Schumacher, Diggins Nab Top 10's in Oslo 20k Classic
The legendary Holmenkollen World Cup delivered yet another day of exciting World Cup ski racing, with Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes Gus Schumacher and Jessie Diggins securing top-10 finishes in the 20k classic; Schumacher was seventh and Diggins 10th. This was the first race following the World Championships. With the season nearing its end, the Americans put together strong performances despite challenging conditions and the inevitable fatigue of a long race season.
Holmenkollen is one of the sport's most storied venues. It is typically home to the grueling 50k event, where tens of thousands of fans line the course, cheering deep into the woods for one of the most iconic races in skiing. But with this year’s 50k already contested at the World Championships, the Holmenkollen weekend featured two distance races instead—a 20k classic and a 10k skate—bringing a different energy to the event.
For Diggins, today’s race was another crucial step in her chase for the overall World Cup Crystal Globe. The Holmenkollen 20k classic marked another victory as classic skiing was a discipline she was unable to compete in earlier this season due to a foot injury. Seeing her back in the top 10 was an encouraging sign—not just for her confidence but for the team. With today’s result, she continues to lead the overall standings and heads into tomorrow’s 10k skate, her premiere event, with momentum.
"I am super proud of today," said Diggins. "It was a really great step in the right direction. My energy and body felt surprisingly okay after the 50k - of course, I don't feel as fresh as a daisy, but I am proud that I could push the entire race. I am also super proud of the wax techs. They had to predict how the kick would change when the snow broke - right around the middle of the race for me - it was getting quite a bit slower and slushier. But they could predict that, and I had a ton of kick and glide. I am incredibly grateful because it allowed me to ski with good technique and push it!"
On the men’s side, Schumacher executed a well-paced race on the demanding three-lap course, showcasing smart strategy and solid endurance from the young Alaskan. Just a week removed from an exhausting 50k at World Championships, he came into today’s event looking to rebound—and did just that. With a strong season so far, which included a recent second-place result in the Falun World Cup and a ninth-place result in the World Championships 20k skiathlon, Schumacher is becoming a podium threat in almost every race he enters and is shaking up the Scandinavian domination on the World Cup level.
"The body feels pretty good post-world champs; I think the racing load was not crazy high - it was more emotional," said Schumacher. "I for sure am feeling tired after the 50k, but every day was feeling better than last week! I knew I was in a good spot (throughout the race), and I am proud of skiing relaxed in the early and middle parts. I focused on not getting too stressed and not getting frantic, and on the last lap, it was a bit hard, but it's super hard to nail an individual start 20k with pacing - but I am proud of how I raced it."
The ultimate winners of the day were Norwegian Martin Loewstroem Nyenget, who blasted the competition, crossing the line 51.2 seconds ahead of Sweden's William Paromaa. Simen Hegstad Krueger of Norway was third. Norwegian legend Therese Johaug took home another World Cup victory for the women, with teammate Astrid Oeyre Slind in second and Germany's Victoria Karl in third. For the U.S., Rosie Brennan was back in the top 20 in the 17th, Sydney Palmer-Leger in the 40th, and Sammy Smith in the 47th. For the men, Ben Ogden was just out of the top 30 in 33rd, Kevin Bolger in 36th, and Luke Jager in 59th.
With Holmenkollen in the books after tomorrow, the World Cup season now heads into its final stretch with just two stops remaining: the city sprint in Tallinn, Estonia, and the World Cup Finals in Lahti, Finland. After months of racing, training, and travel—not to mention the emotional and physical toll of the World Championships—fatigue is setting in across the field. And for Diggins and Schumacher, today’s performances proved that they’re still fighting and still in the mix. With just a few races remaining, the U.S. squad will look to carry this momentum through the season's final push.
