On the third and final day of racing in Lillehammer, Norway, the Stifel U.S. Ski Team recorded career-best performances. The grueling 20k skiathlon event, featuring a 10k classic leg followed by a 10k skate leg, was on tap today. Jessie Diggins claimed her 73rd World Cup podium with a third-place result, followed by Gus Schumacher in fifth, skiing to his career-best mass start and skiathlon result. The theme today? Career best skiathlon results, fast skis, and team camaraderie. 

The skiathlon is a rare event on the World Cup circuit, testing athletes' abilities in both techniques on Lillehammer’s challenging seven-lap course. Fatigue was beginning to set in after three days of straight racing but the U.S. team put together strong performances, landing six (three men, three women) within the top 30. 

Schumacher Leads U.S. Men with Career-Best Skiathlon Result

Schumacher delivered a career-defining performance, securing fifth place in the men’s race. Starting strong in the classic portion, Schumacher stayed within the top 10 throughout the seven-lap race, positioning himself as a podium contender. This marked a massive leap from his previous best skiathlon finishes—18th in Lahti and 32nd in Trondheim—and his highest-ever result in a mass start. 

"I was feeling like I was skiing pretty well, I obviously knew I was pretty close to the front.. so in the final moments, I wasn't thinking very much, I just knew the speed was still high, so I had to trust myself," said Schumacher. "Mostly, it was just exciting to be that close." 

The Norwegian men's team, led by Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, Simen Hegstad Krüger and Harald Oestberg Amundsen, dominated the race. Yet, in a nail-biting finish, Schumacher out-sprinted several competitors to become the first non-Norwegian to cross the line, finishing just seconds behind the leaders and within one second of the finish.

Fresh off his career-best result last weekend in Ruka, Zanden McMullen also delivered a strong performance, finishing 26th in the career-best skiathlon result for the young athlete. Following his standout skate sprint qualification win earlier just yesterday, Ben Ogden placed 25th for his career-best skiathlon result, rounding out a solid day for the men’s team.

"I'm mostly proud of Gus," said Ogden. "He’s just proving himself to be rock solid in these 20ks which is not an easy feat. You have to be extremely fit to do what he is doing and it's really cool to see his dedication and patience paying off in a big way. He’ll be back on top soon, mark my words."

Amundsen ultimately won the day, with Norway's Jan Thomas Jenssen in second and Martin Loewstroem Nyenget in third, respectively. For the U.S., Schumacher was fifth, Ogden 25th, McMullen 26th, Hunter Wonders 46th, and John Steel Hagenbuch 57th. 

With his fifth-place result, Schumacher secures his top 10 in the World Cup distance standings. 

Diggins Claims 73rd Career World Cup Podium

In the women’s race, Jessie Diggins continued her podium streak, earning her 73rd World Cup podium with a third-place finish. Diggins skied a smart and steady race, staying with the lead pack through the classic portion, which Norway’s Therese Johaug largely controlled.

Johaug surged ahead in the skate portion, establishing an insurmountable lead. At the same time, Diggins held her own in the chase group alongside Sweden’s Ebba Andersson and Norway’s Astrid Slind and Heidi Weng.

In the final kilometers, following a grueling uphill, it was all downhill into the stadium. With the course lined with fans from around the world, Diggins put on a masterclass in how to finish a mass start race—draft, look for the best chance to make a move and make it. She ultimately crossed the line in third, securing her second podium of the 2024-25 season, 73rd in her career and the chance to wear the FIS overall World Cup yellow bib for another day. 

Sophia Laukli had a breakout performance, hammering into 11th place—her best skiathlon finish yet and second top-11 of the season. Julia Kern of the U.S. team also had her season's best performance, crossing the line in 20th. Kern and Laukli were seen working together in the chase pack for the majority of the race and crossed the line with career bests in the process.

"I’ve become more and more confident in my racing which I’m realizing is really starting to pay off in my results," said Laukli, post race. "I had no idea if I would blow up because I was going so hard—that was the deepest i've ever dug—but I think that’s what I feel proud about that I just committed and hoped going all out would pay off, which it did."

Diggins claimed third, Norway's Weng was second, and Johaug was first. Outside of the top 30, U.S. athlete Alayna Sonnesyn finished 43rd; Rosie Brennan did not start today's race. 

By the Numbers

The Lillehammer Skiathlon showcased career-best performances across the board for U.S. athletes:

• Schumacher: Fifth place, career-best skiathlon and mass start result.
• Diggins: 73rd World Cup podium; maintains the overall World Cup leader bib.
• Laukli: 11th place, career-best skiathlon finish.
• McMullen: career-best skiathlon finish.
• Kern: career-best skiathlon finish. 

Next up, the team travels to Davos, Switzerland, for a set of three races next weekend. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

On a challenging, hilly skate sprint course in Lillehammer, Norway, five Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes advanced out of qualifications and into the sprint heats at today’s World Cup, landing five in the top 30. Jessie Diggins led the charge, who finished the day in eighth place, while Ben Ogden qualified first in the men’s field for the first time, ultimately finishing 17th. 

On the start line, Renae Anderson, Haley Brewster, Erin Bianco, Rosie Brennan, Diggins, Julia Kern, Lauren Jortberg, and Alayna Sonnesyn represented the women's sprint team. Three athletes, Diggins, Brennan, and Kern, made the top 30 in qualifications, punching themselves a ticket to the skate sprint heats. Through the heats, it was anyone's game.

Brennan kicked off the sprint heats for the U.S. team, skiing in heat number two, and skied a strong race but ultimately did not advance as she was not in the top two across the line. Kern skied a smart and tactical third quarterfinal heat, putting up a good fight despite breaking a pole mid-race. Then Diggins, who demonstrated her hallmark tenacity to move through the quarterfinals into the semifinals, ultimately claimed eighth place overall. Kern and Brennan secured 17th and 29th, respectively.

Jonna Sundling of Sweden won the women's race, followed by her teammate Johanna Hagstroem and Norway's Julie Myhre, rounding out the podium. For the U.S. roster, Sonnesyn ended the day in 38th, Jortberg 40th, Bianco 47th, Brewster 53rd and Anderson 58th. 

On the men’s side, Ogden and Young were the lone U.S. athletes to advance. Jack Young punched his ticket to the heats in just his fourth career World Cup start and finished an impressive 25th. 

For Ogden, going into the heats ranked #1 was a different feeling than he's had before. 

"It felt good to win the qualifier for sure, and I think it tempted me to look deeper into the sprint day than I normally do and try to be strategic with the final looming," said Ogden. "I got a pretty quick reminder why you can’t do that on the World Cup, especially not in Norway."

The seven starters for the U.S. men's sprint team delivered solid skiing from the entire team, including Gus Schumacher in 31st, JC Schoonmaker in 39th, Kevin Bolger 45th, Zak Ketterson 47th and Michael Earnhart 51st, respectively. First place went to Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, who took home his ninth consecutive World Cup sprint victory, with his Norwegian teammate Even Northug in second and Italy's Federico Pellegrino in third. 

With a strong team effort on a grueling course, the U.S. athletes showed they’re ready to take on tomorrow's race, the 20k skiathlon, where athletes will ski both a skate and classic 10k. 

Watch LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live, with the men at 4:00 a.m. ET and women at 6:15 a.m. ET. 

RESULTS
Men
Women

In a weekend featuring a trio of races at the iconic Lillehammer cross country venue, the Stifel U.S. Ski Team put together a strong day despite the challenging conditions. Jessie Diggins led the charge in fifth, Sophia Laukli in 15th and Gus Schumacher in 25th. 

One might say today's conditions were slow; Schumacher described them as "tough," but the athletes did what they had to: click the skis on and hammer down for 10k of skating. The Lillehammer venue, which dates back to the 1994 Olympic Winter Games, is one of the most iconic Olympic venues, and today, it plays host to the best cross country skiers in the world, including many hometown favorites. 

The men kicked off the action, with seven U.S. men on the start list, including, Michael Earnhart, John Steel Hagenbuch, Zak Ketterson, Zanden McMullen, Ben Ogden, Hunter Wonders and Schumacher. 

It was anyone's game, with 15-second intervals splitting up a field of 87 men. Interval start races can be mentally challenging, with athletes only knowing their results from coaches on the course giving "splits." Splits are where a coach can use live timing to determine the time it takes to complete a section of the race course, essentially giving the athlete an idea of how far ahead or behind they are to the leader or another athlete. 

How does one define success in a race like today's? Schumacher adds, “success for me is executing well, going through the motions and not getting too caught up in the results. It’s a long season, if I can recognize that I will do better at World Champs, where things matter more - its just time to relax and not stress too much about it - that’s success for me." 

Behind Schumacher in 15th was Ogden in 31st, McMullen, coming off a career-best result in Ruka in 32nd, Hagenbuch in 38th, Wonders in 53rd, Earnhart in 64th and Ketterson in 72nd, respectively. Norway ultimately dominated the day and swept the podium, led by Lillehammer's own Martin Loewstroem Nyenget in first, Simen Hegstad Krueger in second and the 2023-24 Overall World Cup champion Harald Oestberg Amundsen in third. 

The women's turn. The snow began to fall a little heavier around the man-made artificial snow loop. Eight women represented the U.S. today, led by Diggins, Laukli, then Rosie Brennan, coming off two top-10s the weekend prior, Julia Kern, Sydney Palmer-Leger, Alayna Sonnesyn, and Renae Anderson. With live splits showing how athletes were doing, Laukli and Diggins were putting up a fight in the top 10. 

How do you ski interval start races? "I just want to go out there and ski like every race is a three-second battle for the win. Which is to say, I am going to go out there and try as hard as I can," Diggins said. "I am racing the course against my own limitations. That's what I like to think about - my process goals. How am I going to pace this? How am I going to ski most efficiently? How am I going to pick seconds here... I am just thinking hard the whole time." 

It was a similar story for the women's field, with another Norwegian sweep. 100-time World Cup winner Therese Johaug, officially coming out of retirement last weekend in Ruka, put the hammer down and was victorious in her home country alongside two teammates—Heidi Weng in second and Astrid Oeyre Slind in third. 

Diggins did her best in the finishing stretch - put everything on the line. Across the finish, she was fourth, only to be pushed to fifth by less than two seconds when Sweden's Frida Karlsson crossed the line. Today's fifth place still gives Diggins enough points to continue her top-three rank in the overall standings, sitting second behind Johaug. 

When the last racer crossed the line, the results were set. Diggins was fifth, Laukli 15th, Brennan just out of the top 30 in 31st, Kern 34th, Sonnesyn 35th, Palmer-Leger 47th, Brewster 55th, and Anderson 68th. 

When asked about pressure, Laukli said it's a "good problem." 

 "I would say there is a bit more pressure for sure, but I’d say this is a good “problem," said Laukli. "It just means I’m closer to being at the top in the field, and that’s always what I’m working towards. But it can definitely make racing a bit more stressful, both with more expectations from myself and from others. But again, it’s a sign I’m moving in the right direction, so I take it as positive pressure."

Now, the team will reset before tomorrow's race, the skate sprint. Watch LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live, with qualifications (not streamed) at 3:00 a.m. ET and sprint rounds/finals at 5:30 a.m. ET. 

RESULTS 
Men
Women

It was a day to remember for Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team as the Americans delivered standout performances in Ruka, Finland. Jessie Diggins showcased her tenacity with a commanding win in the women’s 20k skate. Zanden McMullen and Gus Schumacher powered to two top 10 results, with McMullen in seventh, a career-best, and Schumacher in eighth. 

Men’s 20k: McMullen and Schumacher Rise to the Challenge
The men’s 20k skate saw McMullen and Schumacher assert themselves early and stick with the lead pack throughout the 12+ miles of racing. Both skiers remained in contention throughout the tactical and challenging four-lap race, unfolding on a fast, climbing-heavy 4k loop with ripping descents that saw athletes reach up to 30mph. 

As the field entered the final 5k, the race turned tactical, with athletes deciding whether to push the pace or conserve energy by drafting. McMullen and Schumacher made their move, surging into 9th and 10th positions. By the final 3k, the duo sat within the lead pack, with McMullen in seventh and Schumacher just behind in eighth.

It was a career-best result for McMullen and Schumacher’s strong finish underscored his consistency and determination. 

"Career best result? Music to my ears," said McMullen. "I feel it gives me so much confidence that I’m making progress and learning how to ski at the highest level. There is so much value to knowing how to race challenging courses with the fastest in the world that you can only learn by trial and error." 

Ultimately, only one Austrian and the Norwegians stood ahead of the two Americans, a testament to the strength of the young U.S. men's squad. “This result is a critical dynamic for the U.S. team,” added Kikkan Randall during her commentary on skiandsnowboard.live. “It’s a long season, but performances like today show that the training and preparation are paying off. You carry this good feeling forward.”

Women’s 20k: Diggins Dominates, Laukli Impresses
The women’s race was a thriller, with Diggins executing a perfect strategy to claim her 24th career World Cup victory and 72nd podium. From the start, Diggins showed her intent, surging into the lead early and claiming a spot in the lead pack throughout the entirety of the race. 

The final lap was all-out chaos, with Diggins, Norway’s Therese Johaug and Heidi Weng, and Sweden's Jonna Sundling battling for the lead. Sophia Laukli took turns with the lead, eventually leading the chase pack into the last lap. The steep climbs and blistering downhills pushed everyone to their limits, but Diggins found another gear in the last kilometer. Closing a 13-second gap to the leaders, she unleashed a final surge, navigating the course’s technical sections precisely and with the intention to make a move on the final climb.  

“It was an epic battle,” said Diggins. “I was trying to be smart with the draft, but in the last kilometer, I saved it up, found a line, and played it well in the end. I also had amazing skis, so thank you to our wax techs," said Diggins following her victory. 

Behind Diggins, Sophia Laukli impressed with a 10th-place finish, showing her early-season form. Laukli, who placed 14th in this event last year, remained in the top 10 for much of the race, leading the chase pack and feeding off the energy of her competitors. Behind Laukli was Rosie Brennan in 20th and Julia Kern rounding out the top 30 in 30th. 

"What I’m most happy about is that I had the confidence to make moves and take the lead in the chase a couple of times, I never really did that last year so I’m excited to ski a bit more agressive this year," said Laukli. "I also felt like I have never skied as technically well as I did today so that’s a huge confidence boost as well."

A Momentum-Building Day 
With McMullen and Schumacher in the top 10 and Diggins atop the podium, the day marked a powerful start to the season for the U.S. team. Fast skis, smart strategies and relentless grit were the themes of the day, setting the tone for what promises to be a thrilling World Cup season.

“Big results like today show that the training and preparation are paying off,” said Randall. “The U.S. team is in Europe for the long haul, and they’re proving they belong among the world’s best.”

From the speed and skill of the men’s race to Diggins’ commanding finish in the women’s, it was a day for the books in Ruka—and the Americans are just getting started.

RESULTS
Men
Women

The 2024-25 season officially began with the 10k classic individual start in Ruka, Finland, with two in the top ten, including Jessie Diggins in seventh and Rosie Brennan in ninth. Schumacher led the men’s team in 18th.

This season, athletes will compete in 15 weeks of races, including the annual Tour de Ski and then World Championships, totaling more than 30 competitions. Kicking off in Ruka, the home of the first World Cup of the season, the Finnish crowds welcomed back the best skiers in the world to their course, which included some of the steepest hills and ripping descents on the circuit. Athletes kicked out the start gate every 30 seconds in the individual start format. 

For the women, the U.S. athletes competing included Haley Brewster, Julia Kern, Sydney Palmer-Leger, Brennan, Diggins, Sophia Laukli, and Alayna Sonnesyn of Team Birkie. For the men, Ben Ogden was back in the start gate after a season cut short due to illness, alongside teammates Schumacher, Zanden McMullen, Michael Earnhart, and Alaska Pacific University athlete Hunter Wonders. John Steel Hagenbuch did not start. 

Women Take on Ruka 10k

The women started the day with U.S. National Champion and University of Vermont athlete Haley Brewster out first for the team. As athlete after athlete left the start, one name that stood out was Norway’s Therese Johaug. Johaug retired in 2022 and is back on the World Cup circuit. Her storied career includes 83 individual World Cup wins, six Olympic medals (four gold) and 14x World Championship medals. Through the various checkpoints on the course, the U.S. women were putting up solid splits, led by Diggins and Brennan. Brennan, who started last season with a podium result in this specific race, showed consistent times among the strong field. Then came Frida Karlsson of Sweden. 25-year-old Karlsson, coming off a competitive 2023-24 season, skied a strong race and put down split times that Diggins, Brennan, or Johaug couldn’t catch. 

At the finish line, Karlsson was the ultimate victor by 46 seconds, ahead of Johaug in second and Norway’s Astrid Oyere Slind in third. Diggins, whose summer training focused on classic skiing, put up a seventh-place time to secure her first top 10 of the World Cup season. Brennan was eight seconds behind Diggins, putting up a ninth-place result, notching another top 10 to her strong results list. As veterans of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team, with  331 career World Cup starts for Diggins and 247 for Brennan, today's results further solidify their competitiveness on the world stage. For the team, with Diggins and Brennan in the top 10, Laukli followed in 31st, Sonnesyn in 48th, Kern 49th, Palmer-Leger 56th, and Brewster 57th. 

“Today felt like a decent start to the season,” said Brennan. “I felt strong but didn’t quite have the pace I knew I needed to compete with the top. There were no major red flags, so I am taking it as a good place to start, move forward, and work toward the rest of the season!” 

“I was stoked on my classic skiing today,” Diggins said. “I think this was the first time in my career that I could kick up the entire north hill on my first lap - definitely not on my second lap because I went out really hard and was tired! But i was honestly really happy with today and really excited for the rest of the season.” 

Men’s Turn in Ruka
The snow began to fall harder for the men, the tracks became more slick, and the kick wax became even more critical for a good race. For the Americans, Ogden was out at the start first. Ogden, whose 2023-24 season was cut short due to illness, put together a strong summer of training, leading him to be more than ready to get back to competing - evidenced by his smile on the start line and ripping tempo out of the gate. Ogden was followed by teammate McMullen and Schumacher, who threw down solid times through the checkpoints. 

More on Ogden being back, “I certainly missed the people most. Being back with everyone on the U.S. team and beyond is so much fun. I missed chumming with the whole World Cup squad, and cross country skiing is a small community. Sometimes, I don’t appreciate how awesome everyone from all the nations is until I have to leave them for a while. Congratulating everyone after the races and getting fired up is just so fun.”

Livo Niskanen of Finland was putting on a clinic for his hometown crowd, leading the charge through the checkpoints. Niskanen stood atop the podium, Amundsen took second place, and Nyenget third. Schumacher put together a strong race for the Americans, adding another top 20 with his 18th place result to his resume, and is going into tomorrow’s classic sprint on the right foot. The U.S. men put three in the top 30, including Ogden in 29th and McMullen in 30th. Ketterson was 36th, Wonders 46th, and Earnhart 53rd. 

Next is the classic sprint tomorrow, Nov. 30th, with qualifications kicking off at 3:00 AM ET and heats/finals at 5:30 a.m. ET. Watch LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live. 

RESULTS
Women
Men