Jack Young is one of the strongest sprinters in the U.S., but his success didn’t happen overnight; in fact, it didn’t happen for years. In high school, he traded in the baseball glove and the football pads to chase something out of the ordinary – cross country ski racing. Fast-forward, the former football QB turned five-time Vermont state cross country ski champ, and the first-ever Colby College skier to be named to the Stifel U.S. Ski Team, is now one of the fastest sprinters in the country. He was named to the Stifel. U.S. Cross Country Ski Team through a non-traditional route, and it was never if he was going to make an impact on the U.S. cross country scene; it was a matter of when. 

Now, Young has represented his country at the 2025 World Championships in Trondheim, Norway, consistently qualified for FIS World Cup sprint heats and placed in the top 30 in the world more than once; one would assume that Young made the right decision by choosing skiing all those years ago. Representing the Craftsbury Green Racing Project out of Vermont, and starting his second year on the Stifel U.S. Ski Team, Young is looking to accomplish a goal any athlete in the world dreams of – making Team USA and representing his country at the Olympic Winter Games. But for Young, it’s all about the moments that got him here, the people who inspired him, like his sister Callie Young, and the unconventional journey that led him to compete at the highest level of the sport. 

Young is the latest athlete featured in U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s “On the Rise” series, presented by Zions Bank. Through community service, sponsorships and charitable donations, Zions Bank is committed to fueling economic growth and enhancing the quality of life in Idaho, Utah and Wyoming.

What initially drew you to the sport?
I was drawn to the sport initially through a BKL (Bill Koch League) in Newport, VT, close to my hometown of Jay, VT. This is where my mom first took my older sister and I to learn how to cross country ski. I immediately loved the individual competition — especially in shorter races. 

When you were younger and getting into the sport, what were your goals? 
When I was younger, my goals were mostly about having fun and improving. I played all of the sports when I was a kid, so skiing wasn't the most important part of my life. In other words, I wasn't expecting to be the best then. I wanted to have fun competing and get a little better every year. 

What is your biggest accomplishment?
My biggest accomplishment in my skiing career is qualifying for heats in all seven world cup and World Championship skate sprints last winter. Since it was my first time going to Europe and by far the longest time I'd been on the road, I wasn't expecting to be so consistently successful. I'm always aiming for consistency, so that string of top 30s in my mind is more impressive than any single, better result I had last year. 

What is your ultimate goal? 
My ultimate goal is to unlock my genetic potential fully. There will be countless results goals along the way that I measure year-to-year, but when I retire from this sport, I want to feel like I have left no stone unturned. I want to do everything in my power to compete at the highest level possible.

Who are your heroes? Both in & out of the sport.
My heroes are David Ortiz, Tom Brady, and my older sister, Callie Young. Ortiz is my favorite athlete of all time because of how clutch he was in important situations. He handled pressure better than almost any athlete ever, which allowed him to lead the redsox to multiple World Series championships in my lifetime. Brady is one of my heroes because of his consistency and longevity. He is a poster child for doing everything in his power to consistently perform much longer into life than most other professional athletes. Callie is my ultimate hero because she has always been my role model. When we were younger, she always competed at a higher level than I did in skiing. Her work ethic back in those days inspired me to get better. I certainly wouldn't be where I am today without her as my number one childhood training partner. 

You win $5,000 in prize money: What do you do with it?
I will likely throw most of it in my retirement fund. However, I also want to get a nice espresso machine. So $5,000 minus an espresso machine would go into my retirement account. 

Do you budget or follow any structure related to spending?
I do... somewhat. It's very important in this line of work because of how unsteady and unreliable the income is. However, I could do a better job of this.

What’s one money habit you follow?
I always make sure to set aside a portion of my taxable income for retirement. Sometimes its more than other times, but every bit counts.

Follow Jack on Instagram and follow along through his 2025-26 season. 

Jessie Diggins delivered one of the standout performances of the weekend in Ruka, charging to second place in the women’s 20k skate mass start, her 80th World Cup podium, and reminded the world why she’s the reigning overall World Cup champion.

From the opening kilometer, the race took shape, with Sweden’s Ebba Andersson and Frida Karlsson leading, along with Norway’s Heidi Weng in the chase. Diggins had to hold on from the get-go. 

Diggins—last year’s winner of this race—tucked in right behind the Norwegians and Swedish women. Maximizing every downhill with her trademark tuck skate, staying calm, patient and perfectly positioned. As Kikkan Randall mentioned in the commentary of the race, a 20k is all about energy management, and Diggins executed that strategy from the start, until the last kilometer.

At halfway, around 10k, she sat just five seconds off the lead, the lone non-European surrounded by a sea of Swedish and Norwegian red and blue. Karlsson and Andersson continued to trade pulls at the front, with teammate Jonna Sundling sitting in third, but Diggins held her ground as the pace continued to rise.

With about 15k skied, Diggins remained only a few seconds back, with many wondering if she had it in her to make it to the front. Karlsson then launched an acceleration on the final lap, looking to outpace her teammates and string out the lead pack. Diggins visibly dug deep—at one point literally pounding her legs with her hands on the final downhill—before setting up one final push of her own.

And on the final Ruka climb, Diggins delivered the move she’s known for. She surged past Karlsson on the outside, almost getting caught in the netting, with a perfectly timed attack and skied over the top. Though it wasn't enough to catch Sweden's Sundling, who took the win, Diggins claimed her first World Cup podium of the season, her 80th of her career, and set the tone for what's to come. Norway's Heidi Weng finished third.

For the men, it was all about Zak Ketterson. With frozen, lightning-fast tracks, the men covered the 20k course in just 44 minutes. The conditions created a high-speed, tactical race—and two Americans were right in the mix.

Ketterson and Gus Schumacher skied confidently near the front from the early laps, consistently positioning themselves in the lead train. With about 2k to go, Schumacher suffered an unfortunate crash after skiing on a broken ski for a few kilometers after a tangle with another racer. Though he was back on his feet quickly, the burst of momentum was gone and he lost critical spots in the tightly packed group. For Ketterson, it was all about staying calm and ensuring that he was keeping his momentum up to the finish line. 

"I have had a ton of mass start races, both on World Cup and elsewhere, where I just was frantic and wasting energy for large parts of the race," said Ketterson, when asked about the importance of pacing. "That meant I’d always reach the critical stage at the end of the race with no energy left. I think I’m finally learning to be calmer and spend energy more efficiently."

Ketterson carried his form from his career-best World Cup finish two days earlier in the 10k classic. He held strong through the final lap and powered across the line in ninth—his first individual World Cup top-10 finish and another breakthrough moment in what is shaping up to be a standout season. Norway's Harald Oestberg Amundsen was first, Einar Hedegard was second and Sweden's Edvin Anger was third. 

"It feels amazing. My previous career best was from the end of the 2021-22 season, and I wasn’t able to come close to it for the next three seasons," said Ketterson. "It really wore at my confidence and self belief that it wasn’t able to beat that mark despite working my butt off year-after-year. To feel now that I finally got rewarded for years of hard work is the best feeling an athlete can ever feel."

The Stifel U.S. Ski Team had several athletes on course today, with Alayna Sonnesyn skiing to a top-30 result in 27th, Sophia Laukli  39th, Kendall Kramer 45th, Julia Kern 54th and Kate Oldham 62nd. For the men, Schumacher was 39th, Kevin Bolger 44th, John Steel Hagenbuch 45th, Zanden McMullen 57th, JC Schoonmaker 62nd and Luke Jager 64th. 

Now, the team heads to the site of the 2025 World Championships in Trondheim, Norway for a set of three races next weekend. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

A warm, wet snowfall turned Saturday’s classic sprint in Ruka, Finland into a grind, with saturated tracks and noticeably slower qualification times than the 2024-25 season. On a day when skis mattered more than ever, athletes had to fight for every inch on one of the World Cup’s most demanding sprint courses. Jessie Diggins led the way for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team, in 10th, with Ben Ogden in 12th, Rosie Brennan in 15th and Gus Schumacher in 25th. 

Ruka’s sprint track is considered a “classic” for a reason: the final climb rises the equivalent of a 10 to 12-story building—22 meters of vertical and positioning on the hill is everything. Skiing over the top cleanly to carry momentum into the long double-pole finish straight is key, and races are often decided by fractions of a second.

All eyes were on the four U.S. athletes who advanced to the heats. Rosie Brennan, who has had an unconventional and interrupted summer of training due to illness, took an important early-season step by qualifying for the sprint heats. In her quarterfinal heat, Brennan skied confidently, sitting between third and fifth throughout the course. Her tempo up the final climb matched the leaders, but despite a powerful double pole to the line, she narrowly missed advancing. Still, Brennan walked away encouraged.

“I’m really happy with today,” Brennan said after finishing 15th. “I was in a tough heat and am happy with how I skied it. Without a proper build into the season, I definitely feel I am missing some form and fitness, but doing back-to-back races was a huge win for me and each time I get to race, I am getting some good stimulus to build with moving forward.”

Jessie Diggins delivered, following the 10k classic fifth-place result the previous day. In the semifinals, Diggins lined up with a stacked field, finishing fifth in the heat, just outside of the top two that automatically advance to the finals, and wrapped up the day in 10th overall—an impressive start to her classic sprint season.

On the men’s side, Ben Ogden showed his "Benny Shuffle" in real time and advanced through to the semifinals before his day was cut short. However, a top-15 result is a positive metric this early in the season. 

"Definitely happy with today on the whole," said Ben Ogden. "I thought the qualifier wasn’t the best, but I felt good in the heats -- it was definitely a tricky quarterfinal to get through. And it's only the first week on the snow, so too early to know how I'm feeling, but good to be racing again."

Gus Schumacher also landed in the top 30, placing 25th and adding another World Cup points-scoring race to his resume. 

“Feeling pretty good after qualifying in classic for sure!” Schumacher said. “Definitely a tough ski weekend to start with near-freezing conditions and precipitation… made yesterday fairly rough, but my body feels strong. Excited for tomorrow! That race has been pretty good to me in the past. I think if I can stay relaxed and near the front I can compete up there with the leaders. We’ll see!”

The dominant Norwegians led the podiums of the day. For the men, Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo claimed his 99th individual World Cup victory, with teammates Erik Valnes in second and Ansgaar Evensen in third. Kristine Stavaas Skistad took home another sprint victory, with Sweden's Jonna Sundling in second and Maja Dahlqvist in third. 

For the rest of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team, Julia Kern was 41st, Kate Oldham 47th, Alayna Sonnesyn 50th and Erin Bianco 51st. For the men, Kevin Bolger was 35th, Jack Young 39th, Zak Ketterson 53rd, and JC Schoonmaker was 65th.  

With two race days now complete, the World Cup field will take to the start line one more time in Ruka on Sunday for the 20k skate, a race historically strong for several U.S. athletes.

Watch LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live, with men kicking things off at 4:00 a.m. ET and women at 5:45 a.m. ET.

RESULTS
Women
Men

Jessie Diggins launched her final World Cup season with a statement performance in Ruka, Finland, delivering her best-ever result on the storied 10k classic course and showing strong early-season form while wearing the yellow bib. Zak Ketterson led the men to a 14th place finish, a career-best individual result. 

For the past 13 seasons, Ruka has served as the opening World Cup stop—a venue known for setting the tone of the year and testing athletes immediately. The women went out first. Diggins entered today’s event ranked as the No. 1 skier in the world after bringing home the overall FIS Crystal Globe last season—an honor she has now won three times. 

For Diggins, this race also marked the last “first start” of her career. Ruka’s opening weekend is notoriously brutal—defined by steep, punchy climbs, fast technical descents, little rest and the infamous “Ruka Climb” into the stadium. That final climb averages a 14% gradient with pitches that spike to 17%—a wall of a finish. 

At the halfway mark at 5k, Diggins sat sixth, only 16 seconds off the lead of Sweden's Frida Karlsson, posting times that kept pressure on the front of the race. In the final kilometers, Diggins began putting down some of the fastest splits in the field and held her position through the line as athletes continued to finish. She moved up to fifth place, marking a new career best for the 10k classic in Ruka. 

Karlsson was untouchable from start to finish, claiming the win with another dominant performance, her second consecutive win in the Ruka 10k classic. Norway’s Heidi Weng finished second and Karlsson’s teammate Ebba Andersson rounded out the podium in third.

Kikkan Randall, Olympic champion and longtime friend to Diggins, summed up the moment: “When you know it's your final season, and you've already done everything, she can just come in here and ski with reckless abandon.”

“My goals for the whole season are to be happy, healthy and in the present moment," said Diggins, post race. "Really soak it in, because this is the last time I get to do this, and that's really special to me. And so, I was just thinking about going out there and smashing a 10k in Ruka one last time and laying it all out. And, as usual, in a race one of my goals is to cross the finish line with nothing left and today, I did that. I was really happy with the race. There were people out there chanting ‘last one, last one,’ which was so cool because I felt the support and love from so many people from so many countries. For the actual race result, it was super exciting to have my best-ever Ruka classic 10k. My combo of kick and glide on a tricky day was great. All said and done, I am coming into the season right where I want to be.”

Seven U.S. men started the race, signaling the depth of a men’s program that enters the season as one of the strongest in U.S. history. Conditions added an extra layer of difficulty; as the race went on, the course began to ice up, making it difficult for athletes to engage their kick zones cleanly. Many athletes battled icing throughout the event, leading to significant time losses on the steeper sections.

But the conditions and tempo of the field did not stop Ketterson from delivering a standout day, earning his career-best individual World Cup result—surpassing his previous top finish of 15th at the 2022 Falun World Cup.

At the end of the day, Norway’s Martin Løwstrøm Nyenget won the day, over the second-place winner, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo. Austria’s Mika Vermeulen delivered a surprise performance in third.

The U.S. has 14 athletes racing today. For the men, Ben Ogden was 34th, Gus Schumacher 37th, Zanden McMullen 49th, JC Schoonmaker 62nd, John Steel Hagenbuch 64th and Luke Jager 68th. For the women, Rosie Brennan was 24th, Julia Kern 42nd, Sophia Laukli 48th, Kendall Kramer 50th, Alayna Sonnesyn 54th, and Kate Oldham 73rd. 

Saturday, the team is back for the skate sprint, with finals live on skiandsnowboard.live at 5:25 a.m. ET.

RESULTS
Women
Men

The Most Decorated U.S. Cross Country Skier In History Will Race One Final Season 

Jessie Diggins, Stifel U.S. Cross Country Team member and the most decorated cross country skier in U.S. history, formally announces her retirement from cross country ski racing following the end of the 2025-26 season. It will be the Afton, Minnesota-born skier’s final season, beginning with the first race in Ruka, Finland, Nov. 28, through Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina and concluding at the Stifel Lake Placid Finals in Lake Placid, New York, March 19-22, 2026. 

Diggins, now 34, has won nearly every title possible in ski racing, including three Olympic medals, including Team USA’s first cross country Olympic gold medal in 2018 with teammate Kikkan Randall, seven World Championship medals, 29 World Cup victories, 79 World Cup podiums, two overall Tour de Ski trophies, three distance FIS Crystal Globes and three coveted overall FIS Crystal Globes, marking her the #1 skier in the world. Her relentless ability to give no less than 100 percent is her signature, and it has propelled her to the top of the sport. Still, it’s not the accolades that define Diggins’ career; it's her unwavering commitment to leaving the sport better than she found it. 

“I hope I’m remembered not just for the pain cave and ability to suffer deeply for a team that I love and a sport I care about so much, but for the joy, sense of fun on snow, heart-on-sleeve racing, deep vulnerability and openness that I’ve brought to everything I do,” said Diggins.

Skiing has always been a part of Diggins’ life. When she was younger, her parents would trek around the midwestern backwoods with their daughter in a backpack. Fast forward to high school and the backwoods pursuits turned competitive. The young girl from Minnesota quickly became one to watch—winning state championships, earning the title of top-ranked high school skier in Minnesota and capturing Junior National titles before catching the attention of the U.S. Ski Team coaches. She made the national team in 2011 but broke through at the 2016 Tour de Ski, where she won her first individual World Cup race, foreshadowing the success to come. 14 years later, Diggins now leads the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team as the veteran, guiding a decorated women’s group and the strongest men’s team in history, and holds the title as the most successful American cross country skier of all time. 

“Firstly, I want to congratulate Jessie on such a historic career,” said Sophie Goldchmidt, President & CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “As an organization, we are thankful for the culture she has helped build on the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team alongside the excellent coaching staff and athletes, and the impact she has had on the world of ski racing. And as a person, I count myself lucky to have been at U.S. Ski & Snowboard at the same time as this remarkable role model, to have watched her compete, stand up for what she believes in and make us all better in the process. As said many times in the last couple of seasons, when Jessie wins, we all win. And we will continue cheering her this season and with her post-athletic next endeavors.”

But an athlete is never alone in their success. Since the beginning of her professional career, Diggins has worked with World Cup coach and wax technician Jason Cork. “It’s been really gratifying to work with Jessie for going on 16 seasons,” said Cork. “She’s had tons of success, which has made me look good, but just getting results has never been the goal.” Two decades later, Cork and Diggins are still working together. “I’m proud that throughout her career, she has accomplished so much in the right way – through hard, smart training, constantly setting goals, taking care of herself, and doing it all cleanly,” he added. The duo will continue for one more winter, until the final lunge across the finish line in March. 

Diggins' influence on the sport goes far beyond the snow. While her achievements were the main headlines, she had been quietly working to make an impact off the course ever since she entered the professional circuit at 19. 

“I’m proud of how hard I’ve worked to lead a team as well as how I’ve worked to help change an entire sport’s culture around mental health — how we talk about it, how we’re allowed to ask for help and how we help athletes in need. I’ve tried to become the advocate and role model that 18-year-old Jessie needed. Whether or not I’ve succeeded in that, I am deeply proud of having the courage to put my own life story out there to bring about the change I wanted to see.”

Through her work with organizations like Share Winter, Protect Our Winters or the Emily Program, Diggins was steadfast in her efforts to get more young kids involved in winter sports, educating her followers about the effects of climate change, and developing awareness around mental health and eating disorders, a topic to which she has a deep personal connection.

With the start of her last World Cup season just days away, Diggins is continuing to rewrite the narrative, reminding us that it's not all about the wins, but about what happens before and after the result. Through her 15-year professional career, countless storylines may define it, but one stands above the rest: with glitter on your face and a commitment to leaving everything on the snow, you can be the best in the world and still find joy in the process. 

Jessie will conclude her illustrious career fittingly at home in the United States. The Stifel Lake Placid Finals, March 19-22, 2026, in Lake Placid, NY, with three races: a skate sprint, 10k classic and 20k skate. 

Diggins’s Historic Career By the Numbers

World Cup

• Starts: 358
• Podiums: 79
• Victories: 29

Olympics

• Games: 3 (Sochi 2014, PyeongChang 2018, Beijing 2022)
• Starts: 16
• Medals: 3 (gold, team sprint, PyeongChang 2018; silver, 30k freestyle & bronze, sprint, Beijing 2022)

World Championships

• World Championships: 8
• Starts: 34
• Medals: 7

Records Set

• Most decorated American cross country skier in history
• First American to win an Olympic gold medal in cross country skiing, alongside Kikkan Randall in the team sprint (2018)
• First American to win an individual Olympic medal in a cross country sprint race (2022)
• First American to win an individual World Championships gold medal (10k skate, Planica, Slovenia, 2023)
• Set a record for overall FIS Crystal Globe victories (three: 2021, 2023, 2025)
  • In 2021, Diggins became the first American woman to win an overall title and the first American to win the globe since Bill Koch in 1982
  • Only non-European to have won the overall FIS Crystal Globe
• Holds the U.S. record for FIS World Cup victories (29)
• First American to win the overall FIS Tour de Ski trophy (2021, 2024)
• Awarded the Holmenkollen Medal, the highest Norwegian honor in skiing, becoming the first American ever to receive the distinction (2024)

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Quotes Appendix

"It’s been an absolute privilege to watch the transformation of Jessie Diggins from a sparkle chipmunk at Junior Nationals all the way up to being the World’s number one-ranked female skier. She came onto our team as the little sister and transformed into a seasoned leader. As a teammate, I had the chance to witness firsthand Jessie’s passion, dedication, and grit on her quest to be the best in the world. We laughed together, we cried together and it was the absolute highlight of my career to have shared so many great moments, including our World Championship win in 2013 and our Olympic gold medal win in 2018. She’s had an incredible career and I can’t wait to see her cap it off with her best season yet and be there in Lake Placid to celebrate with her."
- Kikkan Randall, U.S. Cross Country Ski Team

“I am so excited to celebrate Jessie in her final season. She has been a huge inspiration in the sport and beyond, and her joy and wholehearted presence are so uplifting and contagious. She has built a beautiful legacy and has shown that when you have the right combination of passion, sparkle and the ability to be true to yourself, you can move mountains.” 
 - Mikaela Shiffrin, Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team

“Jessie has had an incredible career, and as a fan, I will miss watching her dominate with that heart-warming smile and sparkles on her face. Jessie has inspired so many people, not just with her outstanding athletic achievements, but also for how she conducted herself off the snow. With her honest and open approach to her struggles, she has helped so many people in ways that reach far beyond sport. Thank you, Jessie, for inspiring me and showing the world who you are for so many years.”
- Lindsey Vonn, Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team

“Even though Jessie and I compete in different disciplines, her legacy reaches far beyond cross country skiing. Her work ethic, positivity and relentless belief in what’s possible have inspired me and so many others to dream bigger and push harder — including leading me to do a celebratory jump on the World Cup podium! She’s shown what it means to lead with heart and to lift everyone around her, and I try to carry that energy with me.”
- Paula Moltzan, Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team

“There is so much to say, but Jessie has been there for me as a mentor, teammate and friend since my first day on the Stifel U.S. Ski Team. I couldn’t be more grateful. I truly feel like I've won the lottery having her by my side over the past decade. From learning how to train to become the best in the world, to having fun along the way, to navigating the World Cup circuit year after year, she has led by example with both grit and grace. Beyond ski results, Jessie has shown how athletes can make a lasting impact outside of competition, speaking up for the causes she cares about and using her platform to do more than just sport.”
 - Julia Kern, Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team

​​”Jessie has been an incredible role model and teacher for me. I feel very fortunate to have been her teammate for so long. Her ability to dominate the world stage while remaining humble, thoughtful and kind is something I will always aspire to.”
- Ben Ogden, Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team

“Jessie Diggins is skiing. She is perseverance, grit, personality and spunk. She is a profound inspiration to girls and athletes from all over, of what it means to be a winner, a mentor, a leader and a true American!”
- Nick Goepper, Stifel U.S. Freeski Team

“Jessie, huge congratulations on an incredible career! You’ve always inspired me and so many others with your passion, positivity, and unmatched work ethic. Enjoy retirement, you’ve more than earned it. And please don’t pick up halfpipe skiing… I’m genuinely worried you’d take my job.”
- Hunter Hess, Stifel U.S. Freeski Team, Halfpipe Team

“Jessie has always been such a huge inspiration to me! Not just for what she’s accomplished, but for how she’s done it. The way she carries herself, competes with her heart and lifts others around her shows what we, as women athletes, are truly capable of. She’s shown that success isn’t just about talent, but about resilience, passion and the belief that you can push boundaries not just for yourself, but for the next generation of women in sport.”
- Jaelin Kauf, Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team, Moguls Team

“I’ve had the pleasure of crossing paths with Jessie through U.S. Ski & Snowboard, shared sponsors and Protect Our Winters. Her infectious smile and positive attitude toward any situation is genuinely inspirational. I feel so lucky to have spent time with a cross country legend and wish her all the best in her future endeavors.”
- Bea Kim, Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team