The Stifel U.S. Ski Team announces the World Junior, Under-23 World Championship and U18 Scandinavian Trip cross country teams. Athletes qualified for the championship during the U.S. National Championship races held in Anchorage, AK, earlier this month. The qualification for these teams is based on an overall points scoring system that rates athletes' best two out of three finishes (juniors category) and best two out of four finishes (U23 category) during the championship event. 

The U23 and Junior World Championships team will head to Seefeld, Austria, for a pre-race training camp and then the race venue will take place in Bergamo-Schilpario, Italy, Feb. 3-9, 2025. Athletes will contest multiple events, including a classic sprint, 20k classic mass start, 10k individual skate and a mixed-gender relay, where each team features two men and two women competing in classic and skate disciplines. 

The U18 trip will take place in Gjøvik, Norway, from Feb. 15-24. Four races are part of the championship program, including two sprint and two distance events. 

Our partners at the National Nordic Foundation (NNF) support these trips. 

Championship Staff, Junior World Championships, U23 Championships

Coaches:

Trip Leader & Head Coach: 

• Greta Anderson, Stifel U.S. Ski Team Coach
• Bryan Fish, Stifel U.S. Ski Team XC Sport Development Director

Coaches: 

• Matt Boobar, Stratton Mountain School 
• Julia Hayes 

Cross Country Service Staff:

• Head of Service: August Teague, Aspen Valley Ski Club
• Service: Peter Holmes, Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation
• Service: Ben Higgins, Great Glen Outdoor Center
• Service: Quinn Lehmkuhl, Tahoe Endurance
• Service: Tuva Granøien, University Alaska Anchorage
• Service: Colin Rodgers, Green Mountain Valley School
• Service: Perry Thomas 

Cross Country Medical Staff:

• Dr. Jasmine Wiley, MD
• Elizabeth Smith, Physical Therapist

U.S. World Junior Championship Roster

Women:

• Sammy Smith – Stifel U.S. Ski Team & Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation; Hailey, ID
• Maeve Ingelfinger – Dartmouth Ski Team; Glacier, MT
• Lena Poduska – Jackson Hole Ski Club; Wilson, WY
• Neve Gerard – University of Utah, Mount Bachelor Sport Education Foundation; Bend, OR
• Sydney Drevlow – Loppet Nordic; Twin Cities, MN
• Nina Schamberger – University of Utah, Summit Nordic Ski Club; Leadville, CO

Men:

• Jack Leveque – Alaska Winter Stars; Anchorage, AK
• Murphy Kimball – Stifel US Ski Team & University of Alaska Anchorage & Alaska Winter Stars; Anchorage, AK
• Justin Lucas – Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center; Anchorage, AK
• Lucas Wilmot – University of Utah & Jackson Hole Ski Club; Wilson, WY
• Cole Flowers – University Alaska Fairbanks & Alaska Winter Stars; Anchorage, AK
• Benjamin Barbier – Montana State University & Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; Steamboat Springs, CO

Under-23 (U23) World Championship Roster

Women:

• Kendall Kramer – Stifel U.S. Ski Team & University of Alaska Fairbanks; Fairbanks, AK
• Kate Oldham – Montana State University, Aspen Valley Ski Club; Carbondale, CO
• Sydney Palmer-Leger – Stifel U.S. Ski Team & Stratton Mountain School T2; Park City, UT
• Emma Strack – Saint Lawrence University; Wilson, VT
• Nina Seeman – Dartmouth; Hanover, NH

Men:

• Walker Hall – University of Utah; Winthrop, WA
• Will Koch – Stifel U.S. Ski Team & CU Boulder & Stratton Mountain School T2; Peru, VT
• Michael Earnhart – Stifel U.S. Ski Team & Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center;  Anchorage, AK
• Trey Jones – Stifel U.S. Ski Team & CU Boulder & Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; CO
• Jack Christner – Middlebury Ski Team; Middlebury, VT
• Brian Bushey – University of Utah; Montpelier, VT

Championship Staff; U18 Scandinavian Trip

Team Leader & Head Coach:

• Greta Anderson (Stifel U.S. Ski Team Head Men’s & Women’s Development Coach)

Medical Support:

• Dr. Katie Eichten (Rails on Trails; Spooner, WI)

Head of Ski Service:

• Julien Bordes (Tahoe Endurance; Tahoe, CA)

Ski Service Staff:

• Lydia Youkey (Mount Bachelor Sport Education Foundation; Bend, OR)
• Etienne Bordes (Tahoe Endurance; Tahoe, CA)
• Luna Wasson (Jackson Hole Ski Club; Wilson, WY)
• Erik Flora (APUNSC; Anchorage, Alaska)

U18 Scandinavian Trip Roster

Women:

• Niki Johnson – Tahoe Endurance; Tahoe, CA
• Britta Johnson – Tahoe Endurance; Tahoe, CA
• Ally Wheeler – Casper Nordic Club; Casper, WY
• Annelies Hanna – Ford Sayre Nordic; Lebanon, NH
• Tula Higman – Bridger Ski Foundation; Bozeman, MT
• Lena Poduska – Jackson Hole Ski Club; Wilson, WY
• Ruth Krebs – Craftsbury Green Racing Project; Craftsbury, VT
• Mia Stiassny – Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center; Girdwood, AK
• Linnea Ousdigian – Loppet Nordic Racing; Minneapolis, 

Men

• Nate Struebel – Jackson Hole Ski Club; Wilson, WY
• Will Bentley – Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; Breckenridge, CO
• Quinten Koch – Plain Valley Nordic Team; Leavenworth, WA
• Noa Kam-Magruder – Alaska Winter Stars; Anchorage, AK
• Vebjorn Flagstad – Alaska Winter Stars; Anchorage, AK
• Oskar Flora – Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center; Anchorage, AK
• Callahan Waters – Bridger Ski Foundation; Bozeman, MT
• Logan Drevlow – Loppet Nordic; Twin Cities, MN

Jack Leveque – Alaska Winter Stars; Anchorage, AK - qualified for and declined racing on this trip.

Paula Moltzan skied to her first career giant slalom podium in Kronplatz, Italy, taking third place. The Stifel U.S. Ski Team women followed her up with stellar results: Nina O’Brien in 10th place, AJ Hurt in 13th and Katie Hensien 21st.

"I am not sure how it's possible but I told myself second run that I wanted to ski strong and I gave it my all," said Moltzan. "I made some mistakes but recovered well and I am so happy." 

It was a bright and sunny day in the Dolomites, with just one day of giant slalom for the women. Moltzan punched it into 10th place in a solid first run amongst a packed field of talent, but she knew she still had a chance for a top result. She then threw down a blazing second run to turn in the second fastest second run of the day to sit in podium position.

Though Moltzan had a podium-potential run, Federica Brignone of Italy and Sara Hector of Sweden sat in first and second after first run—an expected outcome by the two giant slalom powerhouses. But New Zealand’s Alice Robinson, who was sitting in fifth place after first run, delivered an outstanding second run to move from fifth place to first by more than a half second. With bated breath, the crowd watched both Hector and Brignone, running second to last and last, DNF in front of the crowd—propelling Robinson to first, Lara Gut-Behrami of Switzerland to second and Moltzan to third.

Making the podium even sweeter, Moltzan’s family was in the crowd in Kronplatz, waving flags and cheering while wearing USA-branded hockey jerseys.

"My family is here and so it is so special. I think it is a great place to build off for World Championships," said Moltzan. "I think sitting in 10th after first run it is a tough place to move up from so when I had the green light at the end I am very proud of the skiing I did today." 

This achievement adds to Moltzan’s previous World Cup podiums in both parallel and slalom. Her best GS finishes prior were two fifth places at the Stifel Killington Cup and in Semmering, Austria earlier this season. With this result, she also moves into the top seven in the GS rankings, positioning herself as a strong medal contender for the upcoming World Championships in Saalbach, Austria.

The Stifel U.S. Ski Team was proud of another strong overall showing: It was O’Brien’s third top 10 this season; Hurt continued to show her power with another top 15; and Hensien has been fast and consistent throughout her comeback season, scoring points in every GS she’s started this season.

"I am happy with another top 10 and another solid giant slalom result. I was totally shocked when I came into the green second run because I had some huge mistakes so I am happy and I think it is an amazing day for our team," said O'Brien. 

Elisabeth Bocock, Mary Bocock and Liv Moritz did not make a second run. Mary Bocock was skiing fast and did not finish. It was 20-year-old Moritz’s first World Cup start of her young career.

"I was probably the most nervous I've ever been," said Moritz. "My legs were a bit numb in the start but it was fun and an awesome experience." 

The women’s World Cup season continues this weekend with downhill and super-G events in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. The tech team will race again in Courchevel next Thursday before the World Champs begin.

RESULTS
Women’s giant slalom

Alexa Brabec raced to a career best finish on Sunday, Jan. 19, at the FIS Nordic Combined World Cup in Schonach, Germany.

Brabec had a power jump of 92 meters, landing her in 12th place going into the 5k ski race. She was then able to ski up in a tight race where third to eighth place went back and forth to the finish line. Alexa finished seventh overall, narrowly missing the podium by less than eight seconds. 

On Saturday, Jan. 18, Brabec finished with a new personal best finish in 10th in the individual Gundersen HS100/5k event. Annika Malacinski also cracked the top 20 with an 18th place finish. In the men’s event (HS100/10k), Niklas Malacinski led the U.S. team to a solid 21st place finish, followed by Ben Loomis in 24th, Stephen Schumann in 47th and Erik Lynch in 50th.

In Sunday's individual compact HS100/5k event, Annika Malacinski secured another top 20 result, finishing in 20th place. On the men’s side, Niklas Malacinski delivered the top U.S. result with a 17th place finish, followed by Stephen Schumann in 28th, Erik Lynch in 42nd and Ben Loomis in 49th.

With Brabec’s breakthrough performances and consistent efforts from the entire team, the weekend shows the progress and potential of U.S. athletes on the World Cup circuit. Looking toward the FIS World Ski Championships at the end of February, the U.S. Nordic Combined team is on track for more top finishes and career-best races.  

RESULTS

The wind and snow cleared just in time for the mixed aerials team event at the iFIT Freestyle Ski World Cup, where the U.S. team aimed to put on a show and try new skills in front of the hometown crowd in Lake Placid. 

The Stifel U.S. Ski Team had two teams of three representing tonight; USA 1 comprised Karenna Elliott, who was the top finisher in last night's competition, Chris Lillis and Quinn Dehlinger. USA 2 was made up of Kaila Kuhn, Justin Schoenefeld and Ian Schoenwald, the first team event of his career. Team events begin with the first athlete from each nation jumping, followed by the second from each country, and the third. The top four teams make it from finals to the super finals. 

Elliott and Kuhn kicked things off for the U.S. Elliott put down another beautiful jump to follow up her sixth-place finish yesterday, and Kuhn threw her first-ever triple on snow in competition, a back lay full full. Her jump was slightly overrotated, and she was forced to put her hands down in the snow, but it was an exciting step towards consistently competing triples in World Cups. 

The entire field, including the U.S. teams, struggled with landings throughout the night. The athletes threw their hardest jumps, hoping to perform for the town that has given many of them so much. USA 2 finished the night sixth, followed by USA 2 in seventh. 

Next up, the team is heading up north to Lac-Beauport, Canada, for a set of two aerials events Jan. 25-26. 

RESULTS
Mixed Aerials Team

The start of the snowboard cross season was worth the wait for The Toyota U.S. Para Snowboard Team. After a weather cancelation on day one due to icy conditions, the athletes battled through thick, fluffy snow on day two to get the event off the ground. Despite the weather, the team had a fantastic day all around, with Brenna Huckaby and Kate Delson (Team Utah Snowboarding) landing on the podium in the women’s LL2 classification in first and third, respectively. 

Also in the women’s LL2 class, Dennae Russell of Team Utah Snowboarding made the women’s small final, finishing eighth and Courtney Godfrey in ninth. 

On the men’s side, Colby Fields from Adaptive Action Sports and the lone U.S. athlete in the UL category, ended the day 14th. Mike Schultz finished fifth in the LL1 classification, followed by Noah Elliott in sixth. This is Schultz's first snowboard cross event in over a year, and he said it "felt good to be back in the start gate." Schultz had a great time trial, finishing third, but made a mistake in the heats, which kept him off the podium. Aleks Godowski of Team Utah Snowboarding led the way for the men’s LL1 category, making the small final and finishing eighth, followed by Zach Miller in 10th and Joe Pleban in 15th. 

Next week, the team is heading to Lenk, Switzerland for two more snowboard cross races Jan. 23-24. 

On Sunday’s slalom in Wengen, Switzerland Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Ben Ritchie posted another strong finish in 18th. 

“I was really happy with my first run, thought I skied very solid and fast from my bib,” said Ritchie

Ritchie has scored slalom points this season in almost all of the World Cups building on his slalom career. He started the season with bib 46 and now has found himself currently sitting 19th in the slalom World Cup rankings. A big improvement for the slalom specialist.

It was tough conditions in Wengen for the slalom skiers but Ritchie prevailed on first run. He shot up to eighth place from bib 28 - a jump no one else made in the field. By the second run, however, the conditions became more challenging. It was difficult for the top group to keep their groove. Ritchie was in a top ten position - something he had not yet experienced on run one, so nerves ran high. Despite the added pressure, Ritchie was able to make it down solidify and claim 18th place. 

“Second run I was feeling great I just skied the bottom too safely and in a tight race like today that ended up moving me back quite a bit,” said Ricthie. “Overall it’s still a step in the right direction for me. I started the season at bib 46 and now I’m making my way into the top 30.”

Stifel U.S. Ski Team members Jett Seymour, River Radamus and Luke Winters also raced but did not make a second run. The race was a Norwegian sweep with Atle Lie Mcgrath in first, Timon Haugan in second and Henrik Kristoffersen in third. 

The slalom men will race at the famed Kitzbuhel track again in a week. 

RESULTS
men's slalom

On Sunday’s super-G in Cortina, Italy, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Lauren Macuga paved the way for the team with a 13th place finish. Teammates Keely Cashman, Tricia Mangan and Breezy Johnson also landed in the points in 23rd, 24th and 25th. 

“I feel like it was some great skiing,” said Macuga. “There were a few too many mistakes but I am happy I was able to get another shot on this hill. Today the conditions were fantastic. The snow is so amazing and it was such a fair race.” 

The weather was a touch warmer with the sun in and out, making the light more of a challenge for the super-G racers. The Cortina surface was still solid underfoot, which created the possibility for any racer to punch it in there amongst the top women. Coming off her win in St. Anton the week earlier, Macuga held her composure with a new amount of pressure on her shoulders. While there were a few mistakes down the middle of the course, she still managed to carry speed and go into the top 15. 

Lindsey Vonn was next for the women and was on fire right out of the gate. With splits on par with a top-five or podium result, Vonn leaned in and fell. However, she is OK and skied through the finish smiling and waving to the fans. Vonn plans to keep the momentum going into Garmisch next weekend. 

Wearing higher bib numbers, Cashman, Mangan and Johnson all came down flying and punched it into the points. 

“I feel good about today. Every race I have been focused on chipping away at the points and it seems like a really good step forward,” said Cashman. “It has been so fun watching Lauren have so much success we have a great team culture and it's awesome.” 

Johnson notably went from bib 51 to 25th place to earn the Stifel Bibbo Award for her great race - on her 29th birthday no less. 

Now the women will make their way to Garmisch, Germany for the next World Cup speed series before the World Championships early February. The giant slalom women race in Kronplatz, Italy on Tuesday.

RESULTS
Women's super-G

The event that aerials athletes have waited for over the past six years came to fruition on Saturday night, as the FIS Freestyle World Cup returned to Lake Placid for the first time since 2019. The years spent waiting were not for nothing, as the crowd, atmosphere, and competition at the iFIT Freestyle Ski World Cup were worth waiting for. 

The day began with women’s qualifications, and competitors battled inconsistent winds and overcast weather. Many women changed their jumps throughout the first round and adjusted their start positions at the last minute, with mixed success. Despite these uncontrolables, Karenna Elliott led the way for the U.S. women, qualifying in third, along with Kyra Dossa in seventh.

Dani Loeb narrowly missed out on finals, finishing 13th overall, followed by Winter Vinecki in 14th, Kaila Kuhn in 15th, Amelia Glogowski in 18th, Tasia Tanner in 23rd and Cate McEneany in 27th. 

The snow began to fall as the men started their training jumps before qualifying. The wind and snow continued to have an impact; however, the leading U.S. men remained unphased. Justin Schoenefeld took the top U.S. spot and tied with Li Xinpeng from China with the best score in qualification. Quinn Dehlinger was right behind, qualifying third, followed by Chris Lillis in ninth.

Ian Schoenwald had a solid performance but missed out on finals, finishing 17th, followed by Ashton Salwan in 18th, Derek Krueger in 20th. Park City Ski & Snowboard’s Brady Flynn made his World Cup debut at only 16 years old, finishing the day 31st.

The snow continued to fall for the remainder of the evening as the crowd started to pour into the Olympic Jumping Complex. The women’s and men’s finals were cutthroat, as the competitors started to get more comfortable with the conditions and increased the difficulty. Elliott was the lone U.S. athlete to advance to super finals between men and women.

In super finals, Elliott attempted a back full double full, with the highest difficulty score from the women. Her jump was beautifully executed in the air but, unfortunately, slightly overrotated, forcing her to lean back on her landing, putting her in sixth place.

“The crowd was awesome out here. A hometown crowd is incredible so I had to put down a big jump that’s the highest degree of difficulty that I have, so I just really had to go for it,” said Elliott. “Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for me tonight but we’ll try again!"

Dossa popped into the top 10, finishing ninth. On the men's side, Dehlinger was the top man in seventh. Lillis was ninth and Schoenefeld 10th.

Tomorrow is set to be another exciting day, as the mixed aerials team event is coming to home snow for the first time. Tune in at 7:00 p.m. ET on Outside TV to watch live from Lake Placid. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

The highly anticipated 2025 Laax Open proved to be one for the books, celebrating its 10th anniversary with a jam-packed Saturday schedule featuring both snowboard slopestyle and halfpipe competition. Chloe Kim took the win with Maddie Mastro in second on the women's side, while Red Gerard was third for the men. 

The pressure was on as 10 Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team athletes were set to compete in front of a crowd of 12,000 onlooking fans lining the sides of the infamous Crap Sogn Gion glacier. With both Laax Open rookies and seasoned veterans in the mix, it was sure to be an exciting day of action and the team stepped up to the plate, securing three podium finishes, three never-been-done tricks and a Laax Open record on the sport’s biggest stage.

SLOPESTYLE

First up was the men’s slopestyle semifinal and boy, did it deliver.

The Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team saw five athletes advance from Wednesday’s first round of slopestyle competition, four of which being past Laax Open slopestyle podium finishers: 2023 runner-up Dusty Henricksen, 2020 runner-up Red Gerard, 2019 champion Chris Corning and Sean Fitzsimons, whose clutch win at the 2022 Laax Open secured him a spot in the Peoyng-Chang Olympics. Joining the three veterans was 2023 junior world champion Brooklyn Depriest in his Laax Open debut.

Showing off his signature sleepy style, Dusty Henricksen punched his ticket to the final round with teammate Red Gerard, whose second run came in clutch after failing to put his first attempt down top-to-bottom.

Henricksen was first to drop for the men in finals and laced together a near-flawless run before clipping the final rail, earning him a score of 64.19 from the judges. A rail mistake on the top section of his second run would end Henricksen’s chances at another Laax Open podium, but still, the 2023 FIS slopestyle Crystal Globe winner was back riding in his first slope competition back from injury.

Gerard showed veteran composure in the Laax Open final and put on a show for onlooking fans, putting his first run down clean top-to-bottom in signature Red Gerard fashion. Complete with a signature hand drag over the rainbow rail and a frontside miller flip 540, the judges awarded Gerard’s technically savvy run an 86.22 that held the top spot for most of the competition, only to be beaten by Canada’s Cameron Spalding by a mere four tenths of a point late in the contest, securing Gerard the second spot on the podium.

15-year-old Lily Dhawornvej was the lone American qualifier for the women after earning her spot in the big show during Wednesday’s round of qualifications. Although unable to put down a run top-to-bottom, Dhawornvej gained invaluable experience competing on the sport’s biggest stage and continued her breakout season with an eighth place overall finish in Laax.

HALFPIPE

With slopestyle competition done and dusted, all eyes turned to the halfpipe for night finals under the lights - the signature and most anticipated event of the Laax Open.

Four Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team athletes were set to drop: two-time Olympic gold medalist and four-time Laax Open champion Chloe Kim, two-time Olympian and 2023 Laax Open medalist Maddie Mastro, two-time Olympian and 2017 Laax Open champion Chase Josey and 16-year-old Youth Olympic Games silver medalist Alessandro Barbieri.

Donning the FIS World Cup halfpipe leader yellow bib, Mastro was first to drop for the Americans and quickly set the tone for the night, nailing her signature double-crippler on her first hit and lacing together a near-flawless run. Mastro’s first run score of 88.75 put her in third place heading into run two, but the veteran was determined to best her 2023 Laax Open bronze medal. In one of the most insane runs the halfpipe world has ever seen with Mastro stomping the first-ever competition front dub cork 1080 and became the first woman to drop two dubs in one competition run en route to a second place finish at the 2025 Laax Open.

Teammate Chloe Kim was the only rider to best Mastro’s score and added another historic Never Been Done to her resume, becoming the first woman to land a cab dub 1080 in competition. Kim was all smiles in the corral after her first run heater that earned her the fifth Laax Open title of her career and a spot in the history books as the most decorated Laax Open athlete of all time.

“This means so much to me. I was really having a hard time in practice but really wanted to show off my cab double," said Kim in a post contest interview. "I’m so happy I was able to put it down. This was my first contest where I really just wanted to ride for fun and do what felt fun and it was so rewarding."

When asked about both her own and teammate Mastro's respective NBDs, she said, "Just wow. It's crazy to see the sport progress and I'm honored to be a part of it and inspire a new generation of female riders."

It was a dog-eat-dog world at the top of the pipe on the men’s side of competition and Josey and Barbierei held it down for the Americans in a field of heavy hitters. Josey was first to drop in the 12-man final and showed why he’s one of the most consistent riders on the World Cup circuit, putting down a technical run complete with a front-1260 on his final hit that earned him a solid score of 70.00 from the judges - his best of the two-run format. Making his first appearance in a Laax Open final, 16-year-old Barbieri was unable to lace together a full run top-to-bottom but showed he can hang with the best in the world and is one to watch on the World Cup circuit.

With three new pieces of hardware in tow, the Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team travels back to the states, with many heading straight to Aspen, Colorado for the 2025 Winter X Games, Jan. 23-25. X Games athletes will be joined in Aspen by the rest of the team the following week for another round of World Cup competition with the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix and Visa Big Air presented by Toyota.

RESULTS

Slopestyle
Women
Men

Halfpipe
Women
Men

The classic sprint was on the program for the second of three races Les Rousses, France and today's race provided an electric day, highlighted by JC Schoonmaker in fifth place and Ben Ogden in ninth. The atmosphere was electric as the course buzzed with cheers and cowbells, even chainsaws, as the French crowd came out for the second day of racing. 

The qualifier round started the day, with the top 30 times advancing to the sprint heats. Ogden delivered a masterclass in sprint racing, asserting his dominance from qualification to the semifinals. Starting strong, Ogden clinched the top qualification spot in only the way he could - this is his second sprint of the season, where he won the qualifying race. In his first quarterfinal heat, he controlled the pace from start to finish, finding his rhythm early and skiing with purpose.

The semifinal heat showcased Ogden’s tacticality. Setting a blistering pace from the start, he drafted on the downhills and surged on the climbs. In the challenging horseshoe turn leading into the finish lane, Ogden won his quarterfinal heat, securing a spot in the semis.

Then, it was Schoonmaker’s turn. In the semifinals heat, Schoonmaker was similar to Ogden in that he had an agenda for the day: to make it to the sprint finals. 

“It felt great to be back in the final and race on that stage again,” said Schoonmaker. “A bit of nerves and excitement but I felt like I belonged."

“I’m super proud of some of the moves I made on the downhills today. My goal was to race with instinct and Mario kart those downhills so I’m proud to have executed that!”

Facing tough competition in the fourth heat, which included France’s favorite, Lucas Chanavat, Schoonmaker’s double-pole power shone on the final stretch. Finishing third in his heat, Schoonmaker’s fast time earned him a coveted lucky loser spot in the next round. 

It was all Schoonmaker into the final, with Ogden not advancing into the finals. With him surrounded by the Norwegians, Schoonmaker put together a strong race and ultimately finished fifth on the day - his season-best performance. Ogden was ninth. Other Americans included Zak Ketterson, who finished the day in 21st, a solid performance for the Minnesota native. Luke Jager was 39th, Murphy Kimball, an up-and-coming star on the team skiing in his first international World Cup, was 42nd, and Jack Young was 45th. The ultimate podium of the day was Edvin Anger of Sweden, who clinched his career-first podium, Ansgar Evensen of Norway, and Erik Valnes of Norway. 

For the women, Jessie Diggins, Rosie Brennan and Alayna Sonnesyn represented the stars and stripes. Brennan was the sole American to advance through to the rounds. Brennan was 26th on the day, not advancing out of the quarterfinal rounds. Sonnesyn was 38th and Diggins 40th. The podium went to Kristine Staves Skirted of Norway, Maja Dahlqvist of Sweden and Jonna Sundling of Sweden. 

Tomorrow is the final day of racing in Les Rousses, with the 20k classic mass start.