprint speed, had done the bulk of the visible work, setting the tempo on both classic and skate sections.
At the top of the final climb before descending into the stadium, the trio jockeyed for position, no one wanting to lead only to be overtaken by those in the draft. Nyenget took the lead, but was predictably passed by Klaebo on the far side of the stadium, and at the line, it unfolded as it so often does, Klaebo easing up to wave to the crowd with Amundsen outsprinting Nyenget behind him.
“It was very hard,” Klaebo said during his post-race interview with FIS on the broadcast. “But at the end, I managed to keep up with [Nyenget] and managed to do a good last sprint at the end.”
The margins were small. The pattern was not.
Klaebo now has 12 consecutive victories across World Cup and Olympic competition. The last race he entered without winning was the final climb of the Tour de Ski, where he managed his effort to secure the overall title rather than contest the stage.
“To be honest, I don’t think I have a goal anymore for this season,” he said. “I think the main goal is completed, and now I’m just going to enjoy the last races and see how it goes.”
Gus Schumacher (USA) seemed to do the majority of the work at the front of the chase pack. (Photo: Authamayou/NordicFocus)
Schumacher: Fast Skis, Hard Hills
Gus Schumacher finished seventh in 49:38.6, 56.8 seconds behind Klaebo and spent much of the day managing a gap that opened during the classic leg and never fully came back.
The decisive acceleration came when the Norwegians lifted the tempo in pursuit of bonus points. Schumacher felt it immediately.
“In the classic, when it got fast, my kick was not great, so it was hard to fight for anything,” he said. “I was kind of just getting up the hills, but the pace was fast the whole time.”
He believed the separation was coming regardless.
“I think that gap was going to open at some point, no matter what,” he said. “Just because of how they were skiing from the start, mostly Nyenget, I think.”
Schumacher was on zero skis for the classic portion.
“I was on zeros. I think most people were on zeros,” he said. “Some people looked good, and I don’t know, there’s some variation there for sure.”
On the flats, he felt competitive.
“The gliding sections were great for me. My skis were really fast,” he said. “But the hills were tough.”
After the exchange, Schumacher exited the stadium aggressively and led the chase group for stretches on the first lap of the skate course. The leaders, however, continued to gain time on the full ascent of Mördarbacken.
Asked to describe the climb, Schumacher was more measured than dramatic.
“Honestly, compared to a lot of the other climbs they do, I feel like it’s not horrible,” he said. “I enjoy it partly because it’s not insanely long and it’s got some steps to it.”
That does not mean it is easy.
“It definitely climbs pretty far and has some steep parts,” he said. “But as far as big climbs go, that’s one of my faves.”
What does it demand?
“Same as other climbs,” he said. “Just fitness, technique, poise… the whole deal.”
Kevin Bolger (USA) during the classic leg, on his way to 36th place on the day. (Photo: Authamayou/NordicFocus)
Bolger: Boxed In Early, Fighting Back Late
Kevin Bolger finished 36th in 51:12.8, but his race was shaped early.
“It’s always hard to feel the pace when you start mid to back of the field,” Bolger wrote in an email afterward. “I’ve always tried to just relax, let the stringing out happen, and take the gaps where they form and make some jumps.”
He later learned from Gus Schumacher that the leaders had opened aggressively from the gun.
“I heard they started quite hard,” Bolger said. “So I think it was just a hot pace from the start and things just naturally spread out.”
For Bolger, the defining moment came within the first lap of the classic leg.
“Unfortunately, I got stuck behind Andrew Musgrave and went from mid pack to last after the first lap,” he said. “So it was a lot of work to catch back up after that.”
In a Skiathlon, that kind of early compression can cost dearly. Once the field stretches, passing becomes energy-intensive, and the leaders ease the pace.
The waxing decision, at least, felt clear.
“Waking up and seeing the fresh snow and the temperature around zero, it was clear it was going to be zeros,” Bolger said. “But you never know what the techs are mixing up in the truck. As you run out to the start, you look around to see what other people have under their skis.”
Bolger chose zero skis and was confident in the call.
“I went with zeros, and I was very happy with that decision,” he said. “Tim Baucom and I did some good testing and landed on zeros because they were running the best for me, and I was super happy with that.”
By the time the race shifted to the skate leg, the front group was already out of reach. Still, Bolger felt he had something left.
“I was really happy with my classic leg,” he said. “Even with getting stuck early and having to work to catch back up, finishing that classic leg with the energy I had, I knew I could put together a good skate.”
The full Mördarbacken climb on the blue loop remained the critical point.
“I think everyone knows when that massive climb is in the mix, that’s a very critical part of the course and a tipping point for a lot of people,” Bolger said. “If I can get up that hill with the group, I’m in. Once there’s separation, the chances of that coming back are small.”
He described the climb bluntly.
“She starts pretty gradually, and you feel confident at the bottom,” he wrote. “But she turns boys into men real quick, or men into boys quick at the top.”
In soft conditions, with lactate building, the final pitch can expose anyone.
“It’s hard to keep the legs moving when the lactate’s flowing,” he said. “It’s really hard to describe it, but that’s the best way to say it.”
JC Schoonmaker (USA) finding joy in the distance racing as he builds fitness and experience with the longer races. (Photo: Thibaut/NordicFocus)
Schoonmaker: Finding Value in the Distance
JC Schoonmaker finished 58th in 52:40.4, but the placement did not tell the full story of his day.
“The longer distance was pretty tough, but also fun to do that kind of race again,” Schoonmaker wrote afterward. “Even though it was a tough day and not my best race, I find a lot more enjoyment in a 20 k like that, where I’m 60th or whatever, than a sprint qualifier where I’m 35th. Cool to push yourself and ski in a pack.”
Falun’s Skiathlon rewards positioning and sustained pace more than sharp accelerations. For Schoonmaker, the takeaway was direct.
“Today shows me that I probably need to have a bit more pace to be competitive in these longer races,” he said. “Just overall need to be fitter and stronger than I am right now.”
He felt competitive through the classic leg, especially in tricky waxing conditions hovering around freezing.
“The conditions were a bit tricky for sure,” he said. “Whenever zeroes are in the mix as well as wax, it can be a little stressful.”
Schoonmaker chose kick wax rather than zero skis, a minority decision in the field.
“I ended up going on wax, and I think I was probably one of the only guys in the field to do that, so I was a bit nervous at the start,” he said. “But they worked great for me, and I think I made the right call.”
The transition to skate proved costly.
“I felt more competitive in the classic leg, had a bit of a blow up as soon as we switched to skating, and found my flow after a bit, but just lost too much time right after the transition there,” he said.
Then came the full Mördarbacken climb, twice.
“The Mördarbacken is a tough one, I think mostly because it’s just so long,” Schoonmaker said. “It has a lot of grade fluctuations, which I think is cool in a hill and a bit of a grind, but I like the way it skis.”
Other American Finishers:
Hunter Wonders – 47th place
Zanden McMullen – 61st place
Antoine Cyr (CAN) on his way to a top ten. (Photo: Authamayou/NordicFocus)
Canada: Cyr Inside the Top Ten
Antoine Cyr led the Canadian contingent, finishing 10th. It was a controlled race from Cyr, who held position through the classic leg and limited losses on the climbs during the skate.
Other Canadian Finishers:
Olivier Leveille – 53rd place
Remi Drolet – 54th place
Max Hollmann – 55th place
Sasha Masson – 66th place
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR) charges for the win once again at the end of the Men’s Skiathlon in Falun, Sweden. (Photo: Authamayou/NordicFocus)
The Larger Arc
Falun is more than just another stop as it will host the 2027 World Championships. It is also a venue that rewards discipline. The gradual terrain away from the stadium invites packs, and the big climbs around the ski jumping hill expose any fitness weaknesses.
For Klaebo, it was another example of restraint followed by precision.
He leads the overall standings. He leads the sprint standings. The distance standings remain mathematically contested, but days like this narrow the space for drama as we move towards the final races.
After sweeping the Olympics, one might have expected a pause, yet there has not been one.
In Falun, the snow was fresh, the wax calls uncertain, and the climbs unforgiving. The result, however, was familiar.
And with three weeks remaining before the World Cup finale in Lake Placid, what now remains is not a question of whether Klaebo has delivered a historic season, but how complete it might become.
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Norwegians Harald Oestberg Amundsen, Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, and Martin Loewstroem Nyenget (l-r) share the Men’s 20 k Skiathlon podium in Falun, Sweden. (Photo: Authamayou/NordicFocus)
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Four Norwegian men, including Martin Loewstroem Nyenget (NOR), Mattis Stenshagen (NOR), Harald Oestberg Amundsen (NOR), Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR), (l-r) set to lead the Men’s 20 k Skiathlon out of the start and begin the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympic Winter Games in Tesero, Italy. (Photo: Vanzetta/NordicFocus)
PREDAZZO, ITALY — The snow in Val di Fiemme had finally settled. After a colder night and a full day’s distance from the most recent snowfall, the surface beneath the men’s skis on Sunday morning felt less negotiable than it had twenty-four hours earlier. It was firmer, faster, and exacting—the kind of track that rewards decisiveness and punishes hesitation. On a course defined by momentum, there would be no neutral moments.
By the time the leaders crested the Zorzi Climb for the final time, illuminated by the bright northern Italian sun, one truth had been clarified: the Olympic Men’s Skiathlon had not produced a surprise. It had produced a confirmation.
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo arrived in Val di Fiemme as the most accomplished skier of his generation, the reigning master of range—sprint speed married to endurance patience, and the man who, one year earlier at the World Championships in Trondheim, Norway, became the first skier ever to win gold in every event. On Sunday, in the opening men’s race of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, he did not reinvent himself. He simply waited, watched, and delivered exactly what the sport has come to expect.
But the Skiathlon is never only about the man who wins it. It is about where the race breaks, who is caught on the wrong side of that break, and how little time there is to recover once it happens.
In Val di Fiemme, that truth arrived early—at a fast right-hand corner about two kilometers into the race—and again, more quietly but just as decisively, midway through the skate leg, when a tangle in the pack ended one of Norway’s strongest medal threats.
An unfortunate early crash took Gus Schumacher (USA) out of a top performance. (Photo: Vanzetta/NordicFocus)
Firmer Conditions, Faster Consequences
The men’s skiathlon opened with a 10-kilometer classic leg, mass start, with athletes seeded by season-long results. It is a procedural detail that becomes strategic fact the moment the gun fires: the highest-ranked skiers line up at the front, while those just behind them must navigate the churn.
On Sunday, the pace was relentless from the first kilometer. The field stretched quickly as athletes fought for position ahead of the course’s first defining technical feature—a fast right-hand corner roughly two kilometers in, where the trail bottoms out before pitching uphill again.
It was the same corner where Jessie Diggins fell in Saturday’s women’s race. And once again, it reshaped the day.
Several skiers went down in the crash, including Edvin Anger (SWE), Zak Ketterson (USA), and Gus Schumacher (USA)—all athletes with legitimate top-ten potential under normal circumstances. The cost of falling there was immediate and severe: not just lost momentum, but lost momentum at the precise moment the leaders were accelerating uphill and creating separation.
“I was dead last after the fall,” Schumacher said afterward. “Unfortunately, Zak fell right in front of me. It was tight coming into that corner, and I didn’t see what happened to Zak, but into the dropdown I got one ski around him and the other caught and spun me around off track.”
“I did what I could, but when the people at the front are still going as fast, it’s hard to catch them. All I could do was ski as smoothly as I could for the next 18 k. At that point, it’s an individual race. I feel like I skied well for being back there.”
Zak Ketterson (USA) was involved in the same crash as Schumacher and was forced to burn many matches early while playing chase, which ultimately proved too costly. He ultimately ended the race in 43rd place. (Photo: Vanzetta/NordicFocus)
Ketterson’s version of the same moment underscored how quickly the situation unraveled.
“I fell on that same corner Jessie Diggins fell on yesterday,” he said. “I was hopeful we’d ski it well, but coming into it everyone started snowplowing and freaking out and someone in front of me fell.
“I fell pretty hard, but I got back up and just burned so many matches catching back up to the group. I was fighting from there to the finish.”
Ahead of them, the race did not wait.
Xavier McKeever (CAN) had, what he described, the race of his life. (Photo: Vanzetta/NordicFocus)
Control Without Calm
With the early chaos, the classic leg splintered the field. A front group formed, thinned, and re-formed, the pace steady enough to discourage attacks but high enough to extract a cost from anyone forced to chase.
For the U.S. team, there was at least one quiet positive. Head coach Matt Whitcomb felt far better about ski preparation than he had the day before.
“We had, in general, very competitive skis today,” Whitcomb said.
But ski quality can only matter if contact is maintained.
“When you get taken out of contact with the leaders,” Whitcomb said, “the people you’re drafting off of are slower than the leaders. It’s kind of negative compounding—you just drift away.”
By the time the top eight skiers entered the stadium for the ski exchange at the end of the classic leg, the race had already begun to select for those who could tolerate discomfort without revealing it. Among them were Norway’s Mattis Stenshagen, who soon faded, France’s emerging depth, and Klaebo himself—observant and patient.
Then the skis changed, and the race revealed its teeth.
Harald Oestberg Amundsen (NOR) got tangled with Savelii Korostelev (AIN), which caused him to fall and lose contact with the lead pack. Korostelev managed to stay on his feet and was able to earn a fourth place. (Photo: Barbieri/NordicFocus)
A Quiet Turning Point in the Skate Leg
The opening kilometers of the freestyle leg altered the race more subtly, but no less decisively.
At approximately 11.5 kilometers, Harald Oestberg Amundsen (NOR)—who had positioned himself exactly where Norway would want him entering the skate portion—tangled skis with Savelii Korostelev (AIN). Amundsen went down. The lead group did not.
He remounted quickly, but the elastic had snapped. His chance to fight for a medal in the opening race of the Games was gone.
For Norway, a team that has dominated the men’s World Cup season at times filling nearly the entire top ten, it was a small moment with outsized implications.
Hugo Lapalus (FRA), Martin Loewstroem Nyenget (NOR), Savelii Korostelev (AIN), Mathis Desloges (FRA), Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR), (l-r) formed the lead pack and became the group that would battle for the podium. (Photo: Vanzetta/NordicFocus)
Desloges, a Yellow Card, and a Protest That Went Nowhere
As the race accelerated, Mathis Desloges (FRA) briefly found himself leading at the end of the first skate lap. In a moment of confusion, he mistakenly turned into the ski exchange lane before cutting back through the V-boards and rejoining the course.
The detour shortened his route by only a few meters and offered no meaningful advantage. The race jury issued Desloges a yellow card warning and allowed the result to stand.
After the race, AIN filed a protest, arguing that the infraction should result in disqualification and elevate Korostelev, who finished fourth, to the bronze medal position. The jury rejected the protest.
Desloges framed the day not around controversy, but around progression.
“I’m very happy,” he said. “The preparation was very good. Two years ago today, I became [the U23 World Champion], and now it’s different. I’m better than two years ago.
“This medal is for my family, for my friends, and for everyone on the French team—the staff and my family.”
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR) delivered a spectacular move on the Zorzi Climb that opened up a large gap in the final kilometer. (Photo: Barbieri/NordicFocus)
Klaebo on the Zorzi Climb
There are moments in ski racing that feel preordained—not because they are inevitable, but because the athlete who executes them has taught the sport to expect them.
Klaebo’s move on the Zorzi Climb belonged to that category.
He waited. He measured. And then, on the final ascent, he applied a pressure no one else in the group could answer. The gap opened quickly, almost unbelievably so if he had not done the same thing so many times before, and by the time the course tipped back toward the stadium, the Olympic gold medal was no longer in doubt. Klaebo came to the finish with enough margin to ease up, take off his poles, and ski the final meters, celebrating in front of the stadium crowd.
For Klaebo, the performance was the product of both familiarity and tension.
“The last couple of days have been nerve-racking,” he said. “I’ve had a very high resting heart rate these days. I’ve been very nervous, but this is my third Olympics, so you get a little bit of experience. This is a track and course that we know a lot from previously—we’ve done a lot of World Cups here.”
When the skis changed and the race accelerated, that experience showed.
“I had good skis, my body felt good,” Klaebo said. “It’s always good to start a championship in good shape.”
One year removed from his historic sweep in Trondheim, Klaebo arrived in Val di Fiemme carrying questions that extended well beyond a single race. Six gold medals are available in Milano Cortina. No man has ever won them all.
“We’ll see,” Klaebo said. “I’m going to take one race at a time. But it’s a pretty good start. With the weather and the crowds, it was amazing out there.”
Mathis Desloges (FRA) and Martin Loewstroem Nyenget (NOR), (l-r) come down the finish stretch battling for the silver and bronze medal. (Photo: Barbieri/NordicFocus)
Nations in Contrast
France: Depth and Belief
If Norway remains the benchmark, France is no longer content to chase quietly.
Desloges acknowledged Norway’s status entering the race, but did not concede anything beyond the present tense.
“The French athletes are very strong,” he said. “Of course, the Norwegian guys are also very strong, but I believe we can be better. Today, I’m very good, and I’m happy.”
France backed up that belief with the most comprehensive team performance of the day, placing second, fifth, ninth, and fifteenth.
“We see the French team on a similar level as our team,” Whitcomb said. “When we have success, they’re one of the first teams to congratulate us. They’re just a really passionate group, and we love to see them succeed.”
Hugo Lapalus (FRA) and Mathis Desloges (FRA) celebrate an unbelievable day for France. (Photo: Vanzetta/NordicFocus)
Norway: Gold, Bronze—and Perspective
For Norway, the medal count told only part of the story. A gold and a bronze would thrill nearly any other nation, but the context surrounding this team—deep enough to leave world-class skiers at home—made the result feel more measured.
Bronze medallist Martin Loewstroem Nyenget (NOR), racing his first Olympic event, framed the day not as a shortfall, but as an arrival.
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR), Martin Loewstroem Nyenget (NOR), Harald Oestberg Amundsen (NOR), and Mattis Stenshagen (NOR), (l-r) all entered the day with hopes of an Olympic medal for Norway; two delivered, two did not. (Photo: Barbieri/NordicFocus)
“I’m really happy and proud,” Nyenget said. “It’s a result of training, but also of time away from family and a lot of hard mental work. The past days and weeks, I’ve been nervous, so it’s good to be done with my first Olympic race.
“To have this first race in this atmosphere, with these blue skies, and have my wife and little kid in the stadium somewhere—it’s a really good day.”
Asked whether gold and bronze constituted a satisfactory outcome, Nyenget was direct.
“I think so,” he said. “We have some really high pressure. We’ve been doing crazy good in the World Cup, but usually in championships, all racers are at their very best. You see today that there is strong competition from the French, and we took two podium places. It’s good.”
After the fall Gus Schumacher (USA) spent the day racing his way through the field, eventually finishing in 24th place. (Photo: Barbieri/NordicFocus)
United States: Disappointed, Not Discouraged
For the U.S. team, the early crash changed everything.
Schumacher and Ketterson were forced into playing chase. Zanden McMullen, who avoided the crash, felt the day slip away in the skate leg.
“Today’s race was not great, but not horrendous,” McMullen said. “I felt really good in the classic leg and then I don’t know what happened in the skate portion. I was cramping up quite a bit and just didn’t have it.”
Hunter Wonders (USA) on his way to 31st place. (Photo: Vanzetta/NordicFocus)
Hunter Wonders, making his Olympic debut, focused instead on the scale of the task.
“It was hard,” Wonders said. “It was a hard course with tricky conditions. The skiathlon is difficult because it mixes up the muscle groups you use and takes a second to transition, but it was fun. Great Olympic debut.”
Whitcomb struck a measured tone.
“I’m feeling good, not great,” he said. “Slightly disappointed, but not discouraged. Nothing about that feels negative to me. This is just one of the days of the Games, and now it’s behind us.”
Xavier Mckeever (CAN) fighting for a top ten, eventually finishing in 13th place. (Photo: Vanzetta/NordicFocus)
Canada: The Race of a Lifetime
For Canada, the day belonged to Xavier McKeever, who finished 13th after spending much of the race on the edge of the top ten.
“Oh man—that was incredible,” McKeever said. “I can’t believe what just went down, to be honest.”
He described a race that improved with each kilometer.
“I felt like I skied it really smart—tried to conserve as much energy as possible—and I just felt better and better,” he said. “The skate felt really good, which is sweet, because that’s usually a weak spot for me.”
Mid-race, the realization crept in.
“You can’t really comprehend what’s going on,” McKeever said. “You’re just like, ‘Holy crap, I’m here right now, fighting for top ten.’ It’s surreal, but you’ve got to focus on the race.”
The result carried deeper meaning.
“To be honest, I was about a foot away from not making this Olympic team,” he said. “To come here and have the best race of my life so far on the first day at the Olympics—I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Mathis Desloges (FRA), Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR), and Martin Loewstroem Nyenget (NOR), (l-r) share the Olympic Men’s 20 k Skiathlon podium in Tesero, Italy. (Photo: Vanzetta/NordicFocus)
One Race Down
The skiathlon rarely offers mercy, and Val di Fiemme offered none.
There will be more races, more chances, and more medals to chase. Klaebo will insist he is taking this one race at a time. Everyone else will count.
On firmer snow, with no ambiguity left beneath the skis, the hierarchy revealed itself plainly—and the Olympic Winter Games began exactly where cross-country skiing so often does: with Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo setting the standard.
On the ground reporting by FasterSkier’s Nat Herz.
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Martin Loewstroem Nyenget (NOR) came back to World Cup racing, posting the fastest time in the 10 k Interval Start Classic in Oberhof (GER). (Photo: Authamayou/NordicFocus)
On Sunday morning in Oberhof, the snow had the kind of sheen that tells the truth before the clock ever does. It glittered under a clean winter sun, polished by a freeze–thaw cycle that left the tracks fast, brittle, and unforgiving. At 823 meters, tucked into the Thuringian Forest, the course looked generous from a distance—wide lanes, long sightlines—but it was the sort of generosity that disappears the moment a skier commits to a mistake. The margins here were not loud. They were sharp.
This was the men’s 10-kilometer Classic Interval Start, a format that does not tolerate theater. There would be no pack to hide in, no draft to borrow, no tactical stalemates to blame. Every thirty seconds, a skier pushed out of the start gate alone, carrying only his pacing plan, his skis, his poles, and whatever composure he had managed to preserve through an Olympic build that has been compressing time for months. Period Three had begun. The calendar was no longer abstract.
Classic skiing in these conditions demands restraint masquerading as confidence. The climbs are short but decisive; the downhills are technical enough that speed becomes a negotiation rather than a gift. Grip must be trusted without being tested. Push too hard too early, and the skis slide away beneath you; hesitate, and seconds vanish into the ice. It is possible—common, even—to ski very hard here and still ski poorly.
Iivo Niskanen (FIN) was formerly the king of the 15 k Classic and showed he is one of the best in the 10 k Classic in Oberhof (GER). (Photo: Authamayou/NordicFocus)
The interval start turns this dynamic inward. The course does not change for you, but your relationship to it does. You pass athletes who started ahead of you and are passed by those who did not. You hear split times shouted from the side of the trail—sometimes accurate, sometimes not—and you decide whether to believe them. In Oberhof, where artificial snow breaks down as the sun rises and the grooves lose their bite, the course becomes a moving target. Early starters gamble on freshness; later starters trade glide for information. No one gets everything.
Absent from the start list were some of the sport’s most reliable reference points. Norway’s biggest names were racing at home, their national championships pulling them away from this quiet, consequential weekend, or focused on a pre-Olympic training block. Their absence opened space on the results sheet, but not relief. If anything, it sharpened the test. Without familiar benchmarks, the race would be defined less by expectation than by execution.
The 10 k classic has become a strange distance in modern cross-country skiing—short enough to reward urgency, long enough to punish impatience. It asks skiers to operate just below the edge of recklessness and to stay there for more than twenty minutes. In Oberhof, that edge was particularly thin. The tracks shone. The corners demanded respect. The kind of mistake that costs half a second in softer snow could cost five places here.
Erik Valnes (NOR) on his way to third and another statement to the Norwegian Olympic selection committee in Oberhof (GER). (Photo: Authamayou/NordicFocus)
For the Americans, this was the last weekend considered in Olympic team deliberations, a fact everyone knew and no one needed to say out loud. The weight of it showed up not in desperation but in discipline. There were no grand gestures in the start lane. What mattered was whether an athlete could trust the work he had done and let the race unfold on its own terms.
One by one, skiers disappeared into the forest, double-poling through the opening flats before settling into the rhythm that classic skiing requires when it is done well: patient climbs, clean transitions, downhill speed carried without panic. The clock ticked. The sun climbed. The track began to change.
By the time the later starters reached the first split, the course had already started to tell its story. Early leaders came back. Conservative openings paid dividends. The race did not break open so much as it clarified itself, revealing who could manage the terrain without forcing it—and who could not.
In an interval start, there is a particular moment when the race stops being about possibility and becomes about reckoning. It arrives quietly. A skier hears that he is catching someone he should not be catching. Another learns that the pace he thought was safe is not. In Oberhof, that moment came late and all at once, when the day’s best classic skier finally aligned patience with power and turned control into separation.
By the finish, the gaps would look clean and decisive. They always do. But the truth of this race lived earlier, in the choices made on icy corners and rolling climbs, in the decision to ski smooth instead of merely hard. Oberhof did not demand brilliance. It demanded honesty.
Martin Loewstroem Nyenget (NOR) on his way to the win. (Photo: Reichert/NordicFocus)
A Course That Reveals Its Verdict Slowly
The first skiers through the opening kilometers set times that looked sharp but provisional, the kind that exist only until the course and the day reveal themselves. The early splits came quickly, then stalled. The ice underneath the tracks was still holding, but the sun was beginning to soften the surface just enough to punish excess force. The race was already sorting itself by feel rather than bravado.
Martin Loewstroem Nyenget (NOR) navigates the sugary snow in Oberhof (GER). (Photo: Authamayou/NordicFocus)
Nyenget’s Patience Turns Into Separation
When Martin Løwstrøm Nyenget finally entered the picture, it was without urgency. His opening lap was measured, almost quiet, the sort of start that invites doubt if one is inclined to look for it. But Nyenget had not come to Oberhof to prove speed in the first five kilometers. He had come to test something else.
“I hadn’t planned to open very hard,” Nyenget said afterward in an interview aired on the FIS World Cup broadcast. “I’ve been training really hard for the last four weeks, so I didn’t quite have the speed on the first lap. But as soon as I heard that I was catching people, I started to feel really strong, and I knew I had something extra for the day.”
The catching began gradually, then decisively. Where others tightened under the strain of the second lap, Nyenget loosened. His skiing did not change in form, only in intent. The double pole grew heavier, the transitions cleaner. On a course that demanded constant negotiation, he removed the argument.
By the final kilometers, the race had become unmistakable. Nyenget was no longer racing the field so much as confirming what the course had already suggested. He crossed the line alone, the margins behind him clear and earned, his victory built not on dominance but on patience applied at exactly the right moment.
“It’s fantastic to be back,” Nyenget said. “The longer I keep going in my career, the more fun I have racing. The training part isn’t always that fun anymore, so it’s great to be here in Oberhof with good conditions and really enjoy racing again.”
An American Throughline: Skiing Well, Not Just Hard
Behind him, the podium filled with familiar names and familiar styles — Iivo Niskanen (FIN +13.8) in second and Erik Valanes (NOR +14.5) in third — skiers who understand how to survive a day like this without surrendering it. The gaps were tight, the order decisive. It was the kind of race that leaves little room for argument afterward.
For the American men, the story unfolded less in places gained than in choices validated.
Zanden Mcmullen (USA) making one final statement to the US Olympic Team selection committee in Oberhof (GER). (Photo: Authamayou/NordicFocus)
McMullen Finds His Shape Again
Zanden McMullen arrived in Oberhof carrying momentum that had begun to take shape weeks earlier at U.S. Nationals. There, his skiing had looked settled again — confident without being rigid, aggressive without being rushed. In Oberhof, that trend continued.
“I feel like I’ve started to find myself again, which is really reassuring,” McMullen said. “I think I was fully capable of skiing like this earlier in the season, but I needed a little more racing and confidence under my belt. This weekend feels like the tip of the iceberg.”
His approach to the race was deliberate. Rather than forcing the issue early, McMullen allowed the course to come to him, focusing on terrain management rather than constant pressure.
“My goal today was just to ski well through the terrain of the entire course,” he said. “Earlier this season, when I felt like I needed to force a good result, I wasn’t skiing well — I was skiing very hard, but not well. Today I focused on skiing smooth and fast rather than just hard, and I think that really paid off.”
There were moments of vulnerability — a slight lapse near the end of the first lap — but McMullen recognized it in time to convert restraint into opportunity.
“I was able to use that extra energy to ski hard and fast through the second half of the race,” he said.
McMullen finished 18th, a result that read plainly on paper but carried deeper meaning inside an Olympic season defined by accumulation rather than singular peaks.
“I know I’ve done what I can,” he said. “I’m happy to be back where I left off last year before I got sick. Now I can shift my focus to preparation. Olympic qualification is just the first step. I have very big goals for the Games themselves.”
Hunter Wonders (USA) continued his 10 k Classic form he showed at US Nationals in Oberhof (GER). (Photo: Authamayou/NordicFocus)
Hunter Wonders and the Familiar Language of Classic Distance
For Hunter Wonders, Oberhof reinforced something that has been quietly consistent in his career: when the race is a classic distance interval start, the task tends to make sense. There is clarity in pacing, in grip management, in the slow accumulation of pressure rather than the sudden chaos of a sprint.
Wonders skied into the points again, backing up his showing from U.S. Nationals with another disciplined performance on snow that rewarded trust over impulse. In conditions where early aggression often came undone later, his race held together. The opening kilometers were controlled, the middle steady, the final lap about preservation rather than rescue.
That continuity mattered. In a field where seconds dissolved quickly into places, Wonders avoided the kind of oscillations that define fragile races. He neither chased the early benchmarks nor retreated from them. Instead, he stayed within a rhythm that allowed the course to do less damage than it did to many around him.
On a day when classic specialists quietly rose, Wonders looked like one — not flashy, not forced, but coherent from start to finish.
Luke Jager (USA) celebrated his birthday weekend in Oberhof (GER) with a top 30 in the 10 k Classic. (Photo: Authamayou/NordicFocus)
Luke Jager and the Discipline of Attention
A few minutes later, Luke Jager crossed the line inside the top 30, finishing a race that mirrored his own quiet trajectory. Though the calendar had marked it as his birthday weekend, the day itself passed without ceremony.
“My main goal was just to be fully immersed in the experience,” Jager said. “To focus on doing my best and skiing each section of the course as well as I could.”
On a course where margins evaporated quickly, that focus mattered.
“The margins were definitely thin, but they always seem to be on the World Cup these days,” he said. “It doesn’t really help to stress about that, so I try to keep my attention on what’s right in front of me, so that when I cross the finish line I can say I found as many of those little margins as I could.”
John Steel Hagenbuch (USA) striding his way to 52nd place. (Photo: Authamayou/NordicFocus)
John Steel Hagenbuch and the Cost of Precision
For John Steel Hagenbuch, Oberhof was less forgiving, finishing in 52nd place. Fast, icy tracks compress the margin for error until technique, pacing, and decision-making overlap completely. There is no room to separate them. When one slips, the others tend to follow.
Hagenbuch’s race never unraveled dramatically, but it never fully unlocked either. The speed was there in moments; the continuity was harder to hold. In an interval start, that can be enough to drift backward without a single obvious mistake to point to afterward.
Classic skiing on firm conditions is often less about what goes wrong than about what never quite arrives. A corner taken cautiously becomes a gap. A climb approached defensively compounds over kilometers. Oberhof exposed those small hesitations with clarity.
Still, there were pieces to build from. Hagenbuch moved efficiently through the terrain, and his ski handling held under pressure. What the race demanded next — and what it withheld — was the seamless connection between intention and execution that defines skiing at this level.
Zachary Jayne (USA) raced his first World Cup races of his career in Oberhof (GER). (Photo: Authamayou/NordicFocus)
A ‘Welcome to the League’ Weekend
For Zach Jayne, the weekend carried a different weight. After a breakthrough performance at U.S. Nationals, Oberhof marked his first exposure to the full scale of World Cup racing — the cameras, the movement, the relentless compression of time and attention.
“After a good week at Nationals, I’m honestly pretty disappointed with my first few World Cup starts,” Jayne said. “I’m grateful to be here racing against some of the best in the world, but I really wanted to do something with my starts.”
What surprised him most was not the pace but the environment.
“There’s just a lot more going on — cameras, people, spectators,” he said. “For me, that translates into more stress, and I’m still learning how to manage that.”
Still, Jayne was clear-eyed about the lesson.
“I definitely had my ‘welcome to the league’ moment this weekend,” he said. “Now I have something bigger and better to shoot for.”
Antoine Cyr (CAN) on his way to a top 30 finish in Oberhof (GER). (Photo: Authamayou/NordicFocus)
The Canadians: Cyr Steady, Ritchie Searching
Canada arrived in Oberhof with different objectives but shared terrain.
Antoine Cyr delivered another composed World Cup performance, finishing inside the top 30 on a course that rewarded calm decision-making. His skiing carried the marks of experience: stable pacing, clean transitions, and an understanding of when to let speed come rather than chase it.
In fast conditions, Cyr avoided the trap of overreaching. His race did not hinge on a single sector or surge but on the absence of mistakes — a strategy that proved effective as the track continued to glaze and soften through the day.
For Graham Ritchie, the race served a different function. Returning to World Cup competition after a disrupted season, Oberhof was less about result than recalibration. The course asked questions he is still working back toward answering: how much risk to take, how much speed to trust, how long it takes to feel at home again in this environment.
Ritchie skied through to the finish without drama, but the gaps reflected the difference between re-entry and fluency. On a day when the margins punished uncertainty, Oberhof made clear how narrow the corridor back to comfort can be.
What Oberhof Demanded
By the time the final starters finished, the course had softened just enough to underline its earlier warnings. The results sheet settled into place. Some athletes left Oberhof with confirmation, others with questions, all with fewer places left to hide.
“It feels like everything is important right now — every part of the preparation,” Nyenget said. “Today, the goal was just to focus on the task. But of course, it’s a step closer to the bigger goal.”
In Oberhof, the task had been clear all along: ski well, ski honestly, and let the rest follow.
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Iivo Niskanen (FIN), Martin Loewstroem Nyenget (NOR), and Erik Valnes (NOR), (l-r) share the 10 k Classic Interval Start in Oberhof (GER). (Photo: Authamayou/NordicFocus)
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Lars Heggen (NOR) overpowered the field in Oberhof, but many of the world’s best sprinters—his Norwegian teammates—were absent from the day’s racing. (Photo: Authamayou/NordicFocus)
Some day, Norway won’t be the only force in Men’s World Cup cross-country skiing. Some day, the participation of other nations will truly matter. Other nations will hear their anthems played, other skiers will excel, other results will be cited and praised. Some day, France may figure it out, or Finland may remember its heritage, or Sweden may return to prominence. The USA may identify another Bill Koch, or Italy another Pellegrino, or Switzerland another Cologna, or Russia another Bolshunov. Some day, the podium of the Men’s Cross-Country Skiing World Cup will not be decorated exclusively in Norwegian flags. While that’s not yet the cross-country skiing world that we live in, it is this upcoming World cup weekend in Oberhof where we expect to witness a kind of “It’s A Wonderful Life” view of Nordic skiing . . . the chance to see what the world would be like without them.
France stayed home from Oberhof, presumably for national championships and team selections of their own. But everyone else is here, hoping to add to their World cup résumés with some of the scraps left on the tablecloth by absent Norwegians. Finland has sent its best (their Sprinters, anyway), and Sweden (in Norway’s absence they could make a splash), and the Italians (Federico Pellegrino and Elia Barp will see their chances to capture glory). The Czechs and the Swiss are here as well, hoping to grab World Cup distinction while the Norwegians are at home. And Team USA has sent it’s own hungry skate-sprinters, as well. Ben Ogden and Jack Young will be vying to return to the finals . . . even to imagine standing atop the podium (dare we say). JC Schoonmaker will be desperate to prove he belongs on the team that marches into Milano-Cortina. Gus Schumacher will be itching to prove that he and Ogden make a compelling Team Sprint team. There’s a lot going on . . . the same sort of drama that goes on every single week of the World Cup season, but no one really notices it because we’re so distracted by the Norwegian that tsunamis through every World cup venue.
And where’s Norway? Well, Norway has more important business to attend to. World Cup wins, World Cup podiums, World Cup points: those are every-week occurrences for ski-crazy Norway. But 2026 is an Olympic year . . . the big prizes will be awarded at the Games of Milano-Cortina. So, this weekend in Oberhof, Norway sends stand-ins while the true contenders refine their technique or taper their training, or just put their feet up for a few hours before the headlong streak toward Norwegian immortality in Milano-Cortina continues.
The elder Northug bother—Petter—was one of Norway’s greatest champions, but even he faced disappointment when it came to Olympic qualification. If Lars Heggen fails to make the team for Milano-Cortina, he will understand the parallels between his pain, and Northug’s. (Photo: Nordnes/NordicFocus)
Norway Still Expects to Win
Lars Heggen (NOR) is 20 years old . . . and he just dominated the Sprint competitions at the recent Norwegian Nationals. Granted, a number of Norway’s very best Sprinters weren’t there (no Klaebo, no Valnes, no Amundsen), but Heggen made enough of an impression that many Norwegian ski-pundits called for his immediate elevation to the Olympic Team. We can assume that Petter Northug was not among that enthusiastic group of pundits . . . especially since a 20-year-old Northug dominated 2006 Norwegian Nationals in an even more commanding manner than Heggen did in 2026. And Northug was unceremoniously denied an Olympic berth because of the selection committee’s assertion that, at only 20, he was too young for the pressures of Olympic competition, that Northug would benefit from more development time before being tossed into the Olympic maelstrom. Northug’s career turned out all right in the end, but it may have been even better if he’d collected another Olympic medal or two at the 2006 Games in Torino.
Northug’s little brother, Even, competes for Norway in the World Cup Sprint this weekend in Oberhof. Like his brother 20 years ago, Even Northug has already been told that no spot is reserved for him on the Norwegian Team at the upcoming Olympic Games. Well, he’s still a world class Sprinter . . . it will be interesting to see how the younger Northug uses this weekend’s Sprint opportunity to comment on his being the second Northug to have been ignored in his efforts to make a Norwegian Olympic Team.
But first, you need to qualify . . .
The top American qualifier in Oberhof, JC Schoonmaker (USA) leading Even Northug (NOR), and Zanden Mcmullen (USA) in their quarterfinal heat. (Photo: . Authamayou/NordicFocus)
Qualifying
We don’t know exactly why, but it’s been reported that top 30 in today’s Sprint qualifying will be rewarded with increased FIS World Cup points (nearly double when compared to normal World Cups, or to races in tour de Ski that received only 50% points). It’s a good reason to be at your best in this particular qualifying event . . . and a pretty good way to continue shuffling the deck for numerous nations that are still choosing their Olympic Teams. And while a number of Norway’s best sprinters decided to sit this one out, Norway still manages to dominate most men’s Wold Cup racing. Case in point: six of Norways seven entries qualified for the heats, with Lars Heggen doing the job he was sent to do—winning the qualifier by 1.5 seconds.
Americans took advantage of this diluted World Cup field with JC Schoonmaker finishing 13th, Jack Young 22nd, Zanden McMullen 28th, Michael Earnhart 35th, Kevin Bolger 44th, Owen Young 54th.
“The heat selection strategy was definitely a bit different today with a lot of normal World Cup guys not being here,” said Schoonmaker. “I went for heat 1 because that felt like a good one to move on from and it was a better option than usual with Klaebo not here. Other than heat selection the strategy didn’t differ at all for me, just trying to race my best!”
McMullen is better known as a Distance skier, but his strong qualifying effort proved his versatility. “I do actually like using sprint races as a bit of a warm up,” said McMullen. “It puts my mind and body into a race mentality that I can’t really achieve on a race prep day. Sprints also typically feel lower stakes to me, so it’s just a nice way to go out and have some fun!”
Sprint Heats—New Cast, New Strategies
Skiing can be such a strange sport. Oberhof is a famed biathlon venue; if this were a weekend of biathlon races the grandstands would be packed. As it is, this was a cross-country weekend, and the stadium stood all but empty. The German fans who could’ve been here definitely missed a good show, and a fair indication of what the future of what World Cup Sprint events may look like in the near future. Even with a number of bright stars missing from the days entry list, the racing proved fast and furious.
There was a lot going on in Quarterfinal 1: Lars Heggen wearing the green U23 World Cup leaders bib, alongside JC Schoonmaker, Zanden McMullen, and Even Northug. Everybody with something to prove, everybody with something to gain, and only two minutes of Heat 1 in which to do it. Schoonmaker led through the early parts of the course, but faded by mid-race. Heggen accelerated up the hill before the finish, sufficiently gapping his rivals and easing up before the finish line which he was followed across by a scrambling Even Northug. McMullen would finish fourth in the heat, followed by Schoonmaker in fifth. On the day, McMullen and Schoonmaker would finish 20th and 23rd, respectively.
Pellegrino advanced out of Quarterfinal 2 in which Jack Young’s day would end with a fifth place heat finish. Young had led early in the quarterfinal, evidently hoping to press the pace in the hopes of advancing as a lucky loser. His strategy was bold, but it left him one place short. Young would finish 24th on the day.
“I wanted to get to the front and control the race,” said Young. “Sadly, I wasn’t able to hold my position into the big climb—this wasn’t part of the plan. I then made up sole ground, but I didn’t have the energy to hold my position through the working finish.”
Semifinal 1 included Heggen, Pellegrino, and Northug who all came in together at the bottom of the final climb. Heggen would V2 the entire climb, while Pellegrino switched to a high-tempo V1 to scoot past into the hole-shot. Northug faded as Lauri Vuorinen (FIN) edged into the top three. Pellegrino would coast across for the heat win, followed by Heggen’s lunge for second ahead of Vuorinen in third and Northug fourth. Those lucky losers would sit and wait for the results of the second semifinal.
That second semifinal included one well known Sprinter—Switzerland’s Valerio Grond—who was joined by a cast of names we’re less accustomed to hearing: Filip Skari (NOR), Jaume Pueyo (ESP), Emil Liekari (FIN), Jiri Tuz (CZE), and Martino Carollo (ITA). Grond would finish second in the heat behind Liekari to advance to the final. Vuroinen and Northug—lucky losers from Semifinal 1—would advance as well.
Federico Pellegrino (ITA) used a high-tempo V1 to position himself on the steep uphill of Oberhof’s Sprint course. But Heggen’s V2 would prove stronger. (Photo: Reichert/NordicFocus)
Plenty at Stake in the Final
In the absence of truly dominant skiers, no one really knows what to do. The Sprint Final would become a bit of a curiosity as Heggen hoped to solidify his Olympic credentials . . . but Northug would be harboring similar plans of his own, and they’d both need to figure out how to deal with the cagey veteran, Pellegrino. In the final, Heggen and Pellegrino went to the front to control things, but neither looked eager to really drive the pace. Both the leaders chose the far-right line up the first climb as Liekari spun his wheels in the loose snow on the inside line. That was the point at which Grond took control, charging over the top of the climb. But Heggen’s fast skis could not be contained onthe subsequent downhill. He coasted easily into the lead, followed to the base of the final climb by Pellegrino and Northug. The final hill had offered a contrast in styles all day: Heggen’s V2 power vs. Pellegrino’s V1 tempo. This time up the hill, it was Heggen’s strategy that proved strongest, fending off Pellegrino’s V1 charge and holding on across the finish line for his first World Cup win. Northug would cross the line in third, a fine World Cup finish that was likely to be overlooked in Norway’s construction of its Olympic roster.
The 20 year old upstart bested the 35 year old veteran. The question that remained was this: was the Norwegian Olympic Team Selection Committee watching?
Oberhof World Cup Men’s Freestyle Sprint QUALIFYING
The Men’s Freestyle Sprint Podium in Oberhof—Federico Pellegrino (ITA always contends, Lars Heggen (NOR) hopes he proved his point, Even Northug (NOR) left wondering if anyone had noticed. (Photo: Authamayou/NordicFocus)
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Zanden Mcmullen (USA) during the World Cup 10 k Freestyle in Trondheim (NOR) in December. (Photo: Modica/NordicFocus)
There is a particular kind of quiet that settles in before a decisive weekend—not the calm that follows certainty, but the stillness that comes when outcomes are no longer yours to predict. Zanden McMullen arrived in Oberhof, Germany, this week carrying that quiet with him. Period Three of the World Cup season is underway. These races are the final ones that will be considered for U.S. Olympic Team selection. The committee will meet after Sunday’s races. Until then, there is nothing to do but race.
“I’m pretty much taking it one week at a time right now and keeping my hopes up,” McMullen said earlier this week via text. “The races should be really fun this weekend, and my focus is on those right now.”
It is the kind of message that sounds simple until you sit with it. One week at a time. Focus on the races. Fun. Behind those words is a career that has moved forward incrementally, without shortcuts, and a season that has already required recalibration. McMullen’s path to this weekend—both geographically and personally—has been anything but linear.
Growing Up Where Winter Is Normal
McMullen was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, a place where winter does not arrive as a novelty or an interruption. It simply is. He grew up outdoors, moving easily between sports—hockey, soccer, lacrosse—before skiing gradually took precedence.
“I grew up doing a bunch of sports,” he said. “Skiing wasn’t really a main focus until maybe, like, first year of high school, when I was like, all right, this is going to be my main sport.”
Cross-country skiing entered his life less as an ambition than as a community. His mother took him out. He joined a club. He found friends. He was good enough that there was never much reason to stop.
“I just kind of found my group,” McMullen said. “And then as I progressed and just kept getting better and better, there was never really a reason for me to leave.”
Anchorage has produced lots of elite skiers, but McMullen has never been particularly interested in mythology. When asked why Alaska continues to turn out athletes capable of racing at the highest level, his answer is understated.
“We have access to great outdoor activities,” he said. “And I feel like that’s probably a pretty big foundation to our success. The community is great and has always been supportive of ski racing.”
It is not a romantic explanation. It is a practical one. Snow matters. Time outside matters. People matter.
Zanden McMullen (APU/Team Alaska), center, won the men’s U18 10K classic mass start race Friday at the 2019 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Junior National Championships at Kincaid Park. Johnny Hagenbuch (Sun Valley SEF/Intermountain), left, was second, followed by Griffin Wright (Craftsbury Nordic Ski Club/New England), right. (Photo: Michael Dinneen)
The First Crack in the Horizon
For much of his early skiing life, McMullen’s world remained bounded by Alaska. The high school circuit was competitive enough that it was difficult to tell where he stood nationally. That changed almost accidentally.
“A pretty pivotal point in my ski career was the Anchorage U.S. Nationals,” he said. “I wasn’t planning on going. I was still pretty young, but because it was in Anchorage, it was like, sure, of course I’ll do those races.”
In the mass start 10-kilometer race, McMullen had what he still describes as a standout performance. The result earned him a spot on a U18 international trip.
“That was one moment where I was like, holy crap, I can’t believe I made that,” he said.
The next year, he qualified for World Juniors. Then another benchmark. Then another.
“Every year was like I hit that next benchmark,” McMullen said. “And I was like, okay, wow, this is really happening.”
What is striking in retrospect is how little certainty accompanied those steps. McMullen did not grow up believing he would race World Cups. He arrived there gradually, often surprised by his own progress.
“I never really believed that I was going to be able to do that,” he said. “All the way up until, like, pretty much two years ago when I was like, damn, I’m really ripping the World Cup circuit.”
Zanden McMullen races a skate pursuit in Ruka, Finland in November, 2021. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Learning the Long Way
McMullen’s development has mirrored that of a broader cohort of American men who have risen together, without a single breakout prodigy defining the group. The men’s team has become competitive not through sudden transformation, but through accumulation.
“There’s definitely a core group of us that have been doing this for a long time and have just been hitting that next level every year together,” McMullen said. “Honestly, I’d say we just have a great attitude towards it, and I think that’s really contagious.”
Central to McMullen’s progression has been his relationship with coach Eric Flora, who began working with him after high school. The partnership is not flashy. It is deliberate, methodical, and built on constant communication.
“We all have individual phone calls with him about once a week,” McMullen said. “He’ll be driving to practice every morning, and he’ll just rip through all of us.”
Training plans are personalized but similar. Adjustments are fluid. There is room to adapt when conditions—or bodies—require it.
“Training is super fluid,” McMullen said. “There’s no reason to be super methodical about it.”
If there is a defining value that underpins the approach, it is consistency. McMullen returns to the concept repeatedly, almost reflexively.
“I don’t enjoy when I’m hot and cold,” he said. “I know I’m in a good place when I’m just consistent.”
Racing Through Fog
Consistency, however, is not something that can be summoned on demand. When the World Cup season opened in December, McMullen entered Period One with a clear process goal: race distance events, avoid panic, see where he stood.
“It’s so challenging going into Ruka every year,” he said. “You just have really no idea what kind of shape you’re in.”
He described the feeling as “looking through fog.” The metaphor fits. Fitness tests and workouts provide clues, but racing offers the only real clarity.
“Those could both result in amazing races,” he said. “Or they could be pretty crappy races. I have no idea.”
December did not unfold the way McMullen had hoped. Results were not disastrous, but they were not convincing enough to quiet questions—his own included. Olympic qualification, with its layers of objective criteria and discretionary judgment, hovered in the background, offering no reassurance.
“Nothing’s for sure until the last race is over,” he said.
As Period One ended, McMullen faced a decision that athletes rarely frame publicly: whether to stay in Europe and press on, or to step away and reset.
Davos to Regroup
McMullen stayed in Davos to train and regroup during the holidays before flying back to the United States for Nationals.
The decision was not dramatic. It did not come with declarations or explanations. It was simply what made sense.
Settling in to training through the holidays stripped things back to essentials. Favorite trails. Simple routines. Fewer variables.
For McMullen, training has never been a place to escape. It is where things become clear.
The reset did not guarantee anything. But it restored something harder to quantify: alignment between effort and intention.
By the time McMullen boarded a flight for Lake Placid in January, he carried less expectation and more readiness.
Zanden McMullen charges for the win in the Men’s 20 k Freestyle Mass Start last week at the US National Cross-Country Ski Championships in Lake Placid, New York. (Photo: Nancie Battaglia)
Lake Placid: Evidence
The U.S. Senior National Cross-Country Ski Championships arrived with their own weight. Nationals are never just Nationals in an Olympic year. Results echo beyond the finish line.
On Thursday, McMullen won the 20-kilometer Freestyle Mass Start. The race unfolded honestly, favoring patience and pacing. McMullen looked comfortable in control.
The next day, he returned to win the Classic Sprint.
Two wins, two very different demands, back to back.
The performances were not loud. They were authoritative.
For an athlete who measures progress in consistency, the week in Lake Placid did not feel like redemption. It felt like confirmation.
Zanden McMullen with his second win in two days in the Classic Sprint last week at the US National Cross-Country Ski Championships in Lake Placid, New York. (Photo: Nancie Battaglia)
Oberhof
From Lake Placid, McMullen traveled to Germany for the final races that will be considered in the Olympic team selection. Oberhof will decide whether his season will continue toward Milan or pivot elsewhere.
“I’ll know by the end of the weekend if I have made the Olympic team,” he said via text. “If I don’t, I’ll head back with a little bit of Birkie fever.”
The phrasing is characteristically restrained. There is no bargaining, no projection beyond what he can control.
“I’m in Oberhof now for P3 World Cup, and will stay with the team through Goms,” he said. “I’m pretty much taking it one week at a time right now.”
That outlook has been hard-earned. McMullen understands that racing well is not the same as demanding belief. His approach is simpler.
“Let the racing speak,” he said in November. “There’s no reason to freak out about it.”
The Space Before the Answer
By Sunday evening, the committee will meet. Names will be discussed. Arguments will be weighed. Decisions will be made.
McMullen will not be in the room.
What he will have is a body of work that stretches back much further than this weekend: a childhood shaped by Alaska winters, a career built on incremental belief, a season that required adjustment rather than insistence, and a January that reaffirmed who he is as a racer.
Whether or not the Olympic team includes his name, McMullen has reached a threshold that is difficult to cross. He is no longer auditioning for relevance. He is racing for a place.
“I just want to be consistent,” he said. “I feel like when you are consistent, and you find yourself in a position where you might have a standout result, then it’s just that much higher.”
In Oberhof, consistency will not announce itself. It rarely does. It will show up quietly, in decisions made at speed, on terrain that rewards honesty.
For now, that is enough.
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The men’s Classic Sprint heats got started with quarterfinal number one at the US Nationals Cross-Country Ski Championship at Mt Vanhoevenberg in Lake Placid NY. (Photo Nancie Battaglia)
The last day of the U.S. National Cross-Country Ski Championships in Lake Placid arrived the way honest days in this sport often do. The snow at Mt. Van Hoevenberg had been churned and scoured by a week of racing and changing weather, its surface no longer pristine but revealing, the kind that gives little for free. Legs were tired. Arms were tender. Expectations had been trimmed back by accumulated kilometers and decisions already made.
For the men lining up for the classic sprint, this was not simply a final chance at a national title. In an Olympic winter, nothing is ever only what it claims to be. The sprint was an audition—not necessarily for Olympic selection, but for relevance. For future start rights. For the ability to say, credibly, that range still exists.
Sprint qualification, in particular, has a way of stripping sport down to its essentials. No drafting. No hiding. One lap to explain yourself. As has been said all week about sprints, it does not matter how clever you are in the heats if you cannot arrive there in the first place. In Lake Placid, that truth shaped the day from the first starter onward.
Fin Bailey (UVM) makes his way up the Lake Placid sprint course’s signature climb. (Photo Nancie Battaglia)
Qualification: where the day declares itself
Qualification mattered here in a way that went beyond podiums and medals. With sprint start rights in the World Cup largely determined by qualification speed, the men knew exactly what was at stake. If this were a sorting mechanism, it was a blunt one.
The fastest man through the course was John Schwinghamer, whose time at the top of the board set the early benchmark. But the story quickly widened. Pierre Grall-Johnson followed closely, and then Will Koch, who would soon become central to the day’s most unusual tactical thread, placed third.
A few seconds farther back sat a cluster of names that told a deeper story: athletes with distance pedigrees, athletes chasing U23 selection, athletes managing fatigue from a long week and still trying to produce speed on demand.
Among them was Zanden McMullen, who qualified tenth, solid but not dominant. “The qualifier felt a little off,” McMullen admitted. “I didn’t feel smooth and thought I skied poorly through the terrain. I was happy to qualify and have another chance to improve on the day.”
That, in retrospect, was the quiet warning shot.
Classic striding versus powerful double poling was one of the key storylines in the men’s Classic Sprint. (Photo Nancie Battaglia)
A decision made in minutes
If qualification is the most honest part of sprinting, it is also where improvisation sometimes reveals itself. Koch arrived at the start line with little margin and even less certainty.
“I was already pretty tired going into the classic sprint,” Koch said. A bonk midway through the 20-kilometer freestyle earlier in the week had drained his reserves, and classic sprint had never been his strength. “With about ten minutes to go before my qualifier, I still couldn’t get my classic skis to kick.”
The decision that followed was not theoretical. Koch asked his coach to prepare a pair of skate skis — not as a backup, but as a commitment. He reached the start with roughly 90 seconds to spare, hoping that strength alone might be enough to advance.
Third in the qualifier erased doubt immediately. “When I ended up third, I knew it was the right call,” he said. “I never even tested a classic ski the rest of the day.”
The gamble would ripple through every round that followed.
Will Koch (SVSEF) powered through the qualification and heats, double poling on skate skis. (Photo Nancie Battaglia)
Heats: when fatigue starts to speak
Classic sprint heats at Mt. Van Hoevenberg reward clarity. The course offers opportunities, but they are conditional. Mistime a move, and the course and competition punish hesitation. Get trapped behind the wrong skis, and speed evaporates.
Koch’s plan was simple and exhausting: lead early, create space before the climb, and survive long enough for glide to matter again. “If I could crest the climb with the group, my skis would be fast enough to carry me through,” he explained.
For a time, it worked exactly as intended.
But others were playing different games.
Zach Jayne arrived at the sprint with a different set of calculations. Already qualified for U23 Worlds and carrying a narrow SuperTour points lead, his goals were layered. “I wanted to finish strong,” Jayne said. “I also wanted to make the final so I could displace other U23 athletes and help ensure my teammate Max Kluck made the trip.”
Jayne, Koch, and teammate Carl Rune all opted to double-pole the heats on skate skis, a choice that paid dividends early. “It worked really well in the quarterfinal,” Jayne said. “But as the rounds went on and fatigue built, I was definitely wishing I’d brought a pair of klister skis.”
That fatigue — cumulative, unrelenting — became the quiet theme of the afternoon.
Zanden McMullen (APU) showed he had made the right calculations for himself in the final, creating a gap on the large climb, which he was able to maintain on the final downhill. (Photo Nancie Battaglia)
Trusting kick in uncertain snow
While some chased glide, Max Kluck made a different bet. His week had been defined by nerves more than novelty. “I was more nervous than I’ve been in years,” Kluck said. “I knew my U23 spot was on the line.”
The snow tempted experimentation, but Kluck resisted. “I was pretty certain I wanted to stay on classic skis unless the weather took a major turn,” he explained. “I stuck with my gut.”
The reward came immediately. In the quarterfinals, Kluck ran the climb with confidence, kick biting cleanly while others labored, arms already beginning to pay the price. “I figured I might be able to make double-poling work once,” he said. “But I didn’t think I could personally do it four times.”
His solution was economy. By trusting his wax and striding more often, Kluck preserved his upper body for the finishing straight — a detail that would matter later.
UVM’s Fin Bailey was showing he was on form and a threat for the podium throughout the heats, but his final got off to an unlucky start with a broken pole. (Photo Nancie Battaglia)
The final: legs versus arms
By the time the final assembly was complete, the calculus was visible even from the sidelines. The men who had double-poled all day carried speed — and fatigue. Those who had relied on kick carried legs.
McMullen understood the equation precisely. “Going into the final, I knew the few boys that double-poled all day would be tired,” he said. “My plan was to keep them in reach before the final climb and then gap them.”
Snow conditions had continued to degrade, wind and rain complicating grip and timing. McMullen’s classic skis, however, remained reliable. “Our classic skis felt good,” he said. “I didn’t think there was a need to try and double-pole the race.”
When the decisive climb arrived, McMullen did not hesitate. He strung together clean transitions, trusted his kick, and separated decisively. “I felt really fresh still at the start of the final,” he said. “I knew I would be able to run away with it.”
Behind him, the chase unfolded exactly as predicted. Koch’s glide carried him, but the cost of four rounds of double-poling showed. Kluck’s restraint paid dividends, his saved arms helping him close strongly. Jayne fought valiantly through fatigue, his earlier work for teammates already done.
McMullen crossed the line alone — a national champion not because he had chased novelty, but because he had waited for the moment that mattered.
Zanden McMullen (APU) comes to the finish of the Classic Sprint with his second national title in as many days at the US Nationals Cross-Country Ski Championship at Mt Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid, NY. (Photo Nancie Battaglia)
What the result actually means
The men’s classic sprint did not reshape Olympic selection overnight. Sprint specialists were unlikely to be named from Nationals alone. But the race clarified something subtler and perhaps more important.
It showed who can adapt under stress. Who can make decisions when plans unravel? Who understands that qualification speed opens doors long before medals do?
For Koch, the day was a revelation. “The classic sprint was a really pleasant surprise to end the week,” he said, even as he acknowledged that broader goals remained unmet.
For Jayne, consistency mattered more than headlines. “I don’t race to prove people right or wrong,” he said. “I know what I’m capable of.”
For Kluck, the outcome was tangible. “Securing my U23 spot was the biggest goal of my season,” he said. “Locking it down here feels incredible.”
And for McMullen, the victory was both affirmation and invitation. “I hope people know now that I’m an all-around skier,” he said. “And I hope the Olympic selection committee knows I have a lot of potential to succeed at the Olympics.”
Zanden McMullen (APU) first place, Will Koch (SVSEF) second place, and Max Kluck (UU) third place at the US Nationals Cross-Country Ski Championship Classic Sprint at Mt Vanhoevenberg in Lake Placid NY. (Photo Nancie Battaglia)
A quiet ending, honestly earned
As the course emptied and the equipment was packed away, Mt. Van Hoevenberg returned to stillness. Another Nationals was complete. Another set of arguments had been made — not loudly, not always cleanly, but honestly.
Sprint racing, especially in January of an Olympic year, has a way of revealing truths athletes might prefer to delay. Qualification does not negotiate. Fatigue does not compromise. Decisions, once made, echo through every climb and corner that follows.
On this final day in Lake Placid, the men who listened closely to their bodies, their skis, and the snow underfoot, were the ones who left with something lasting.
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What was truly on display this week at the US Nationals Cross-Country Ski Championship at Mt Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid, NY was not only that cross-country skiing is an awesome sport, but the community that embodies it is something worth celebrating. (Photo Nancie Battaglia)
The start of the US National Cross-Country Ski Championship Men’s 20 k Freestyle Mass Start. (Photo: Nancie Battaglia)
There are moments in endurance sport when the noise falls away—not because the stakes are small, but because they are too large to announce themselves loudly. The men who gathered on the start line at Mount Van Hoevenberg on Thursday afternoon understood that kind of quiet. The banners said US National Championships. The calendar said 20 k Freestyle Mass Start. The course—four laps of five kilometers, stitched together by long climbs and fast descents—said this will be honest. But the silence said Olympics!
For much of the week in Lake Placid, honesty had come quickly. The 10 k classic individual start exposed margins. The sprint laid bare specialization. By the time the men lined up for the 20 k Freestyle Mass Start, the argument had narrowed. There were medals to be won, yes, but more importantly, there were questions still unresolved about who might fit through the narrowing door of Olympic selection.
For Zanden McMullen, the stakes were explicit. “Today’s race was a ‘one shot, one opportunity’ type of race for me,” he said later. He knew that anything short of a win would leave his Olympic case incomplete. That knowledge sat heavily over the first kilometers—not as panic, but as pressure carefully managed.
What followed was not a race that fractured early or declared itself with theatrics. Instead, it unfolded as a study in restraint.
A large, shifting group stayed at the front early on in the race. (Photo: Nancie Battaglia)
A Race That Refused to Break
From the opening lap, the field behaved in a way that confounded expectations. In contrast to the women’s race earlier in the day, no decisive break formed. Attacks surfaced briefly—on climbs, into transitions—but were quickly absorbed by the physics of the course. Downhills regrouped the field. Drafting mattered. The snow was fast, the air cold enough to preserve glide, and separation proved expensive.
John Steel Hagenbuch allowed himself to drift deep into the pack early—sometimes close to twentieth—an approach that looked counterintuitive given both his fitness and his history on the course. It was neither indecision nor passivity. “I was just staying relaxed and letting people work out some energy that I knew wasn’t going to result in any meaningful gain,” he explained. “Racing in the U.S. is very different than racing on the World Cup, and being able to relax at the start of a mass start race is perhaps the best example of that.”
Zanden McMullen (APU) and his APU teammates Hunter Wonders (#208) and Luke Jager (#204). (Photo: Nancie Battaglia)
The early splits reflected this tension. Leaders rotated through the front, but gaps rarely exceeded a handful of seconds. By the midpoint of the race, the field had thinned not through violence but through attrition—skiers falling off the back as the pace remained relentlessly honest.
McMullen, meanwhile, adhered to a plan that demanded patience. “My race strategy was to conserve as much energy as possible,” he said. “Every time a move was made, I made sure to match it calmly but decisively.” By the second lap, he sensed the race’s texture changing. The pack stretched. Breathing deepened. The small inefficiencies of earlier surges began to show.
Zach Jayne, consistently present near the front group, felt that tension acutely. “Holding position is always difficult,” he said. “So being aware while racing is important.” In a race defined by proximity rather than separation, awareness became a skill as valuable as strength.
Olivier Leveille (CNEPH), John Steel Hagenbuch (Dartmouth), Zanden McMullen (APU), Jakob Elias Moch (CU), and Brian Bushey (Craftsbury) (l -r). (Photo: Nancie Battaglia)
Decisions Not Taken
If the race hinged on a single moment, it may have been defined instead by two moments when nothing happened.
Hagenbuch identified them clearly. The first came at the start of the third lap, at the base of the long climb—a place where he has both won and lost races before. “Looking back at it now,” he said, “the one that makes me wonder the most is the decision to not attack on the third lap.” His reasoning was sound. The conditions were fast. The field regrouped quickly on descents. “In order to get away, you would have to be very fit and have the best skis in the race,” he said. Unsure that any gap would hold, he chose restraint.
Mons Melbye (UU) leads Zanden McMullen (APU) and John Steel Hagenbuch (Dartmouth), and Jakob Elias Moch (CU) (r – l) down the final downhill into the stadium. (Photo: Nancie Battaglia)
The second moment arrived on the final sprint climb before the descent into the stadium. Again, Hagenbuch assessed the cost-benefit. He believed he could crest first—but likely only to be swallowed by the draft. “As such, I decided to follow Zanden over the top,” he said. “I think this was the correct thing to do tactically.”
That calculus—when to go, when to wait—defined the race for several athletes. McMullen made the same choice from the opposite perspective. “There was no need to do anything rash,” he said. “Just go out and race hard and smart.”
The result was a front group of four that arrived at the final kilometer together, legs full but not shattered, tension compressed into seconds.
Zanden McMullen (APU) and John Steel Hagenbuch (Dartmouth) follow Jakob Elias Moch (CU) near the end of the race. (Photo: Nancie Battaglia)
The Finish
As the leaders dropped off the final descent and into the stadium, the race became what everyone suspected it would be: a matter of position, timing, and nerve.
McMullen entered the final stretch calm by design. “During the final lap, I knew it would come down to the final meters,” he said, “and I just made sure to relax as much as I could.”
Hagenbuch, attempting to execute his finishing move, found the narrow margins of mass-start racing unforgiving. “Getting around Jakob was the crux move of the finishing maneuver I was trying to execute,” he said. “And there just wasn’t enough room for me to come around.” Pushed slightly wide through the final sweeping corner, he lost the speed he needed. “That’s racing,” he added. “It didn’t pan out, but it doesn’t always.”
McMullen surged cleanly to the line, stopping the clock at 47:37.0. The University of Utah’s Mons Melby was 7-tenths of a second behind, with Hagenbuch a second from the win for third. Behind them, the rest of the field streamed in—gaps small, order consequential.
Zanden McMullen (APU), John Steel Hagenbuch (Dartmouth), and Jakob Elias Moch (CU) — with Mons Melbye (UU) off camera — come down the finish stretch. (Photo: Nancie Battaglia)
What the Race Revealed
On paper, the result was simple: a national champion crowned. In context, it was anything but.
For McMullen, the victory represented survival as much as success. “The Olympic selection has definitely been looming over my head all week,” he admitted. The stress was real. So was the clarity. He did what he could do.
For Hagenbuch, the outcome carried both frustration and resolve. “I still have faith that there is a path for me to the Olympics,” he said, while acknowledging that the decision now sits elsewhere. He stood by his choice to skip the Tour de Ski, citing health and long-term belief. It was not a plea, but a statement of readiness.
Zach Jayne, who again placed himself among the front contenders, viewed the week through a longer lens. “If you look at my results a year ago or two, I was barely a name in the competitive field,” he said. Improvement, for him, is cumulative. “Overall development is just as important to me as any given race.”
The national podium for the US National Cross-Country Ski Championship Men’s 20 k Freestyle Mass Start with Zanden McMullen (APU) first, John Steel Hagenbuch (Dartmouth) second, and Zach Jayne (UU) third. (Photo: Nancie Battaglia)
A Door, Not Yet Closed
National championships often promise clarity. This one offered something subtler: differentiation without finality. The men’s 20 k freestyle did not decide everything, but it sharpened the picture. It showed who could manage pressure, who could read a race, who could wait—and who could finish.
In an Olympic winter, those qualities matter as much as any single result.
As the stadium emptied and the snow settled back into quiet, the door to Milan–Cortina did not swing wide. But for one, and hopefully two skiers, it remained open, narrow, demanding, and earned.
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The US National Championships got started yesterday with the 10 k Classic Individual Start in Lake Placid, NY. Hunter Wonders (#369 – APU) took top honors in the men’s race. (Photo: Nancie Battaglia)
On a January afternoon in Lake Placid, Mt. Van Hoevenberg did what it has always done best: it asked skiers to be honest.
The 10-kilometer classic individual start is not a format that rewards theater. It doesn’t care how good you looked in warm-up, how confident you sounded the night before, or how convincing your season-long narrative might be. It rewards pacing that’s brave but not reckless, technique that doesn’t unravel under strain, and the ability to keep making good decisions when your legs are trying to renegotiate the terms of the day.
This year, the U.S. National Cross-Country Ski Championships opened with that race—two laps on the 5-kilometer loop—and the timing was no accident. In an Olympic winter, Nationals is never just Nationals. It’s an argument. It’s a week where results don’t merely “count,” they accumulate, and the accumulation becomes the story that follows athletes into selection meetings, petitions, and—if all goes right—onto a plane headed for Italy.
Will Koch (SVSEF) on his way to 8th place on the day. (Photo: Nancie Battaglia)
The Course: Where You Can’t Afford to “Blow Up”
The Van Hoevenberg course is famous for being “fair,” but fairness in skiing is rarely gentle. The climbs arrive in layered sequences—sections where you can press, sections where you can survive, sections where you can lose seconds simply by being a fraction late to a gear change. There are places to win time, and places where you simply try not to hemorrhage it.
Hunter Wonders described the central problem precisely after the finish:
“It has some big hills. And I really think that in this course you can’t afford to blow up. If you blow up, you’re just going to bleed so much time.”
That idea—bleeding time—was the hidden refrain of the day. Not because athletes were exploding spectacularly, but because this loop punishes any lapse in restraint. It is a course that rewards a mind that stays intact.
Corbin Carpenter (UAA) on his way to 10th place in the 10 k Classic at US Nationals. (Photo: Nancie Battaglia)
Men’s Race: Seconds as a Selection Language
At the front of the men’s race, the margins compressed into something almost absurd: a national title decided in a space so small it could be measured in one imperfect corner, one extra step of herringbone, one pole that slips just slightly at the wrong moment.
Hunter Wonders won the men’s 10 k Classic National Championship. Behind him, the podium fight came down to an almost unnerving closeness. The story wasn’t simply that the race was fast; it was that it was tight—tight enough to turn pacing into the defining skill.
Wonders’ post-race reflection didn’t sound like someone who had “controlled” the race so much as someone who had managed it correctly, which is often the same thing in interval start racing:
“Yeah. So going through it never really felt like it was my day. I knew it was going to be a competitive one, and I knew that it would just come to good skis, good feelings in the body, good pacing, and I’m just really happy that I was able to pull it off.”
He returned to pacing again, emphasizing that his strategy wasn’t about heroics, but about avoiding the one mistake that the Van Hoevenberg loop will magnify:
“I think pacing was the biggest challenge for me today… So I was trying to take it out hot to where I could be competitive but not blow myself up.”
What made Wonders’ win especially convincing was how he described staying committed to his plan and then finishing with intent when the splits told him the race was available:
“I never really changed my race plan mid-race. But I did get some good splits, especially near the end, so I just tried to finish as hard as I could.”
And then, because it’s 2026 and everyone knows what this week represents, he said the part that matters most:
“And then, of course, U.S. Nationals does carry some heavy weight in an Olympic year. And I’ve been thinking about this race since the races in Anchorage ended, so I’m just really happy to have it behind me.”
He wasn’t pretending the pressure isn’t real:
“I definitely felt the pressure, and I’m going to continue to feel the pressure throughout the rest of this Nationals. But I think I have good momentum going, and I have good confidence. I know that I’m in shape, and everything else just kind of hopefully falls into place over the next week.”
The finish-line truth of the men’s race is that it created a kind of selection tension that will hang over the rest of the week: the top contenders weren’t separated by a narrative gap. They were separated by seconds.
Luke Jager, who finished second, captured what that tightness means on this course and in this moment:
“Yeah, crazy how close the times were! The course is cool because there are so many different gears in the climb that people can all have different focus spots and still end up so close together at the finish line. It is really cool, fair racing like that.”
That line—different focus spots, same finish—explains why the top of the results can look like a near-tie without being random. You can ski this course well in different ways. But you still have to ski it well.
Jager also spoke directly to the Olympic subtext without overplaying it:
“I’m not naive enough to say that the Olympics aren’t on all of our minds, but I’m also really having fun just trying to do my best and working to solve the puzzle of how to perform on any given day. Italy would be sweet, but I’m super thankful for this opportunity to even be feeling that pressure at all. It’s been fun to have such a big challenge.”
And then the warning embedded in the closeness:
“The close times just show me that you can’t take anything for granted, and each race could be someone else’s day. Fun to have to try and be as dialed and prepared as you can every day when the stakes are high.”
In other words, this wasn’t a day that “settled” anything. It made the next races more consequential.
Hailey Swirbul (APU) on her way to a national title in the 10 k Classic at US Nationals in Lake Placid. (Photo: Nancie Battaglia)
Women’s Race: Swirbul’s Return, and a Course That Doesn’t Flatter Anyone
If the men’s race was defined by a razor-thin margin, the women’s race had a different feel: not less intense, but shaped by a performance at the front that felt like a statement. And the words that followed from the winner did not sound like someone who had stumbled into a good day; they sounded like someone who had been building toward a day like this for a long time.
Hailey Swirbul framed her win as the visible outcome of a longer experiment:
“Winning this race felt like finally getting to watch the outcome of a long experiment unfold! I’ve wanted to approach this season from a place of curiosity to see if I can get fitness and strength back after a 2.5-year hiatus. It has felt so rewarding to get stronger and remember how it feels to race and go hard again.”
She described the way racing itself can re-teach an athlete what “hard” feels like:
“Each race or hard interval session reminds me what it feels like a little bit more.”
And then she said what almost everyone in the finish area seemed to be thinking, whether they admitted it or not:
“This course is legit. I didn’t hear the words ‘I felt good out there!’ come out of a single person’s mouth! It was a battle of self against hill.”
That sentence carries the whole day inside it: not a battle against other people, exactly, but against the course’s capacity to strip away pretense.
Hailey Swirbul (APU) charges up one of the many climbs on that Lake Placid course behind Virginia Cobb (#120 – DAR) and Marit Flora (#76 – UAA). (Photo: Nancie Battaglia)
Swirbul’s race plan—at least as she described it—was deeply personal in its logic. Not a copy of someone else’s pacing, not a response to what she imagined others were doing, but an attempt to ski in a way that matched her strengths:
“I tried to ski true to myself. I wanted to use momentum and my own body weight the most effectively I could to get around that course as fast as I could- regardless of how the pacing looked for others.”
And because it’s an Olympic year, she made the subtext explicit:
“I have my eyes on an Olympic Team spot, and I’m going to continue to fight for it until the team is officially named. I’m not thinking beyond this week of racing here at Nationals. One step at a time, staying present…”
Then the line that reminds you why athletes keep doing this:
“…and enjoying getting to live this life and see so many people from old racing days— it’s a good life.”
Novie McCabe’s post-race comments carried a tone that felt especially relevant to this week: gratitude, yes—but also a clear-eyed description of how fragile a season can feel, and how an athlete can build stability by focusing on what can be controlled.
“It meant a lot to be starting today for sure! I think that being a bit unsure of whether I’d be starting these races made me feel pretty grateful for the opportunity to go out there and give it my best today.”
She described the emotional mix honestly:
“There were, of course, lots of doubts and some nerves going in as well, but I really tried to just enjoy the skiing and made that my main goal going into it.”
And she emphasized that conditions and course feel matter—not as excuses, but as context:
“The conditions were insanely nice today, which helped, and this course is one of my favorites!”
On pacing, McCabe described a strategy rooted in self-knowledge:
“Honestly, I kinda just went out as hard as I could within reason, and tried to relax and hold onto it. I know the splits don’t really make it look that way, haha, but I am not the fastest starter, so it is usually best for me to go out at what feels like a pretty hard pace.”
Then she explained the architecture of her day: not results goals, but process goals. She made a point that’s easy to dismiss until you remember what an Olympic week does to people:
“Being focused on process goals going into a race really helps me develop a framework for success.”
She listed those goals with specificity—how she wanted to feel, what she wanted to focus on, what she wanted her mind to do when discomfort arrived:
“…going out hard but comfortable and trying to hold it, skiing well (not skiing hard), be the focus of the day, keeping up the positive self-talk, and finding the good and noticing what is going well throughout the race.”
And on Olympic pressure, she offered a perspective that will sound familiar to anyone who has ever had a season disrupted by health or inconsistency:
“I think it has honestly helped me out in terms of handling self-imposed Olympic qualification pressure to not have had the best lead up and be pretty unsure of what I would be doing as far as racing goes this year…”
She described her focus as narrower—day by day—because it has to be:
“…it has taken some of my focus off of results… It has just kind of led to an approach where I take it day by day, and don’t really think much further into the future than that.”
That isn’t resignation. It’s an operating system. And it’s one that often works, especially on a course where you can lose time in the exact moment you start racing the future instead of the hill in front of you.
Rosie Fordham (UAF) leaving it all on the course on her way to 7th place overall. (Photo: Nancie Battaglia)
Samantha Smith: A Double Life and a Very Real Result
Samantha Smith’s presence near the top of the women’s results came with a storyline that’s unusual even in American ski racing: balancing elite cross-country skiing with Division I soccer at Stanford, and arriving at the heart of ski season off a long NCAA tournament run.
She spoke about the short transition plainly:
“Yes, that’s correct, that our soccer team’s long run into the NCAA tournament has made for a much shorter transition to the season. I’ve only been on snow for a few weeks, so I know my ski fitness is improving every day.”
She described the emotional carryover of playing for a national title—how it can become fuel rather than a distraction:
“Playing in the National Championship was an amazing experience—we were so close to winning it all. It was a tough way to end such a great season. I’m taking that fire from our final game and pouring it into my skiing.”
And she framed her path as something she’s embracing, not defending:
“I know my path is different from others, but I’m doing what I love, and I think there’s a lot to be said for staying true to that. I’m trying to take everything step by step, live in the moment, and focus on what I can control!”
On the scrutiny that comes with missing ski events earlier in the season, she emphasized the lessons she’s drawn from doing two sports seriously:
“…for me, I feel like there’s actually a lot I can pull from the two sports and use it to my advantage.”
She described last year as a “trial year” and explained how she’s adjusted:
“I needed that test phase to figure out what works and what doesn’t work. I made some adjustments this year in training, switching things up a bit, and I feel like that’s helped me a lot going into this season.”
She credited Braden Becker for helping with training and coaching through the fall:
“I owe a huge thank you to Braden Becker, a retired skier, who’s now a grad student at Stanford. He helped me a lot with training this fall, and it honestly made a world of difference…”
And then she returned to the mental challenge of this week—high stakes, lots of uncontrollables—and the philosophy that keeps an athlete from spiraling:
“…I’m just trying to focus on what I can control—my attitude and effort.”
Finally, she addressed the question of what a distance result might “say” about her:
“I was happy with today’s result… I think today’s race was a good indication of my trajectory for the rest of the week and the rest of the season.”
And she framed versatility—distance and sprint—as part of the argument she wants to make this winter:
“…hopefully showcase some of my versatility in different distances and disciplines, which I think can be important for big competitions like the Olympics.”
Alayna Sonnesyn (Team Birkie) on her way to 10th place overall. (Photo: Nancie Battaglia)
Why This Week Matters So Much
For the men, the arithmetic of Olympic selection is already partly written—and partly unresolved. At present, the United States is allotted seven men’s quota spots for the Olympic team, with the possibility that an eighth could roll down following this weekend’s World Cup races in Oberhof, Germany. That uncertainty is where much of the tension at U.S. Nationals resides.
It is also where most of the speculation comes from—so take it for what it is, informed but unofficial. The six American men who recently raced the Tour de Ski appear, by any reasonable reading of the criteria, to be on solid ground. Each currently ranks in the top 45 on the FIS World Cup sprint and distance overall lists, the threshold set by the US Ski Team that meets the objective requirements for Olympic selection.
Within that group of six, there is also ample sprint depth to cover the four available starts in the individual classic sprint and to form a competitive two-man sprint relay. As a result, Tuesday’s Freestyle Sprint at Nationals is likely to carry less weight for those athletes racing in Lake Placid with dreams of making the Olympic roster. Instead, the races most likely to function as closing arguments—particularly if an additional quota spot materializes—were Sunday’s 10 k Classic and Thursday’s 20 k Freestyle Mass Start. For at least one man, and potentially two, those performances may determine whether this week in Lake Placid becomes a footnote or a turning point.
On the women’s side, the picture is far less settled—and far more fluid. The United States has eight Olympic quota spots available, but only a portion of them is considered secure. Jessie Diggins—if it were ever in doubt—has already satisfied the objective criteria by finishing in the top eight in World Cup races that are part of the Olympic schedule. Julia Kern and Rosie Brennan also appear well-positioned, based on their respective rankings on the sprint and distance overall lists.
That still leaves as many as five remaining spots to be determined, drawing from a complicated blend of results across Period One on the World Cup, the SuperTour events in Alaska, and, critically, U.S. Nationals this week in Lake Placid. For those athletes, Nationals is not simply a domestic championship. It is an audition, a data point, and—in some cases—the clearest remaining path onto the Olympic team.
John Steel Hagenbuch (DAR) on his way to 5th place overall on the day. (Photo: Phillip Belena/EISA)
Grover: “There’s Going to be Space”… and then the Paperwork
US Cross-Country Ski Team Director Chris Grover offered perhaps the clearest explanation for why the opening races at Nationals feel unusually charged—not because they deliver final answers, but because they create space. Space in which athletes can move themselves from the margins of the conversation toward its center.
The story, as Grover framed it, is not simply who wins. It is what a result permits: what doors it opens, what arguments it strengthens, and how it positions an athlete within the broader, inevitably imperfect machinery of Olympic selection.
As Grover put it in an interview with FasterSkier, U.S. Nationals does exactly that—it creates room:
“…it’s going to be a great story because there’s space. There’s going to be space on both the men’s squad and the women’s squad, by the looks of it, for athletes to qualify from Nationals, to have great U.S. Nationals and come over, especially on the women’s side…”
That space, however, is not filled automatically. In an Olympic year, it is accompanied by paperwork, petitions, and deliberation—an acknowledgment that performance, while central, is rarely the entire story.
Grover outlined the petition process that follows Nationals, a step that often receives less public attention but carries significant weight:
“…all athletes who want to be considered for discretionary selection… We’ll put in an application. Or a petition rather, where they will kind of write out what their case is, why they should be considered…”
Those petitions, Grover explained, are then evaluated by a selection committee—six people tasked with translating results, trends, and context into final decisions:
“…we have the six-person selection committee that will pick the team. So as a committee, we’ll read everybody’s application, and then we, as a committee, will decide whether we want to elevate somebody using Coach’s discretion to be selected.”
Even the arithmetic of quota spots, Grover noted, is subject to forces beyond any one athlete’s control. On the men’s side, the possibility of an additional spot remains unresolved:
“…it’s after Oberhof… qualification for nations also closes on January 18… and at that point a spot [might be] available…”
Which is to say: timing matters. So does patience.
Taken together, Grover’s explanation underscores a truth that every athlete racing this week understands intuitively. Lake Placid does not merely crown national champions. It produces evidence—sometimes decisive, sometimes ambiguous—for a selection process that will soon harden from theory into reality. And once it does, the margins that feel abstract today will become permanent.
Ava Thurston (#45 – DAR) on her way to 6th place overall on the day. (Photo: Phillip Belena/EISA)
What Sunday Actually Did
The first day of Nationals did not select the Olympic team. It did something subtler and, in some ways, more powerful: it established the tone of the week.
On the men’s side, it proved that the domestic field is not going to give anyone breathing room. Wonders’ win was decisive in the only way that matters in interval start racing: he was fastest when everyone had to ski alone. But the closeness behind him reinforced Jager’s point—each race could be someone else’s day. In a week like this, that’s not a platitude. It’s a forecast.
On the women’s side, Swirbul’s victory felt like a day where preparation and belief finally aligned. But even she framed the week properly: one step at a time, staying present, not thinking beyond Lake Placid. McCabe and Smith offered two different versions of the same survival skill: build a framework, focus on process, control what you can, and let results become the output rather than the obsession.
If there was a single emotional throughline, it was this: the athletes weren’t pretending the Olympics weren’t there. They were trying, in different ways, to keep that fact from hijacking the work.
A Conclusion in the Shape of an Interval Start
There’s a particular quiet that follows an interval start classic race—not silence, exactly, but the hush of athletes doing their internal accounting. A national championship can feel like a celebration. In an Olympic year, it can also feel like a deposit: something placed into the larger selection ledger, something that will matter later, in rooms the athletes won’t be in, in conversations they can’t control.
What makes Lake Placid different—what makes Mt. Van Hoevenberg feel so permanent—is that it refuses to dramatize any of this. It simply asks the same thing of everyone: ski two laps honestly, manage the climbs, keep your head when your legs get loud, and finish without bargaining.
Wonders said he felt the pressure—and expects to keep feeling it. Jager said the closeness means nothing can be taken for granted. Swirbul described a long experiment that finally yielded its outcome. McCabe described building success from process, not prediction. Smith described a life lived between two sports, and a focus narrowed to attitude and effort.
Taken together, those aren’t just post-race quotes. They’re the first chapter of the week.
And in an Olympic winter, first chapters matter—because the next race arrives quickly, and the story keeps writing itself, one start at a time.
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Devon has a cold, but don’t let that deter you — he perseveres, and we welcome special guess Zanden McMullen after his breakout weekend in Ruka. We’ve got recaps of the astonishingly entertaining racing in Finland, plus bonus discussion of sponsorship feuds and other news.
Send us your questions, comments, fan mail and hate mail: nat@fasterskier.com and devon@fasterskier.com. We’ll be back after Lillehammer.
This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com.
Harald Oestberg Amundsen (NOR) (center) played it smart by playing it safe today. He stayed near the front and kept an eye on anyone who might dare to make a break. (Photo: NordicFocus)
The men’s Tour de Ski (TDS) began last week with team Norway back on its heels as France and the USA challenged Norway’s domination; that seems a lifetime ago. Ever since the third race, in Toblach, Italy, Norway has been dominant again with no other country really giving it a run for the overall title. The Tour is Harald Oestberg Amunden’s (NOR) to take. Going into today’s 15 kilometer Mass Start Classic race, in Val Di Fiemme, Italy, Amundsen is 1:39 ahead of countrymen Henrik Doennestad, and Martin Loewstroem Nyenget.
But a very tantalizing question remains as to whether a non-Norwegian man can find the podium at the end of the Tour? As to that question, the answer is a definite: it’s possible. Hugo Lapalus (FRA) is only two seconds out of second place behind Doennestad and Nyenget. Likewise, Friedrich Moch (GER) and Beda Klee (SUI) are only seconds behind the Norwegian duo. So, while the race for the top spot is definitely Amundsen’s to lose, other countries are knocking on the door to gain a spot on the podium.
A 15 kilometer mass start Classic race is a tough format in which to gain ground, so any efforts by Lapalus and Moch to join the Tour podium leaders would be a tall task. They couldn’t risk too much today as they would need to leave themselves in contention for Sunday’s final race, the climb up Alpe Cermis. But given the razor thin margins separating second and seventh place of only eight seconds, it wouldn’t take much to dislodge the current Norwegian monopoly. The men’s race for first place might lack the drama of the women’s, but the race for second and third is scorching hot.
Scott Patterson (USA) (far right), is one of only two Americans left in the Tour. He had a nice performance today, only 16 seconds behind the winner. (Photo: NordicFocus)
For the American men, the bright promise they showed early in the Tour has faded away as illness decimated the team; just as it has much of the Tour. There were only two Americans left on the start line, Scott Patterson, (4:54 behind the Tour leader, and Zanden McMullen (7:37 behind the Tour leader).
At the conclusion of a very tactical race, it was Erik Valnes (NOR) taking the victory. He was followed by William Poromaa (SWE) in second, and Cyril Faehndrich (SUI) third. American Scott Patterson had a nice day finishing 27th, only 16 seconds off the lead. He was closely followed by Zanden McMullen in 31st, 17 seconds behind first.
The top Canadian finisher was Olivier Leveille in 33rd, and Antoine Cyr in 41st.
An interesting finishing time was delivered by Sprinter Lucas Chanavat who has continued with the Tour even after the Sprints were concluded. He finished 54th, the last skier to finish, 3:37 behind the leaders and over 1:40 behind the second to last skier. It could be debated whether it’s sandbagging or smart tactics by the Sprinter to keep his Tour alive.
Men’s 15 Kilometer Classic Mass Start Race
Much like the Classic race two days ago in Davos, skiers again faced extremely challenging waxing conditions in Val di Fiemme. It was snowing hard with temperature right around freezing. Again, wax technicians faced difficult choices. As racers marched to the start line to begin the race, lots of zero skis could clearly be seen; along with some skiers choosing klister. The American men were split on ski setup. According to U.S. coach Kristen Bourne, Patterson chose zero skis while McMullen was on klister. Bourne told FasterSkier that zeroes and klister skis were tested for both the men’s and women’s races with a mix of skis finally selected for both races. “It was definitely a mixed bag,” said Bourne. “Another day of our kick team really working trying to figure it out.” The decision was ultimately the athlete’s to make. “The skier and the tech would talk about it and make the decision together.” But the new fluoro rules threw another curve into ski choice. Under the rules for Classic races, skiers are allowed to present two pairs of skis for pre-race fluoro testing 30 minutes before the start. Bourne indicated that it’s ultimately the athlete’s choice to decide which pair of skis to choose from between the two pair which clear fluoro testing; a fairly nerve wracking dilemma. Things become even more complex as there is a kick adjustment zone after skis have been fluoro tested where kick zones, and only kick zones, can be adjusted just before the race.
Martin Loewstrom Nyenget (NOR) (bib five), did enough to put himself into third place for tomorrow’s decisive race. But he only has a five second advantage. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Unlike Thursday’s 20 kilometer race, this course was on a 2.5 kilometer lap which would help with kick zone icing issues.
The weather played an outsized factor today’s race strategy as well. The conditions would make it difficult for any skier to make a break. A mass start would also contribute even more to that same dynamic.
Olivier Leveille (CAN) gave fans an early thrill when he went to the lead at the 1.4 kilometer mark. Leveille was fighting for an early time bonus at the 2.3 kilometer point, but ultimately was in fifth at the timing check. The Bonuses helped to string out the field a little, as Edvin Anger (SWE) took the time bonus sprint, nudging out Erik Valnes (NOR) who needed the bonus time to help his podium fight.
After the bonus point sprint, the field coalesced again into one mass pack. Podium contender Beda Klee (SUI) took a brief shot at the front, but it was short lived. At 3.5 kilometers, the tone of the race seemed set; it was clear that pack racing tactics were going to take hold. The athletes really didn’t have much option, as trying a break in these conditions—this early—would likely be a fool’s errand.
The pack conditions meant that skiers outside the top ten would also have a chance to hang with the leaders. This gave McMullen a chance to ski with the Tour front runners as he pushed himself up to sixth. At this point the race was so congested that there was only a 16 second gap between first and 53rd.
With Amundsen having a big lead, he was unlikely to push the field; he was content to simply check any big moves made by podium contenders. Halfway through, Doennestad and Nyenget went to the front to try and push, but they too were unable to break up the field. One kilometer later, Erik Valnes gave the front a shot, but it turned out to be more of a chance to grab bonus points at 8.5 kilometers instead of a legitimate attempt to break things up. He stayed near the front after the bonus mark, but wasn’t seriously pushing the field.
Amundsen continued to hang out at the front to avoid the congestion of the big pack. Then, after the bonus Sprint, Jens Burman was the next athlete to step up to make a little charge to break up the field. His effort was also doomed, and the field again quickly consolidated. The conditions—coupled with the effects of the mass start—were proving just too difficult for anyone to make a break from the pack.
Zanden Mcmullen (USA) was one of two American skiers in today’s race. He finished 31st, but only 17 seconds behind the winner. (Photo: NordicFocus)
With only 2.5 k to go, it was still one giant pack with only 12 seconds between first and 51st. Amundsen, however, was leaving nothing to chance and went to the front. The virtual race for second and third in the TDS was still extremely tight with racers within a couple of seconds.
Even though the pack was close to the finish, the pace was still extremely relaxed. Several more skiers had tested the waters of going to the front only to abandon the opportunity after a few seconds. The race had now devolved into a giant touring pack with a Sprint finish looming. All the podium contenders were playing it safe with no one pushing the front, and everyone jockeying for a good spot for the finish.
With one kilometer to go, skiers began to seriously race. Cyril Faehndrich (SUI) (brother of Swiss star, Nadine Faehndrich), made a break with about half a kilometer to go. William Poromaa (SWE) and Valnes fell in behind him.
Cyril Faehndrich (SUI) had a career best day finishing on the podium for the first time in a World Cup race. (Photo: NordicFocus)
The race immediately became a three man sprint between Valnes, Faehndrich and Poromaa. In this situation, Valnes had the clear sprinting advantage. He double poled to the front and was able to push by Poromaa, who took second, and Faehndrich, who took third. For Faehndrich, it was his first World Cup podium. Tour leader Amundsen was only eight seconds behind the group and played a tactically smart race by not taking chances and preserving his large advantage going into tomorrow’s finale. While not the most thrilling race, it was smart tactics by the top contenders who were betting on making a bid in tomorrow’s climb up Alpe Cermis.
The racing strategy and weather created an interesting finishing time, where the winner of the men’s race was only three minutes faster than the Women’s winner!
Hugo Lapalus (FRA) kept himself in podium contention by finishing eighth today. He’s now only five seconds from a podium spot. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Impact on Tour de Ski Standings
Today’s race was really just about setting things up for tomorrow’s finale. Amundsen now has a 1:34 lead over teammate Erik Valnes, and a 1:42 lead over Martin Nyenget. But the race for second and third is still very tight. Lapalus, Moch, Klee, and Doennestad are all within seconds of the podium; tomorrow’s fight for second and third will be intense.
This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com.
Harald Oestberg Amundsen (NOR) wins the 20 k Classic Pursuit in Davos, Switzerland: sweet redemption after an untimely fall took him out of yesterday’s Freestyle Sprint quarterfinal. (Photo: Modica/NordicFocus)
Winter endurance sports represent a quandary: training for endurance events requires that athletes push themselves repeatedly toward exhaustion . . . a condition that makes them especially susceptible to transferable illnesses. Influenza caught up with Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo who never even started the 2024 Tour de Ski. Ben Ogden (USA) caught the cold that’s been coursing through the Stifel U.S. Ski Team; he was forced to drop out of the Tour de Ski while standing third overall and wearing the Points Leader’s jersey. This morning in Davos, Switzerland, it was Gus Schumacher who fell ill and was forced to withdraw. Only a few hours after his personal-best World Cup finish (fourth in the Stage 4 Men’s Freestyle Sprint), Schumacher was out of the tour.
Zanden Mcmullen (USA) finishes the 20 k Classic Pursuit in Davos, Switzerland. With sickness having swept through Team USA, McMullen and Scott Patterson (USA) are the only American men remaining in the Tour de Ski. (Photo: Modica/NordicFocus)
Canadian, Antoine Cyr, started the Pursuit in 19th place overall. He fought to secure a place in a group led early-on by Amundsen and Pellegrino, allowing Cyr to fight his way to a tremendous seventh place finish. Olivier Leveille was the only other Canadian finisher in 41st. Julien Locke (CAN) did not start the day’s racing. Only Zanden McMullen (USA) and Scott Patterson (USA) remain in the field for Team USA. Patterson finished the day 24th, with McMullen 28th.
Harald Oestberg Amundsen (NOR) was appearing edgy: slamming his poles on the ground after an untimely fall in yesterday’s sprint competition, wearing the bib of the Tour de Ski leader, but definitely wanting more reward—and respect—than he was getting, Amundsen began today’s 20 k Pursuit looking like a man seeking redemption. He would get it, storming through the finishing straightaway for an impressive victory over his countryman, Henrik Doennestad. In what has become common occurance, a third Norwegian rounded out the podium: Martin Loewstroem Nyenget.
Norway may have swept the podium (again), but there were more national choices among the contenders including Beda Klee (SUI) who finished sixth, Friedrich Moch (GER) who finished fifth, and Hugo Lapalus who finished fourth (only a tenth of a second off the podium).
Harald Oestberg Amundsen (NOR) exults at the finish line ahead of his countryman, Henrik Doennestad. Amundsen’s victory in the 20 k Classic Pursuit solidifies his position at the top of the Tour de Ski overall standings with just two more stages remaining. (Photo: Modica/NordicFocus)
20 k Classic Pursuit
After a morning snowstorm that profoundly affected the Women’s Pursuit, the Men’s Pursuit was contested on a Classic track that more accurately resembled old fashioned ski racing—fluffy snow, irregular tracks, lower racing speeds, and long laps through the woods. The snowstorm that buffeted the Women’s Pursuit had abated, but new snow would still affect the Classic tracks and the ability of the wax techs to produce fast skis. Fortunately, the entirety of the Davos valley was in shadow by race time, so there would be no sunny patches for wax technicians to anticipate.
With the start order being determined by placings in the prior day’s Sprint competition, gaps between starters were quite narrow—and the earliest starters were sprinters rather than endurance skiers. The day’s first starter, Lucas Chanavat (FRA) had been accused of “sandbagging” in the last Pursuit stage of the Tour de Ski: slow-walking much of the race course in an attempt to save his energy for later sprint stages. With today’s World Cup cameras focused solidly on him (as the day’s first starter), Chanavat began the race with a more honest effort, focusing his efforts on acquiring the Bonus Points available at 3.4 k. He managed to hold his lead, crossing the Bonus Points line just a ski-length ahead of Edvin Anger (SWE). His mission accomplished, Chanavat quickly pulled up after that checkpoint, resuming a pedestrian pace more closely resembling the way he had raced in the Pursuit event last Saturday. Chanavat would ultimately finish the day’s 20 k race distance, but in 79th place, nearly eight minutes behind the leaders.
Anger—a much more accomplished distance skier than Chanavat—continued on alone, pursued at a distance by a group that included Pellegrino (third in overall standings), Haavard Solaas Taugboel (NOR), Matz William Jenssen (NOR), Erik Valnes (NOR), and Lauri Vuorinen (FIN). The group including Amundsen and Cyr followed only a few more seconds behind.
Anger still held a 30 second lead at 8.6 k, but by end of the first of two laps his lead had evaporated. Soon after, he was swallowed up by a 15-man group led by Amundsen. Ultimately, Amundsen and Henrik Doennestad (NOR) got away from the field, sprinting to the finish line where Amundsen out-sprinted Doennestad by less than a second. Their countryman, Nyenget, managed to hold off a hard-charging Lapalus for third.
Amundsen continues in the Tour de Ski leader’s jersey, but now with the measure of respect to which he believes he is due. The Tour seems Amundsen’s to win or lose, with only two distance-race stages remaining (including Sunday’s daunting climb up Val di Fiemme’s Alpe Cermis).
Henrik Doennestad (NOR), Harald Oestberg Amundsen (NOR), Martin Loewstroem Nyenget (NOR), (l-r) celebrate another all-Norwegian podium after the Tour de Ski 20 k Classic Pursuit in Davos, Switzerland. (Photo: Modica/NordicFocus)
This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com.
John Steel Hagenbuch (USA) skied to a career-best 13th in Oestersund’s World Cup 10 k Freestyle Individual Start, leading an American team that placed three finishers in the top 30. (Photo: Modica/NordicFocus)
Week after week, the final standings of World Cup distance races are a list of Norwegian names, and the bibs of World Cup leaders continue to pass from Norwegian to Norwegian. Oestersund Sweden’s World Cup 10 k Freestyle Individual Start race was no exception as Harald Oestberg Amundsen captured his second win of the season, and took over both the World Cup Overall and Distance bibs.
Sunday’s race saw large gaps in split times, and numerous instances in which athletes with different start times managed to pair up on Oestersund’s three lap course. At day’s end, it was Amundsen (NOR) who emerged victorious, followed by Simen Hegstad Krueger (NOR) and Didrik Toenseth (NOR). Norway’s stable of World Cup thoroughbreds continues to dominate World Cup racing, but the names at the top of the leaderboard are likely to change on any given week. In Oestersund, Norway took the top five places, and placed all seven Norwegian starters in the top nine.
Andrew Musgrave (GBR) delivered a sixth place finish in the 10 k Freestlye in Oestersund, breaking up the list of Norwegian names at the top of the standings. (Photo: Modica/NordicFocus)
Andrew Musgrave’s (GBR) sixth place finish interrupted the Norwegian grouping near the top of the standings. Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR)—World Cup Sprint leader, and winner of Saturday’s Classic Sprint—finished just behind Musgrave in seventh, followed by Friedrich Moch (GER) in eighth.
The FIS World Cup leader’s bib never seems securely affixed to any one set of shoulders, either: Paal Golberg (NOR) entered Oestersund wearing both the Overall and Distance Leader’s bibs, only to surrender both to Amundsen after Sunday’s race. Golberg would finish the day in ninth.
Americans delivered quality results with three athletes in the top 30. Johnny Hagenbuch came through the finish line as the leader of all earlier finishers, his finishing time of 24.42.7 allowing him to sit briefly in the leader’s chair. After a field-leading relay last week in Gaelivare, Hagenbuch appeared poised for a break-out performance. With an early start number—and having few opportunities to hear the split times of his rivals—Hagenbuch was out there on his own. Amazing, then, that he managed to drive forward to a career-best finish in 13th.
“Last week’s relay was a great day for me personally,” said Hagenbuch. “But it was even better for the whole team. I was really excited to feel my shape come into form when I was racing with my friends. Today, I was hoping to carry that same energy into the race. I’m really pleased with how I executed the pacing today, and it’s incredibly gratifying to have a great result in addition! I don’t think I’m doing anything differently or better than before; I think it has taken me a while to find my race gear this season. Hopefully it’s here to stay!”
U.S. coach Matt Whitcomb was not surprised by Hagenbuch’s performance. “This is Johnny’s best event, so I actually don’t think it surprised us too much, it more just impressed us, said Whitcomb. He continued that, “we saw in his relay performance last week that he had … the fastest time on the skate leg … we saw a really great performance last week, so we expected a good race today, and got it for sure.”
Gus Schumacher (USA) shows the effects of his 21st place finish in the FIS World Cup 10 k Freestyle in Oestersund, Sweden. (Photo: Proserpio/NordicFocus)
Gus Schumacher (USA) and Zanden McMullen (USA) also delivered good results in 21st and 27th, respectively. Other American finishers included Ben Ogden 46th, Scott Patterson 48th, Luke Jager 58th, Will Koch 72nd.
“I stepped training back a little bit this summer and I think it allowed my body to come around and absorb training more consistently and completely,” said Schumacher. “That seems like it’s translated to more stable energy and health, and the consistent results have made it easier to be confident skiing like myself out there. It’s good to feel like myself, but I know I’m super quick to push it and get tense and lose patience, so I’m just gonna roll with it and take each race as an opportunity to execute well and trust that those top 10s and bigger results are just going to happen.”
“I have to give a lot of credit to my teammates every day,” said McMullen. “If a race isn’t going the way I wanted, I can always think back to racing hard for THEM. It’s almost the same feeling as being on a relay and being relied on—it just gives you that little extra fight. I’m happy about a top 30, but with the margins so close and not having a hard finish I know I can easily move up a lot of places. I’m really excited to race the skiathlon in Trondheim and I have my eyes set for a top 20!!”
Antoine Cyr (CAN) continued to deliver results in the top 30, finishing the day 24th. Other Canadian finishers included Xavier McKeever 68th, and Leo Grandbois 75th. Olivier Leveille did not start the day’s event.
Harald Oestberg Amundsen (NOR) paired up on course with later starter, Simen Hegstad Krueger NOR). Amundsen powered to the win, with Krueger finishing second. (Photo: Modica/NordicFocus)
10 K Freestyle
Oestersund’s 10 k course—raced over three laps—created chances for skiers to pair up, or even group up. Obviously, such pairings—and the advantageous drafting those pairings create—can offer a boost to those lucky enough to find a faster skier to follow, or a partnering skier with whom to match pace. Norwegians seemed to benefit most, with Iver Tildheim Andersson pairing up with Toenseth, and Kruger pairing with Amundsen.
Amundsen posted a finishing time of 23.36.2, pushing his Norwegian teammates down in the standings. Still on course, Krueger continued to post leading times, but his lead over Amundsen was fading. At 6.6 k, Krueger’s lead had dropped to inside five seconds. Krueger continued to cede time to Amundsen, dropping six seconds behind at 9.4 k. At the finish, Krueger moved ahead of Toenseth, but his time could not supplant Amundsen. The win also earned Amundsen the yellow World Cup leader’s bib AND the World Cup distance leader’s bib, supplanting former leader in both categories, Paal Golberg, who raced sluggishly, perhaps showing the effects of his participation in Saturday’s sprint.
The podium in Oestersund, Sweden after the FIS 10 k Freestyle Individual Start. Hegstad Krueger (NOR), Harald Oestberg Amundsen (NOR), Didrik Toenseth (NOR), (l-r). (Photo: Modica/NordicFocus)
Jan Thomas Janssen (NOR) pulled off an unlikely victory in his first World Cup start in three years during Sunday’s 20 k Freestyle Mass Start in Ruka, Finland. (Photo: Nordic Focus)
Jan Thomas Jenssen (NOR) hadn’t been entered in a World Cup race since 2020. On Sunday in Ruka, the highlight to Jenssen’s weekend of racing was expected to be his start in the 20 k, not his finish. But something strange was swirling in the chill Arctic air, and Sunday was one for the dark horses. In the final stretch of Sunday’s race that bent two unlikely skiers—Michal Novak (CZE), and the 27 year-old Jenssen—emerged from a pack of World Champions and Olympic medalists. Jenssen rounded the final corner on Ruka’s World Cup weekend to find no one—not one skier—between him and the finish line. Norwegian men would sweep the weekend, but they would do so with a most unlikely trio: Erik Valnes winning the Men’s Sprint on Friday, a 10 k Classic victory on Saturday from Martin Loewstroem Nyenget, and Jan Thomas Jenssen on Sunday.
Gus Schumacher led American finishers with a tremendous 16th place. Scott Patterson remained with Schumacher until the last, finishing 20th, while Zanden McMullen pulled up to the finish in 28th to round out a trio of Americans in the top 30. John Steel Hagenbuch scored the best result of his young World Cup career, taking 45th in just his fourth World Cup start. Zak Ketterson was 52nd, Luke Jager 68th, and Ben Ogden 71st. Among Canadians, Antoine Cyr finished 26th, Olivier Leveille 40th, Xavier McKeever 46th, Graham Ritchie 58th, Leo Grandbois 64th.
There are two substantial take-aways from the World Cup’s opening weekend in Ruka: (1) the Norwegian men’s team is still the dominant force in men’s skiing, animating almost all of the races and filling out most of its lead packs and sprint finals. (2) Ski racing is magical: terrain, weather, conditions, and circumstances can still align in such a way that an athlete who’s worked hard and steadily for years may, on any given day, find himself victorious.
Consider how Jan Thomas Jenssen ended up in the field Sunday. He had earned a single discretionary start from the Norwegian national team after a steady season’s-worth of races in last year’s Scandinavian Cup (the second-tier of FIS competition) in which Jenssen finished second. The Overall winner of the Scandinavian Cup earns an automatic World Cup bid for Period I. Last year, Jenssen’s countrymen Harald Oestberg Amundsen won the Scandinavian Cup; Amundsen also proved his mettle in Sunday’s action, ending up with a podium finish in third place. Jenssen likely wouldn’t have gotten a start in Ruka in any other year. For the first time since Ruka began hosting the World Cup opener 15 years ago, Sunday’s race was a mass start contest rather than a pursuit based on Saturday’s classic results.
The men’s field on course in Ruka during Sunday’s 20 k Freestyle Mass Start. (Photo: Nordic Focus)
Also contributing to the potential for Jenssen’s unlikely victory was the form of the usual dominant figures in the men’s field. Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo was notably off-form for a third day in a row, helping pull a duo of Americans, Schumacher and Patterson, to a 16th place and 20th place, respectively, before easing across the finish line in 21st place. Saturday’s winner, Nyenget, followed an early agitation from Austrian Mika Vermeulen that left him out of the final running, while 2023 World Cup Distance Globe winner, Paal Golberg (NOR), was left struggling to maintain his place in the lead pack rather than searching for ways to drop it.
All these circumstances aligned for Jenssen: an all out effort, a World Cup win, and a loss for words. “I don’t even know what to say,” was Jenssen’s only statement to FIS media after the race, before he headed to his first ever podium on the sport’s biggest stage.
Men’s 20 k Freestyle Mass Start
There were other, bigger forces, at play on Sunday, too. Ruka’s 2.5 k course is composed of a long, steep, steady uphill, followed by a long downhill that wound into the stadium. In warmer, icy conditions, that set-up may have allowed break-away attacks to gain enough ground to snap the field on the downhill. This was Ruka, above the Arctic circle, in November, though. Cold, dry snow was the order of the day; as a result, the field largely acquiesced to the fact that the long downhill would serve to mitigate punchy efforts rather than help them succeed.
Ruka’s course conditions also allowed competitors, coaches, and wax technicians to worry less about the effects of the new non-fluoro wax protocols. After yesterday’s 10 k Classic, US Ski Team Coach Jason Cork said that the cold, powdery snow in Ruka—where fluoros and their characteristic moisture-resistance have the least effect—probably leaves open the question of the new wax protocols effect on skis. “It’s hard to know for certain [what the effect will be],” said Cork. “There are a lot of new products coming out—nearly daily—but our expectations going into the season was that the non-fluoro rule would create the least impact in cold, dry conditions like we’ve seen in Ruka.”
Gus Schumacher (USA) skied to 16th place in Sunday’s 20 k Freestyle Mass Start. “I’m in a solid place and can just kind of go with the flow and not do anything crazy from here,” said Schumacher of his results in Ruka. (Photo: Nordic Focus)
All of this created a mass-start race that stretched rather than snapped, as the field largely stayed together over the first 10 k. Some early action occurred when Mika Vermeulen (AUT) pressed the issue on the downhill leading into the stadium at the 5 k checkpoint. He was joined by Nyenget, but by 10 k the break-away was looking back, anticipating being gathered up by the pack. Through the early kilometers, Americans Schumacher, Patterson, Ogden, and McMullen remained in contact with each other, hovering around the 25th-30th spots in the pack.
By the 10 k mark, a pair of Frenchmen—Jules LaPierre and Hugo LaPalus—had started to push to the front in an apparent counter to the Vermeulen/Nyenget move, before Simen Hegstad Krueger (NOR) pushed into the final downhill in a move that animated the pack and created a split. By 12.5 k, there was a group of Norwegian’s at the front that slowly, but surely, was joined and punctuated by other nationalities. There were the Frenchmen, Britain’s Andrew Musgrave, Switzerland’s Beda Klee, Vermeulen, and Novak . A break occurred behind the first 15 skiers; this chase group was where Schumacher, Patterson, and notably, Klaebo, all ended up skiing for the final five kilometers.
Jan Thomas Jenssen (NOR) sprints ahead of Micah Novak (CZE) to win his first ever World Cup. (Photo: Nordic Focus)
The lead group remained compact despite jockeying, with the decisive moment coming in the seventh lap. “The leaders surged or the bonus points, blasted through and kept going,” said Schumacher in post-race comments to FasterSkier. In the final run-in, true urgency set up a sprint. That’s when Novak took his shot, followed by Jenssen. The duo broke clear in a hop-skate towards the Ruka stadium, with Jenssen’s line allowing him to steer clear of Novak, and towards his own first ever World Cup win.
The American action for the day came in the chase group, where Schumacher was able to create a bit of separation and win the final push to 16th place. “I felt like if I tried to cover that [gap], I’d lose time up the big hill on the last lap,” Schumacher said. “So I just tried to relax into the final.” The result was Schumacher’s best-ever showing at the Ruka World Cup opener, marking an auspicious beginning to the Alaskan’s campaign. “The goal for Ruka is always not to stress too much about where I’m at,” said Schumacher. “But that’s easier said than done. Mostly, I’m just a little relieved to know I’m in a solid place and can just kind of go with the flow and not do anything crazy from here.”
The World Cup leaves Ruka to head even more North next week, setting up in the Swedish town of Gallivare for a 10 k skate followed by the season’s first Team Relay.
HOUGHTON, MICHIGAN: Welcome to FasterSkier’s on-location coverage of the United States National Cross-Country Ski Championships from Houghton, Michigan.
This week, Houghton hosts the U.S. National Cross-Country Championships on the Michigan Technological University’s trails system. Today’s event is the 20-kilometer classic mass start.
Hailey Swirbul leads out the women’s charge at the beginning of the 20-k classic mass start in Houghton. (Photo: FasterSkier).
There were several questions to be answered at the beginning of the day: the women’s side has been dominated by Hailey Swirbul. Swirbul has won the two previous races, the 10-kilometer individual start skate, and the classic sprints. Would Swirbul be able to complete the three-peat by winning today’s long classic race, which would give her a first place in sprint, middle, and long distances?
The men’s results have been on the opposite side of the spectrum. There have been six different men standing on the podium so far. Would any man be able to claim a repeat podium position?
Finally, the weather was not a dominating factor as overnight temperatures were in the teens, with highs in the upper twenties. Unlike the night before the sprint races, the wax technicians could actually get some sleep. The men’s race started at 9:30 and by then conditions were beautiful. The sky was blue, the temperatures were in the mid-twenties, and the wind was calm; for January in the Keweenaw, it could be called unusual.
The classic course was a 5-kilometer loop with challenging corners and descents, and long very steep climbs.
Hailey Swirbul on her way to a Houghton three-peat. (Photo: FasterSkier).
The Results
In a thrilling women’s race, Hailey Swirbul (APU Nordic Ski Center) did pull off the three-peat by beating out Sydney Palmer-Leger (University of Utah), by four-tenths of a second. Novie McCabe finished third, less than 10 seconds out of second place.
For the men, Luke Jager (University of Utah) claimed another podium, finishing first. Two seconds behind him, in second, was distance phenom David Norris (Steamboat Springs Winter Sport), and in third was Zanden McMulllen (APU Nordic Ski Center).
Men’s 20 k Mass Start
The men’s competition took an unexpected turn when the lead pack was broken apart early on the second lap by a large crash. Jager told FasterSkier, “There was a big crash on the second lap, a few skiers went down, most notably Andreas [Kirkeng], and he had been hitting the pace the entire first lap. I was in front of Andreas, it was on a downhill, I was pulling out for the sharp turn, and he also did, we kind of clipped each other skis. You never want that…it’s a big bummer. Suddenly it was me and David [Norris] off the front. It really disrupted things.” Jager was able to adjust on the fly, and after the crash it was a group of four skiers until the end.
Luke Jager celebrates the victory in the 20-K Classic. (Photo: FasterSkier).
Andreas Kirkeng (University of Denver) told FasterSkier that after the fall he couldn’t close the gap.
“I broke a pole, and my binding popped off, so I had to stop on the downhill to put my binding back on. I was skiing with one pole for a while, it was unlucky”. Andreas Kirkeng
Andreas Kirkeng shows the evidence—a broken pole—from an early crash that knocked him out of contention. (Photo: FasterSkier).
As the race wound down to the last few kilometers Norris pushed the paced. Jager told FasterSkier that, “Thankfully I had enough left in the tank to get a little bit of a gap in the last climb. If it came to a battle of just grinding as hard as we could, I knew I wasn’t going to win.”
The weather did affect tactics when it came down to ski choices. The favorable conditions allowed Jager to optimize his ski choice. “I picked a little bit of a softer ski,” he said. “It was a little easier to kick.”
The win was meaningful for Jager. “I’ve tried really hard to not be super specialized as not just a sprinter these last few years, to be able to be competitive in all the events,” he said. “To hold with those guys until the end was really rewarding.”
Men’s 20-kilometer classic podium (l-r: David Norris, Luke Jager, Zanden McMullen) (Photo: FasterSkier).
Women’s 20 k Mass Start
The women’s race came down to a thrilling duel between Swirbul and Palmer-Leger. Ultimately, Swirbul made an on-the-fly tactical choice which enabled her to inch out Palmer-Leger, winning the race by abandoning double poling at the finishing sprint and switching to diagonal stride. The tactical choice enabled her to beat out Palmer-Leger by about a boot length. Second place finisher Palmer-Leger, a junior at University of Utah, noted the difference in technique choice at the finish. “She was striding, I was double poling, it was hard to know what would be faster, right at the end I kind of switched into a run to see if that would work, but it didn’t.”
Swirbul and Palmer-Leger neck and neck at the finish. A last second change to diagonal stride captured the win for Swirbul. (Photo: FasterSkier).
Swirbul said that the top three skiers stayed together for most of the race. “Novie, Sydney, and I became a pod at one point and skied a lot of the last half of the race together.”
Swirbul said that coming into the championships she knew that top results were a real possibility. “The beginning of my season has been going well,” she said. “But you never know. There are so many factors that play into it.” Commenting on the distance Swirbul said,. “20 k is really long. We’ve had [this distance] at nationals, but I don’t do that many of them.”
Going into the race, Palmer-Leger’s strategy was to not let the hills wear her down. “I paced it on the hills and tried sitting behind somebody, stay relaxed and focus on breathing,” she said. “A lot of time I get stressed, start to run and use up most of my upper body, so trying to stay relaxed [was important].” Palmer-Leger appreciated the Houghton course noting that, “It’s kind of fun to have something different. It keeps you on your toes when you kind of have to sprint from the start to get in a good lead, so you don’t crash in the corner. I made sure I was in a good spot [to avoid a crash].”
Ute junior, Novie McCabe, told FasterSkier that she tried to push the pace about two laps into the race. That’s when the race turned into a four-skier pack. “My plan was to go on the last lap on the first long hill and get a lead there,” she said. “It didn’t quite happen for me. I kept trying to go on all the hills, but they [Palmer-Leger and Swirbul] were too strong and they blew me away at the end. I was kind of hanging on a by a thread there for a while.” After the race week concludes, McCabe will focus on the U-23 championships in Whistler.
Crowded corners challenged racers on a tough Houghton course for the U.S. Nationals. (Photo: Amy Kostrzewa).
Houghton provided a beautiful day for a classic race, and the racing was equally spectacular.
The 2022 FIS Junior/U23 World Ski Championships trip has been made possible through support from the National Nordic Foundation (NNF), which has identified this invaluable opportunity for developing athletes as one of its “Pillar Projects”. You can support the NNF and the next generations of America’s top skiers by making a donation here.
Thursday marked the third day of 2022 FIS Junior World Ski Championships in Lygna, Norway, but the first day of competition for U23 athletes, following individual and relay races for the juniors on Tuesday and Wednesday. The U23 athletes saw a 10-kilometer interval start classic for women, and a 15 k interval start for the men.
Zanden McMullen leads the American U23 athletes with a 14th place finish in the 10 k interval start classic in Lygna, NOR. (Photo: flyingpointroad.com)
The top American finishers today were Zanden McMullen for the men in 14th, and Abigail Jarzin for the women in 36th. The overall podium was all Nordic countries, for the men, and all non–Nordic countries, for the women.
Women’s 10 k Classic
The women had the day’s first race, going out at 1 p.m. local time over two laps of a 5 k course with a relatively humane 145m of total climb per lap.
Anabel Needham races the 10 k interval start classic during the 2022 U23 World Championships in Lygna, NOR. (Photo: flyingpointroad.com)
Anja Weber of Switzerland had the day’s second-fastest split at the 3-kilometer timing checkpoint, behind early leader Anastasiya Faleeva of Russia… had the day’s second-fastest split at the halfway mark, behind Faleeva… and had the day’s second-fastest split at the 8-kilometer mark, behind Patricija Eiduka of Latvia.
But the race was 10 kilometers long. Weber held her speed over the end of the second lap slightly better than Eiduka, ultimately taking the win in 29:59.8. Eiduka was second, a scant 1.3 seconds back. Veronika Stepanova of Russia, last seen anchoring the gold-medal Russian Olympic Committee women’s relay team in Zhangjiakou, was third, 13.1 seconds back, skiing a steady race that saw her rank twelfth, eighth, and fifth at the intermediate timing checkpoints.
Stepanova recently posted to social media, explaining that she skipped the Olympics 30 k to prepare for World Juniors, adding that she wanted to do fewer races at her relatively young age. (Stepanova turned 21 last month.)
Abigail Jarzin leads the American U23 women in 36th in the 10 k interval start classic. (Photo: flyingpointroad.com)
Abigail Jarzin (University of Utah/Salt Lake City, UT) was the fastest of the four Americans in the race, finishing 36th (+2:42.8) in a well-paced effort that saw her move up considerably after ranking 45th at the 5 k split. She was followed by Anabel Needham (Michigan Tech University/Houghton, MI) in 47th (+3:47.5), Rena Schwartz (Dartmouth Ski Team/Middlesex, VT) in 50th (+4:14), and Lucinda Anderson (University of New Hampshire/Golden Valley, MN) in 56th (+4:50.8).
Among the Canadians, Anna Parent (Canmore, AB) was the top female in 17th (+1:45.8). Next for Canada was Beth Granstrom (Revelstoke, B.C.) was 37th (+2:42.9), followed by Anna Pryce (Calgary, AB) in 40th (+2:48), and Ontario’s Bronwyn Williams in 49th (+3:51.9).
Lucinda Anderson races the 10 k interval start classic during the 2022 U23 World Championships in Lygna, NOR. (Photo: flyingpointroad.com)
Other names potentially recognizable to North American readers include Poland’s Weronika Kaleta, who skis collegiately for UC Boulder, in 21st (+2:03.1), and Australia’s Tuva Bygrave, who skis collegiately for UAA, in 57th (+4:52.8).
Men’s 15 k Classic
The men went out second, undertaking three laps of the same 5-kilometer course starting at 3 p.m. local time.
The starting list was reverse seeded: The athletes with the highest distance points (on paper, the lowest ranked) went out first; the athletes with the lowest distance points (on paper, those highest ranked) went out last. There were 64 athletes in the field, and the athletes with bib no. 62 and bib no. 64 made the podium; sometimes FIS points have strong predictive value.
But sometimes first place overall goes to an athlete wearing bib no. 31. And that, as the saying has it, is why you play the games.
Noel Keeffe races the 15 k interval start classic during the 2022 U23 World Championships in Lygna, NOR. (Photo: flyingpointroad.com)
Arsi Ruuskanen of Finland skied his first lap in 12:58.1, a split time that ranked sixth overall after all the athletes had come through. Ruuskanen’s relatively early bib number meant that he lapped through the stadium just as eventual eighth-place finisher Iver Andersen of Norway was going out on course. Perhaps due to the chance to work with Andersen for much of his second lap, perhaps due to just his own strong race, Ruuskanen would go on to set the day’s fastest times at 10 kilometers, 13 kilometers, and, notably, the finish.
The 22-year-old Finn took the victory in a time of 40:23.0. He was closely followed by Leo Johansson of Sweden, 6.7 seconds back, who had more of a gap to third, Håvard Moseby of Norway, 28.1 seconds back.
The top American on the day was Zanden McMullen (Montana State University/Anchorage, AK), in his first year racing as a U23 athlete after three years of racing at World Juniors. Racing internationally at the senior level, McMullen also had four World Cup starts in Period 1 of this season, then placed sixth in both distance races at 2022 U.S. Nationals.
McMullen started the 15 k out hot, registering the day’s 3rd-fastest time through the 5 k checkpoint. He slowed slightly from there, though not too much, coming through other intermediate checkpoints in 9th and 15th. He was ultimately 14th overall at the finish, 57.8 seconds back from Ruuskanen.
Johnny Hagenbuch races the 15 k interval start classic during the 2022 U23 World Championships in Lygna, NOR. (Photo: flyingpointroad.com)
Among the Americans, McMullen was followed by Johnny Hagenbuch (Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation/Ketchum, ID) in 41st (+2:59.8) and Noel Keeffe (University of Utah/Steamboat Springs, CO) in 47th (+3:39.5). In a nod to a certain race being held in Wisconsin on Saturday, it should be noted that Hagenbuch is the youngest-ever winner of the American Birkebeiner.
Turning to Canada, Léo Grandbois set the pace with the day’s only top-10 finish for North America, crossing the line in 9th (+44.3). He was followed by Sam Hendry (Canmore, AB.), who skis collegiately for the University of Utah, in 18th (+1:14.1), Ottawa’s Pierre Grall-Johnson in 29th (+1:51.0), and Joe Davies (Pemberton, B.C.), who skis collegiately for UAF, in 35th (+2:16.5).
Racing continues tomorrow with interval-start classic races for the U20 athletes, 5 k for the women and 10 k for the men.
U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced 24 athletes to represent the United States at the FIS Junior & U23 World Cross Country Championships Feb. 22-27 in Lygna, Norway.
“Following a year filled with constant changes, I am so pleased to see a team fielded with such depth among our roster,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Head Cross Country Development Coach Greta Anderson. “We have several spots on this team that were declined because of athletes who are headed to the Olympic Games next week. This progress speaks volumes about our upcoming athletes’ ability not only to adapt but to thrive in uncertain environments and seize opportunities when they present themselves. We are taking this team to Norway, the ‘homeland’ of skiing, and cannot wait to see what they can do at the Championship.”
The following athletes have been selected to represent the United States at the upcoming FIS U23 and Junior World Nordic Championships.
Zanden McMullen races a skate pursuit in Ruka, Finland in November, 2021. (Photo: NordicFocus)
U23 World Championship Team
Women
Abigail Jarzin (University of Utah/Salt Lake City, Utah)
Lucinda Anderson (University of New Hampshire/Golden Valley, Minnesota)
Samantha Smith (Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation/Sun Valley, Idaho)
Annie McColgan (University of Vermont/Bend, Oregon)
Men
Finn Sweet (University of Vermont/Waterbury, Vermont)
Will Koch (University of Colorado/Peru, Vermont)
Michael Earnhart (APU Nordic Ski Center/Eagle River, Alaska)
Brian Bushey (University of Utah/Waitsfield, Vermont)
Walker Hall (University of Utah/Winthrop, Wash.)
Alexander Maurer (University of Colorado/Anchorage, Alaska)
** – Denotes a ‘Decline’ of their respective spot on the team roster due to scheduling conflicts between the Olympic Winter Games & NCAA Regional Championships
It was Norway I, Russia II, and Norway II for the podium during the men’s 4 x 7.5k relay in Lillehammer. (Photo: NordicFocus)
This World Cup coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and the A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage please contact info@fasterskier.com.
Most-often the champions of the event, the Norwegian men’s program has been waiting for another crack at the 4 x 7.5-kilometer relay on home turf for the last two years. In 2019, Russia not only won the 4 x 7.5-kilometer relay in Lillehammer but the Russia II team took second as well. The World Cup in Lillehammer that was scheduled for 2020 was first postponed, then cancelled, to manage the nation’s COVID-19 cases. With the opportunity to take back their title at home in 2021, Norway was ready to throw down on the modified tracks in Lillehammer today.
Luke Jager leads the American men’s team during the 4 x 7.5k relay in Lillehammer. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Hoping to be in the mix was the young American team made up of Luke Jager, Ben Ogden, Gus Schumacher, and Zanden McMullen. Each currently 21-years-old, Jager, Ogden, and Schumacher were part of the World Junior Championship back-to-back gold medal teams.
From the Canadian World Junior team who earned a silver medal during that relay in Oberwiesenthal, Germany, Olivier Leveille has moved onto the World Cup and raced today as a member of the Nordiq Canada relay team. Leveille would race as the third leg, following teammates Russell Kennedy and Antoine Cyr, who skied the classic legs. Graham Ritchie would ski the anchor leg for Canada.
A second U.S. team was also entered. This team included Hunter Wonders, David Norris, Kevin Bolger, and JC Schoonmaker, racing in that order.
Hunter Wonders skis the first leg for the United States II team. (Photo: NordicFocus)
From the first leg, it was no surprise to see both teams from Russian and Norway leading the pack, separated by only 1.2 seconds. Team France (+9.7) was sitting in fourth place while Jager (19:40.9) was able to keep the U.S. within striking distance in sixth at the first exchange (+10.2).
The United States II team sat in ninth (+25.8), with the Canadians close behind in 13th (+28.1).
Iivo Niskanen (FIN) and Alexander Bolshunov (RUS) lead the train during the second leg of the men’s 4.75k relay. (Photo: NordicFocus)
During the second classic leg, the lead group compressed. Iivo Niskanen (FIN) closed a 17-second gap for Finland to take the lead at the second exchange. Niskanen won the 15k classic distance opener last weekend in Ruka.
Russia I (+0.4), Norway I (+11.9), Russia II (+12.4), and Norway II (+14.2) rounded out the top 5 as teams made the second tag to begin the final two skate legs of the race.
U.S. I was sitting in 12th place (+27.9) after a strong leg from Ogden, with Cyr passing off for Canada just ahead in 8th place (+22.5) .
Ben Ogden skis on the tails of leader Alexander Bolshunov during the second classic leg of the men’s relay in Lillehammer. (Photo: NordicFocus)Olivier Leveille (Bib 9) races the third leg of the men’s relay in Lillehammer. (Photo: NordicFocus(
As teams entered the stadium after their first 7.5k skate leg, the Norwegians and Russians were back on top, separated by only 1.3 seconds. Skiing the 6th fastest time for his leg, Schumacher was able to move up 5 spots to leave the U.S. I team in 7th (+29.0) (18:11.9). This effort brought the Americans back into the mix at the front of the lead chase group. Canada dropped down to 11th place (+33.5) after the third leg.
As teams made the final exchange, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo (NOR I), Sergey Ustiugov (RUS II), Harald Østberg Amundsen (NOR II) and Ivan Yakimushkin (RUS I) took off in a group.
The final exchange. Simen Hegstad Krüger tags Johannes Høsflot Klæbo for the final leg of the men’s 4 x 7.5k relay in Lillehammer. (Photo: NordicFocus)Still tight at the front: two Russian teams and two Norwegian teams push the final leg of the men’s relay in Lillehammer. (Photo: NordicFocus)
The two Norwegian and Russian teams stayed together as a pack over their last two laps, conserving their energy for a final sprint. This lead pack of four continuously grew their gap from the chase pack, building suspense for moves that might determine the podium.
With 1.5k to go, the lead pack began to accelerate. Moves were made by each team, but all moves were quickly answered. It remained anyone’s game.
Once the lead pack hit the stadium, Klæbo looked to take control, initiating his top gears in hopes of creating separation from the pack. Bringing it down to the wire, Ustiugov followed this attack as the group turned the corner for the last 100m.
Down the home stretch, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo turns on the sprint gears to bring the Norway I team home. (Photo: NordicFocus)
In the head to head sprint into the finish, Klæbo showed an edge over Ustiugov, gaining ground and throwing his ski at the line for the win. Sealing the deal on a Norwegian victory, Klæbo stopped the clock at 1:14:58.7 to reclaim the relay at home.
Still in the hunt, Ustiugov brought Russia II home in second (+0.2), with Norway II just behind in third (+1.2). Also edged out at the line, the Russia I team finished fourth (+1.4).
Johannes Høsflot Klæbo brings home a win for Norway in the men’s relay in Lillehammer. (Photo: NordicFocus)Keeping the final leg tight, Sergey Ustiugov anchored Russia II team who took second in the men’s relay in Lillehammer. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Looking excited and proud, Klæbo shared his thoughts on the day with FIS after the finish.
“It was a really tough one,” Klæbo said. “It was a nice fight and it was for sure really fun to cross the finish line first and to win as a team.”
Emil Iversen, who had raced the second leg, praised Klæbo for his sprinting ability, adding the value his prowess added to the relay team.
“We know we have the best man in the finish. It was a pretty exciting sprint today. It’s nice to have him in the last leg of the relay – he is the best sprinter in the world.”
Winners of the relay in Lillehammer, the Norway I team included Erik Valnes, Emil Iversen, Simen Hegstad Krüger, and Johannes Høsflot Klæbo. (Photo: NordicFocus)Take a bow. Zanden McMullen crosses the finish after racing the anchor leg of the men’s relay in Lillehammer. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Closing for the Americans, McMullen skied a strong anchor leg for the U.S. I, finishing 9th overall (+1:02.5). McMullen raced a steady leg to hold the American position near the front of the first chase group, hovering in sixth or seventh position throughout the leg. In the final push, McMullen was overtaken by athletes from the German and first Swedish team.
After the race, Matt Whitcomb provided insight into selection for each of the American teams, along with insights into their performances, conditions in Lillehammer, and the overall team dynamic after the second consecutive three-day race weekend.
At the finish, Canada was just behind the U.S. I team in 10th (+1:15.5), while the United States II team crossed the line further back in 15th (+3:20.9).
Russell Kennedy (Bib 9) skis the anchor leg for Nordiq Canada during the men’s 4 x 7.5k relay in Lillehammer. (Photo: NordicFocus)
After a fantastic weekend of racing in Lillehammer, teams are headed to Davos, SUI for a weekend of freestyle racing. The program includes a freestyle sprint on Saturday, followed by a 15k distance race on Sunday.
This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com.
