It was the most successful days in recent Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team history, with three American men finishing in the top eight in the highly contested 2025 World Championships individual final. Having three athletes in the final has not been achieved at World Championships since 2011 in La Molina.

Leading the charge for the Americans was Olympic gold medalist Nick Baumgartner who came into Friday’s final seeded ninth overall from Thursday’s round of qualifications. The veteran was followed by Olympian Jake Vedder, 2024 FIS Rookie of the Year Nathan Pare and Olympian Cody Winters, who was set to make his fourth appearance at the 2025 World Championships after successful rounds of racing in the alpine snowboarding disciplines the week prior.

Winters fell in the first round of sixteen against a heavy heat, ending his chances at another top 10 world championships finish, but the veteran Baumgartner reignited the American’s hops at a big World Championships showing, taking second place in the round of 16 and first place in the round of eighth, to earn a ticket to semi finals. A near catastrophic mistake almost took Baumgartner out of contention for the final heats but the veteran showed why he’s one of the best to ever do it, fighting to get his board back under his feet and fight back to earn a spot to the small final.

Baumgartner joked that the mistake almost ended his career, saying “all that was going through my mind was save it, save it save it and put this plank of wood back on the snow. I think that’s where my 20 years of experience gives me an advantage,” the veteran continued, “when something goes wrong, rather than just accept it and go with it I fight for my run and to at least finish the heat. I learned from that mistake and let it motivate me to perform in the small final.”

Seeded in the same heat to start of the day based on qualifying times, Vedder and Pare would have to take the top two spots in each round of racing to both continue to advance. The Americans did just that, ultimately joining teammate Baumgartner in the small final. Roommates throughout their stay in St. Moritz for World Championships, the duo chanted “Room 315” as they raced their way to the consolation final.

All with something to prove, the trio took to the start gate and delivered a small final for the ages, taking the top-three spots in the heat. Baumgarter led the red, white and blue and took fifth place on the day, Pare finished just behind him in sixth and Vedder rounded out American’s in seventh.

All smiles in the finish, Baumgartner remarked, “today was awesome. It doesn’t matter how much older I get, this stuff is still just as fun. I went into the small final determined to fix my error from the semis and won which is really rewarding. I had a blast with my teammates going five, six and seven. It’s a really good day.”

“I’m super excited with how today went for my first World Championships,” said Pare as he stood with his teammates in the finish.” We for sure wanted to get the U.S. on one of the top steps but super happy to ride all the way through the day with Jake and I can’t ask for anything more going into Olympic qualifications - this is the closest thing you can get to it so it’s pretty good preparation and I’m really excited for what’s to come.

Vedder echoed his teammates, saying “I’m honestly just really proud of the team. It’s really cool to have three of us in the top eight and was fun to have my roommate, Nate Pare, push me through every single heat. We all have potential to be in the big final but we’ll take this for sure. Let’s go Room 315.”

Brianna Schnoorbusch and Acy Craig represented the American’s on the women’s side of competition but both fell in the quarterfinal round. The two have another shot at the challenging course tomorrow in the World Championships mixed team event, with Craig pairing up with Baumgartner and Schnoorbusch teaming up with Pare to take on the final snowboard cross event at the 2025 FIS World Championships.

We’re gonna give the team event everything we got,” said Baumgartner. “It’s obviously for a spot on the World Championships podium but it’s a big opportunity to give these young riders an experience to race on one of the biggest stages as we get closer to the Olympics next year. It’s gonna be a wild one, but we’re ready.”

Saturday’s mixed team event caps off snowboard cross competition at the 2025 FIS World Championships but the team’s season isn’t over just yet as they travel to Mt. Saint Anne for a World Cup double header that marks the first qualifying event towards the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.

RESULTS
Women
Men

In the final race of the World Cup season, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Ben Ritchie proved he belonged among the top slalom skiers as he knifed his way to seventh place - a personal best. 

“My biggest goal for the year was to qualify for finals,” said Ritchie. “So having it here in the U.S. and scoring this result makes it a little more special.”

It was a warm spring day in Sun Valley, Idaho for the finale of men’s ski racing. Globes, points and medals were on the line as the world’s best men finally had their chance to race on the Sun Valley slopes. On the first run, the set was open and fast - a welcome sight for the last push of the season. The tricky part of the race would be the snow conditions that turned very slushy and spring-like early on, making it an advantage for the skiers with low bib numbers. 

Ritchie, wearing bib 18, fought his way down to 15th on the first run. He knew he had more in him so he prepped to deliver on the second run. As Ritchie entered the starting gate, the crowd rose to their feet, ready to bring home the sole U.S. skier in the men’s slalom. Ritchie did not disappoint, skiing aggressively at each turn all the way to the finish to claim that leaderboard chair. He moved up eight positions to land his personal best of seventh place. 

“I was a little uncertain about the conditions and how it is super warm here,” said Ritchie. “I kind of skied tentatively on the first run and that fired me up to do better and take a little more risk on the second one.” 

Overall, it was a picture-perfect ending to a historic week in Sun Valley at the Stifel Sun Valley Finals event. Ritchie, a previous slalom Junior World Champion, has always been known to have speed in the discipline but had trouble performing on the World Cup—that is until the 2024-25 season. He scored personal best after personal best throughout the season with five top-15 results and three top-10s, enough to land him 17th in the slalom overall discipline rankings—an incredible leap from his placing of 41 just last season. 

The winner of the race was Norwegian Timon Haugan with Frenchman Clement Noel in second and Austrian Fabio Gstrein in third. The Crystal Globe slalom winner was ultimately awarded to Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen. 

RESULTS
Men's slalom

Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Mikaela Shiffrin closed out the World Cup season in dominant fashion, claiming her 101st career victory on home snow in Sun Valley, Idaho, in front of thousands of roaring fans, just weeks after she rewrote history with her 100th World Cup win in Sestriere, Italy. 

"I just want to be able to ski some of my best turns on home soil,” Shiffrin added. “I know where I stand; I know that my very best skiing in slalom is fast, but anything aside from my best, then it’s anybody’s race.”

Sun Valley has been home to the Stifel Sun Valley Finals, providing an atmosphere that every ski fan dreams. With the best alpine athletes in the world and thousands of fans showing up for seven days of racing, it was a week to remember. And on Thursday, the World Cup season came to an end with one last race - the men’s and women’s slalom.

The women kicked things off, Shiffrin ran bib two, skiing into the lead and never looked back, finishing ahead of Lena Duerr of Germany and Wendy Holdener of Switzerland. 

The race unfolded on a course that grew increasingly challenging as temperatures rose throughout the day, softening the snow and creating a rougher surface for the later racers. But despite the conditions, Shiffrin knifed her way through both runs with the precision only she can master. 

“I have felt so much support from U.S. fans, and being able to return back home for the final races of the season is super exciting,” Shiffrin said. “It’s just cool to be here and share this atmosphere with the U.S. fans and so many young racers in this area who are so excited to be here.”

Shiffrin’s win today marked her 101st World Cup win and 157th podium, but it was not easily won. Just this past November, Shiffrin sustained a severe abdominal injury at the Stifel Killington Cup. After months of rehabbing and strengthening, Shiffrin made her World Cup comeback in Courchevel, France for the night slalom. Then, she headed to World Championships where she became a gold medalist alongside long-time teammate Breezy Johnson. Days later, she was back on the World Cup circuit in Sestriere, Italy and achieved a monumental feat – winning her 100th World Cup. And in Sun Valley, Shiffrin ended her 2024-25 season back on top of the podium, giving the U.S. fans even more to cheer about – her 101st World Cup victory. 

With the season now in the books, Shiffrin will look ahead to a well-earned break before preparing for another year on the circuit. And if history is any indicator, many more milestones are still to come.

Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Paula Moltzan was also on the startlist, just two days after a gnarly injury that left her face torn up after sliding off course and into the b-netting. Fighting through pain, Moltzan ultimately ended the day in sixth overall and 11th in the FIS Alpine slalom overall standings, a solid season-ending result. 

"Today I was fighting a lot of demons. I was in a lot of pain. I hurt my ankle when I crashed, so it was kind of a mind over matter," said Moltzan. "I've had quite the roller coaster of a season. I've had some really high highs and some really low lows, but I'm proud of the team and I am excited to see what next year brings." 

The women's tech team will now take some well deserved days off before heading into spring training. 

RESULTS
Women's slalom

At the 2025 FIS Freestyle World Championships in St. Moritz, the Stifel U.S. Ski Team became the first country to ever win back-to-back World Championship team medals.

An air of confidence fell over the jumps in St. Moritz as the U.S. went to bat for their second aerials team World Championship title in a row. Kaila Kuhn, Quinn Dehlinger and Chris Lillis had a cool, but calm mentality as they looked onward towards the kickers as the other nations took their final training jumps. 

Kuhn started things off for the U.S. in the round of eight, throwing a lay full full - a trick that she has only performed a handful of times. Her air was beautiful with a small bobble on the landing, and earned a great score to put the U.S. into the lead, a position they never lost. Dehlinger and Lillis both threw double full full fulls in the qualification round with near perfect execution to qualify for the super finals in the top spot with 322.6 points - 33 points ahead of second place Australia. In a surprising turn of events, China, an aerials powerhouse, did not qualify into the super finals after a few missed landings, finishing in sixth place. 

As the U.S. qualified in the top spot, each U.S. athlete would be the last to drop in their respective round. Kuhn watched from above as the top women put down great jumps, but knew exactly what she needed to do to set the team up for success. Kuhn once again threw a lay full full and this time, landed it perfectly - the first time she has successfully landed this trick in competition. With a score of 100.29, she did exactly what she needed to do.

Then it was time for the men to do their jobs. Dehlinger was next up for the U.S., throwing the ‘daddy’ once again and improved on his first round score by more than two points. The team sat in first place as the third athlete per country prepared to go. After a few excellent jumps, the pressure all sat on the shoulders of Lillis as the last athlete to drop in the entire competition. He needed to execute to secure his second World Championship gold - both for him and for his team. He dropped in and everything aligned, his air, form and landing were excellent - earning a humongous score of 125.34, to win the event by 32 points. The team rushed the finish area after Lillis’ jump and - living up to their infamous bowling celebration from Changchun last year - celebrated with a home run. 

“This is my first team event competing with these two, and I was so happy to put that triple to my feet,” said Kuhn.

“It’s the first one of that trick that I have landed, so I am so excited,” Dehlinger said. “I was at the top talking to myself saying ‘hit a takeoff, look at the ground, land it and let the judges do the rest.'”

When asked about how he was able to perform under pressure, Lillis said “I can’t let my team down! Kaila, I’ve been watching her grow up, and just go through triples, Quinn is kind of like a little brother to me, and I’ve had such a fun time growing with him, I just knew I couldn’t let them down. I’ve been in these moments before in the Olympics and the previous World Championships, and did what I had to do, and I’m just happy to execute.”  

“I think the idea for the [baseball celebration] was born in Lake Placid,” said Lillis. “It was one of the few team events where we underperformed as a team and just didn’t get it done, so we weren’t able to use that celebration, so it’s good to get that out of the tank.”

In two days, the team will be back in action for the individual aerials event, starting with qualification on Saturday, March 29, followed by finals on March 30. Tune in to watch on skiandsnowboard.live. 

RESULTS

On Wednesday’s men’s giant slalom race at the Stifel Sun Valley Finals River Radamus closed out his World Cup season in 15th place and 12th in the overall giant slalom standings. 

“I’m proud of the fight today and my approach,” said Radamus. “It’s always special to close it out in the U.S. this crowd has been amazing.” 

It was another beautiful and hot day in Sun Valley for the finals race and the U.S. crowd came out to cheer on the lone qualifier of the men’s giant slalom. Radamus known to lay it on the line for the hometown crowd was ready to give it his all. The set was once again extremely tricky - a real challenge for the skiers. Many claimed that it was the tightest set they had seen all season. Regardless, it was go time. 

Radamus kicked out of the gate with bib 10 with an aggressive line. He got caught up on his inside ski early leaning in almost going out. Radamus lost well over a second on the costly error. He still did his best to maintain his speed and put himself into position for a solid second run. 

On the second run Radamus was in a solid position to ski fast with a clean course in the spring like conditions. He went out charging in the green the whole way down. Radamus got low in a few spots but was able to recover quickly and squeak out the top spot. Radamus would ultimately end up in 15th. 

“I think there are definitely spots I could have executed better but happy to walk away with some points here and exciting to work hard for the next season,” said Radamus. 

The winner of the race was Swiss skier Loic Meillard who has had a very strong end of season showing across the technical disciplines. In second place was Marco Odermatt and in third Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen. 

The giant slalom overall winner was also awarded on Wednesday to Marco Odermatt, who clinched the globe prior to the finals week. Radamus landed 12th. 

The final World Cup races of the season go off on Thursday for a women’s and men’s slalom. 

RESULTS
men's giant slalom 

The sun was out in full force, the course was set and the athletes put it all on the line for the final giant slalom of the 2024-25 season at the Stifel Sun Valley Finals. At the end of the day, it was Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete AJ Hurt as the top American, taking eighth place.

With a smile across her face, Hurt whipped her hands into the air across the line to end her season with a top 10 result and 14th in the overall FIS giant slalom overall rankings.

In the first run, the snow did not hold up well and the set was difficult, causing many DNFs. Paula Moltzan, currently ranked within the top seven, ran into trouble early in her run. Losing grip on her pole around the third gate, she fought her way down the course with just one pole and was heading into a position within the top five. However, just before the finish, Moltzan crashed into the fence. Despite being banged up with a bandage on her face, she is OK.

The other surprise of the race was when the leading Crystal Globe contender, New Zealand’s Alice Robinson, also did not finish the race and ultimately gave up the Globe to Italian Federica Brignone.

Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Nina O’Brien also landed in the top 15 in 12th place. While it was not the result she hoped for at home, she was still excited to race in the U.S. and see friends and family in the crowd. O’Brien ended her giant slalom season in 11th in the overall GS rankings. 

“The set was definitely a little bit tough today with the snow breaking down, and you have to be really smart about how you ski,” said O’Brien. “Our team has been pushing each other this season a lot and it feels like every race somebody is shining each day which has been really cool.” 

On the second run, the course set was much more forgiving for the athletes, and the best pushed the limits. Hurt skied cleanly into the top position and moved up a few spots to land in the top 10. 

“It's nice to come away with a good result as we head into the next season,” said Hurt. “It is also pretty awesome to have family and friends around since we are also pretty close to California.”

Stifel U.S. Ski Team members Lauren Macuga and Katie Hensien also raced. Though Hensien did not finish, she is still proud of her season. Macuga, a speed skier, was able to race after scoring over 500 World Cup points. She put down two gutsy runs in her first ever World Cup giant slalom and scored points, finishing in 15th place.

Swiss skier Lara Gut-Behrami took the victory, claiming her second win of the Stifel Sun Valley Finals week. Brignone ended up in second, and with that result, secured the giant slalom Crystal Globe, edging Robinson. It is Brignone’s third Globe of the 2024-25 season, after capturing the overall, super-G and giant slalom. Sweden’s Sara Hector finished third. 

Gut-Behrami also clinched the Stifel HERoic Cup, a $50,000 prize for the winningest World Cup woman skier between the U.S. World Cup races: the Stifel Killington Cup, Stifel Birds of Prey and Stifel Sun Valley Finals. Stifel chairman and CEO Ronald Kruszewski presented the check and a trophy to the accomplished racer, who was thrilled to win the award, and stated that she was going to build a pool with the prize money. 

The women’s tech team will now prepare for the slalom race on Thursday, March 27, while the men’s giant slalom skiers prepare for their last giant slalom race on Wednesday, March 26. 

RESULTS
Women's giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH

• Wednesday, March 26
  • 11:30 a.m. – men’s GS, first run – LIVE on Outside TV
  • 2:00 p.m. – men’s GS, second run – LIVE on Outside TV & USA
• Thursday, March 27
  • 11:00 a.m. – women’s slalom, first run – LIVE on Outside TV
  • 12:00 p.m. – men’s slalom, first run – LIVE on Outside TV
  • 2:00 p.m. – women’s slalom, second run – LIVE on Outside TV & USA
  • 3:00 p.m. – men’s slalom, second run – LIVE on Outside TV

Under the sun and on home snow, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Lindsey Vonn secured a second place finish in the super-G at the Stifel Sun Valley Finals in Sun Valley, Idaho. The podium finish marks her first World Cup podium since coming out of retirement and her first podium since 2018. 

“It’s been a really fun journey. It's been a really hard journey,” said Vonn. “This podium is so meaningful. I always knew why I was here. I love skiing, I love going fast, and I just couldn't put all the pieces together. And today, I finally did.” 

Vonn’s best result prior to Sunday was a fourth-place finish in the super-G at St. Anton, Austria in January. She had an up-and-down season with strong skiing in sections but was plagued by mistakes and DNFs. However, she knew how to turn it on at home in Sun Valley when it mattered most. 

Vonn ran bib 17 and fought through tough snow and terrain, showing grit as she nailed key sections on the course to make it down into second place. The cheers from the home crowd were deafening, who were thrilled to see the speed queen making her mark on the Sun Valley snow. 

It was a dream come true for the skier and the fans. When she crossed the finish line, Vonn threw up her arms and screamed into the camera. It was a celebration of something she had been working towards since coming back from retirement and proof of her ability as a ski racer. With nearly the entire women’s alpine team in the finish, it was also a celebration to remember for everyone in attendance, especially for Vonn, who was visibly emotional from the moment she crossed the line to when she stood atop the podium steps.

“I knew I was the only American that would be coming to the finish line today and I wanted to make my country proud,” said Vonn. “I'm just getting started. I feel like this season was just a lot of testing and trying to figure things out and get back into the sport.” 

Breakout star Lauren Macuga also raced in the super-G but unfortunately did not finish. Macuga was charging hard but her ski got caught up in some bad snow and she didn't make it to the next gate. Regardless of the result, Macuga was cheered on by a very loud Sun Valley crowd and her family, including her two sisters - one who competes on the Stifel U.S. Freestyle Team and one on the U.S. Ski Jumping Team. 

The winner of the race and super-G globe was Lara Gut-Behrami. Gut-Behrami skied with aggression that no other women in the field could match to win the race by an astounding 1.29 seconds. This win also snagged her the Crystal Globe for the discipline over Italian Federica Brignone. 

On the men’s side, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Ryan Cochran-Siegle landed in 13th place in the super-G. He was hoping for a stronger result in a season that had brought many highs and lows for the veteran skier. Regardless of the disappointing place, he remained confident that he will find his fast skiing again and plans to work on consistency this summer. 

“I had days of strong skiing, but it's hard to not feel disappointed by not really putting it together more consistently,” said Cochran-Siegle. “I feel motivated, addressing my weaknesses and really trying to actually improve and find ways to get better because I don't feel like I'm so far off.” 

The World Cup speed season is now officially over and both the men and women plan to take a little break before firing into spring camps to test and prepare for an Olympic season. 

The Stifel Sun Valley Finals continue on Tuesday with tech events. 

RESULTS
Women's super-G
Men's super-G

Jessie Diggins claimed the FIS Cross Country World Cup overall title for the third time in her career, alongside the distance Crystal Globe by just two points, after a dominant 2024-25 season. It is her second year in a row winning both the overall and distance FIS Crystal Globes.

Diggins had seven podium finishes in the 2024-25 season—six of them victories, including her first ever classic race win in the 15k at the Tour de Ski. Despite battling a foot injury in the second half of the season, she remained at the top of the standings from start to finish, wearing the coveted yellow leader’s bib from the very first race weekend. This is Diggins' third time clinching the overall Crystal Globe; she is the only non-European to win the Globe in the sport's history.

“I think that this year, it was so joyful to be able to prove to myself that I could win the overall Crystal Globe in a place of being really happy and mentally healthy and in a strong and resilient body that could stay healthy all season,” Diggins reflected. “There was more joy in the process, and there was less stress overall!”

Diggins displayed grit and resilience throughout the season, overcoming plantar fasciitis and a partially torn ligament in her foot to continue competing, only missing a couple of races after the Tour de Ski. She finished third in the overall Tour de Ski standings. She capped off her season with another significant achievement: winning a World Championships silver medal in the skate sprint alongside teammate Julia Kern. It marked the second consecutive time the duo has reached the World Championship podium together and Diggins' seventh World Championships medal. 

Diggins’ career numbers further highlight her impact on the sport: 358 World Cup starts, 79 podiums and 29 victories. But for her, success has evolved beyond just statistics.

“When I was younger, it was hard to separate succeeding from succeeding on the results sheet. My self-worth was based on what number was next to my name,” she said. "Succeeding at something, to me, is going after it with your whole heart, doing it in a way that lifts up other people and means that you cross the finish line with nothing left. I want to always look back and go, ‘that was the best I could do and I left everything out there."

She also emphasized the significance of breaking new ground in her sport. “You can’t be what you can’t see,” Diggins explained. “Sometimes you need to see someone do it to believe that it’s possible. Hopefully, this creates more opportunity for those coming after me.”

Looking ahead to the next season—an Olympic year—Diggins will have to decide how to balance her World Cup ambitions with Olympic preparation. However, one thing remains clear: She continues to race because she loves the sport and the process of pushing herself to new limits.

“I’ve been very fortunate to achieve a lot of my big hopes and dreams, but I am still here doing this because I genuinely love it. I love finding out how tough, gritty and mentally strong I can be when things are tough. And that’s what keeps me coming back.”

As she celebrates another historic milestone, Diggins remains committed to her team and to inspiring the next generation of cross country skiers. A common theme among the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team is the importance of a supportive culture, which Diggins credits to her success, especially this season. "When one of us wins, we all win. It's not all about results; it's about being a team player and being part of something bigger than yourself."

And her advice for young athletes who dream to one day be like Diggins, on top of the world in her sport, is simple:

“Do it because you love it. This sport is so much hard work, and that’s what’s so fun about it. Find a team you truly love to be around, put a lot into that team, and love the process. At the end of the day, the process is all there is.”

The season wrapped with the 50k classic, Diggins was back in the top 10, finishing the day in ninth. Gus Schumacher led the way for the men, crossing the line and waving to the fans in seventh. 

RESULTS
50k 
Women
Men

Overall 
Women
Men

The first freeski event of the 2025 FIS Ski Freestyle World Championships wrapped up, with Mac Forehand and Alex Hall sharing the slopestyle podium. Forehand won the silver and Hall the bronze. The United States finished with four men in the top eight, a huge accomplishment in a stacked slopestyle field.

After a week of prime conditions in Corvatsch, Switzerland, the slopestyle finals were moved earlier to squeeze in before an incoming weekend storm. In qualifications on Wednesday, six of seven athletes punched their ticket to finals: Forehand, Hall, Hunter Henderson, Troy Podmilsak, Marin Hamill and Grace Henderson.

Forehand and Hall shared the podium for the second time this season, joined by Norway’s Birk Ruud in the gold medal spot. After failing to put together a clean first run, Forehand, Hall and Hunter Henderson all needed to lace their second go. Podmilsak and Hunter Henderson both sat in third after their second runs before being bumped down to finish in seventh and eighth, respectively.

Forehand had an impressive second run, with judges loving his first rail combo - a right back swap transfer, pretzel 240 out - giving it the highest score of the day. They also loved his second jump, a switch left triple 1620 mute. Hall answered well, putting together an tricky first rail combo: a switch right tails on, tails over transfer, blind 450 out. Hall was the only athlete in the field using the transition feature so progressively, getting two hits out of it instead of just one. Hall talked about his approach to World Championships, saying, “My strategy lately has just been to go for the run I really feel like doing, having fun doing it and trying the hardest rail tricks I can think of.”

It is Forehand’s first World Championship medal and Hall’s second. Forehand reflected on sharing the podium with a teammate, saying, “My teammates are like my brothers at this point. With Alex up there with me today, it’s like having a brother with me, I really enjoyed it.”

On the women’s side, Grace Henderson finished ninth and Marin Hamill 11th. Both were stoked to put down a clean run when it counted and walk away from the season healthy and in high spirits. Switzerland's own Mathilde Gremaud finished first, with Austria's Lara Wolf in second and Canada's Megan Oldham in third.

Next up, the same squad will throw down in big air qualifications. Women’s qualifications are scheduled for Wednesday, March 26 and men’s on Thursday, March 27. Finals are on the March 29. Halfpipe qualifications are scheduled for Friday, March 28, with finals on March 30.

RESULTS
Women
Men

In a thrilling night sprint under the lights in Lahti, Finland, JC Schoonmaker delivered for the final individual sprint of the season, crossing the finish line in sixth. Schoonmaker's result made it another strong day for the Americans, with eight in the top 30 and four in the top 15. 

Schoonmaker led a strong contingent of American skiers as eight U.S. athletes advanced to the sprint heats—five men and three women. The men’s squad featured Schoonmaker, Gus Schumacher, Ben Ogden, Jack Young and Kevin Bolger, while Jessie Diggins, Julia Kern and Sammy Smith represented the women. Four Americans cracked the top 15, with Schumacher taking 12th, Kern 13th and Diggins 15th. Smith finished 25th, Ogden 19th, Bolger 20th and Young 30th.

"I feel proud of how I raced this season. It was the best preparation period for me before the season, so I’m happy to come out with some good racing, given the circumstances. I feel that I was able to learn a lot and gain more experience, which makes me extra motivated for next year."

"Today was variable, including the snow conditions. My body felt good, but my tactics didn’t go as planned. The times were really tight today, and the course was causing a lot of jam-ups and scrappy skiing. I’m proud I had a good start, and for trying to make moves out there and adjust my plan, but it wasn’t quite enough. Sprinting can be so fun but also requires a little luck. Today, I learn from my mistakes for next time." 

The night belonged to Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, who claimed his 16th consecutive sprint victory and secured the FIS Sprint Crystal Globe. On the women’s side, Finland’s Jasmi Joensuu earned the sprint win in front of a home crowd. Ben Ogden and Jessie Diggins ended the season in seventh place overall in the sprint standings, capping off another strong year for U.S. cross country skiing.

“It was a really cool atmosphere today – the lights were super bright; the crowd was amazing and I am super grateful to everyone for the love. This was maybe the only race of the year where there was no pressure, no points – I was just going out there racing for me, because I love it, and because it was fun! And I did have a ton of fun out there."

Schoonmaker’s breakthrough performance in Lahti adds momentum to the U.S. team as the season winds down, with just two races left: the team sprint tomorrow, March 22, and the 50k classic on Sunday, March 23. 

RESULTS
WOMEN
MEN