The Stifel U.S. Ski Team has once again arrived in a new country, this time for three more races before the 2025 FIS Ski World Championships, which kick off at the end of February. Today was the team sprint, where two athletes teamed up together. Gus Schumacher and JC Schoonmaker take home the top result of the day, crossing the line together in tenth. 

The athletes were ready to get things going with the sun shining bright and Italian fans packing into the sprint course atmosphere. With the team sprint format, the top 15 teams advance to the team sprint finals in a qualification round, similar to a standard sprint race. Though you have a teammate, you qualify individually and to advance, your combined times must be within the top 15.

The women kicked things off. For the USA team, Montana's Bridger Ski Foundation athletes Erin Bianco and Emma Albrecht qualified 14th to clinch a spot in the final. Bianco and Albrecht had their first World Cup debuts last season and are excited to be back racing at the sport's highest level.

For Albrecht, this weekend in Cogne is a chance to feel more comfortable on the World Cup. “I hope to leave with the confidence that I have what it takes to be competitive at the World Cup,” she said before the races. For Bianco, it’s all about gaining more World Cup experience. “I’m excited to hopefully treat this race as any other and stick to what I know how to do,” said Bianco. “It’s important to know you don’t have to do anything special and just ski your race.” 

In the women’s team sprint classic final, the pack was together for the first couple of laps, then it began to break up lightly, with USA trailing off the back. The pace from the leaders was fast - Norway, Switzerland and Sweden each taking turns with the lead, with the Finnish team not letting go of that podium potential.

With quick bumps, steep and short uphills and long straightaways, this course favored those with a strong double pole and fast transitions. In the finish, the podium ultimately went to Finland in first, Sweden in second, and Germany in third. USA finished 15th. 

Now, the men's turn at the course. Two USA teams were on the start list, with USA One represented by Gus Schumacher and JC Schoonmaker and Team Two by Zak Ketterson and Luke Jager. In the qualifier, Schumacher showed his speed - qualifying in fourth place. All men were in the top 30, putting up fast enough times to qualify USA teams one and two to the team sprint finals. 

In the first lap of six, Jager put the foot on the pedal and went for it. Into the first exchange, Schumacher and Jager gave their teammates—Schoonmaker to Schumacher and Ketterson to Jager—a perfect chance at maintaining their position in the front pack. 

Going into today’s race, Schumacher focused on feeling good and finding the speed he knew he had. For Schoonmaker, his focus was to “race my best and walk away feeling like I executed the races well.”

Into the race's second half, the Americans were falling back into the tight pack, with Norway, Finland and France expanding the gap ever so slightly. The pace began to accelerate, but the Americans could not hold on. At the end of the race, the Norwegians took home their fourth team sprint victory of the 2024-25 season, outsprinting France, who took second and Sweden in third. 

"It was fun to get to do a team event and team up with one of my best friends and a great guy, Zak!" said Jager. "I'm proud of and very thankful for all the hard work our team did to give us really good skis today, too."

"I am really proud of how Luke and I asserted ourselves and skied where we felt we belong," said Ketterson. "We had a really unfortunate crash that took us out of the fight, but prior to that I felt like it was some of the best skiing Luke or myself had ever done. Taking a lot of positives away from the experience into the next days."

The USA’s first team, including Schumacher and Schoonmaker, was 10th, and the USA team two, with Jager and Ketterson, was 14th. 

Tomorrow, the team is back to racing in another classic sprint. Watch live and on-demand on skiandsnowboard.live with heats taking off at 7:00 a.m. ET. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

20k skate races are no easy task and today’s was no different, except that the athletes had to complete the course in powder-skiing-like conditions. Yet, Jessie Diggins did what she does best - digging deep and finishing fifth on the day to wrap up three days of racing in Engadin, Switzerland. 

Hours before the race, the volunteers were shoveling, re-grooming, and trying to find the finish line in the snowglobe, which was the Engadin World Cup 20k course. With a point-to-point on the menu for the racers, as the saying goes, it was anyone’s game. But the real test wasn’t the distance, the challenging climbs, the high elevation - it was the pure grit it would have to take to get through the snow. 

The men were off the line first. Five Americans were on the roster today, including Gus Schumacher, Zanden McMullen, Luke Jager, Hunter Wonders and Zak Ketterson. With the mass start format, it was everyone all at once. At the first checkpoint of the course, some 6.5k in, the Americans were struggling to stay in the front group, but McMullen and Ketterson were working together to stay within the top 30. At the halfway mark, Ketterson was the lone American in the top 30 and raced consistently to round out the day. At the finish, Ketterson was just one place shy of his season-best distance result, crossing the line in 30th place—a substantial distance result for the Minnesotan. 

McMullen was just eight seconds behind Ketterson in 32nd, with Wonders in 44th, Schumacher in 39th and Jager in 65th. 

For the women, grit was the name of the game - who had the most of it? Who could push through? Diggins answered. 

The American women on the roster were led by Diggins, with Sophia Laukli, Julia Kern, Kate Oldham, Kendall Kramer, Luci Anderson, Lauren Jortberg and Alayna Sonnesyn in tow. 

At the 10.8k mark, Diggins was putting up a fight in the front, trailing behind Astrid Oeyre Slind of Norway but mere seconds - 5.7 to be exact. That became the common theme throughout the rest of the course, with Diggins, Slind Nora Sanness and Anne Kjersti Kalvaa of Norway and France’s Flora Dolici fighting for the top five. With only 2k remaining, Diggins had to put the hammer down, which she did. Yet, here came Jonna Sundling of Sweden, who had risen from sixth place to contend for the podium. Into the finishing stretch, the athletes were gassed, yet Diggins does what she does best - not give up. With the podium out of reach, Diggins sprinted like the first place was on the line and came from behind to have a photo-finish with Kalvaa and was beaten out by .01 of a second to get fifth on the day. Laura was 16th and Kern 19th, rounded out the top 30 for the U.S. women, an encouraging set of results for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team. Kramer was next in 36th, Oldham 38th in her first World Cup distance race, Anderson 46th, Jortberg 54th and Sonnesyn 55th. 

The women’s podium ultimately went to Norway’s Slind in first, teammate Sannes in second and Sundling of Sweden in third. 

Now, the team will rest and reset before another round of World Cup races next weekend. 

RESULTS

On a technical course with relentless turns and top speeds, the American team delivered an impressive performance in today’s skate sprint in Engadin, Switzerland, with eight athletes landing in the top 30. Among them were five women, including first-time World Cup racer Kate Oldham and Luci Anderson. Jessie Diggins led the team, finishing in sixth, with Ben Ogden and Julia Kern in 12th. 

Diggins led the charge and showcased her signature grit and speed. In winning her quarterfinal heat, Diggins advanced from the semifinals to the finals and battled her way to a sixth place finish. Despite breaking a pole after a tangle with Sweden’s Maja Dahlqvist, Diggins powered through to close out an impressive day for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team. Impressive meaning that over half of the team was in the top 30, a huge feat on the World Cup and a way to showcase the depth of the American skiers. 

"Today, the thorn was getting my ski stepped on and leading me to fall. But consequently, my rose was how I handled it. I think the thing about sportsmanship is that you only ever get your sense of sportsmanship tested when things go wrong. And i'm really proud i kept my head high, smiled and thanked the volunteers and fans, and took time to high-five cute little kids and wax techs! I'm proud of how I handled a situation that was obviously a bummer. Also, this is sport, and sometimes things like that happen."

Joining Diggins in the women’s sprint heats were Kern, Anderson, Oldham and Lauren Jortberg. This marked a special milestone for Oldham and Anderson as they each advanced to the sprint heats for the first time in their World Cup careers. Oldham's achievement was even more remarkable as it came in her World Cup debut—an unforgettable day for the Montana State University skier.

On the men’s side, Ogden, JC Schoonmaker and Jack Young advanced for the U.S. in the sprint heats and put together strong races. Ogden was the sole athlete to move out of the quarterfinals, and had his day cut short in the first semifinal heat. The men's race was won by Norway's Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, Sweden's young stand-out Edvin Anger in second and France's Lucas Chanavat in third. For the women, it was Sweden's Jonna Sundling in first, Norway's Kristine Stavaas Skistad in second and Dahlqvist in third. 

The Engadin World Cup wraps up Sunday with a 20k skate, promising another day of thrilling racing in this picturesque setting. Stay tuned as the American team looks to cap off a strong weekend.

RESULTS
Women
Men

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.

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. 

Jessie Diggins and Ben Ogden put on quite the show today in the first of three races in Les Rousses, France with Ogden in third and Diggins taking home her 25th career World Cup victory. 

Les Rousses, France is always a fun stop on the World Cup tour. The French fans come out in droves, the course is challenging and most importantly, the athletes are rested after a week off. 

Today’s 10k skate challenged all. A course with transitional downhills, steep poppy uphills and little rest, it was all gas from start to finish. With the interval start format, it was athlete against the clock. 

The men kicked things off with 57 men on the start list. The U.S. crew was led by Ogden, Kevin Bolger, Hunter Wonders and JC Schoonmaker. 

For Ogden, it was all gas, no brakes - his specialty. Some would say it’s difficult to find the balance of distance and sprint skiing - many athletes are specialists in one, yet Ogden is joining the ranks of skiers who can do both. Just last season, he clinched his first-ever World Cup podium in the skate sprint during the beginning stages of the Tour de Ski. Plagued by illness that took him out of the rest of the season, Ogden entered this season with high expectations and a “master plan” he looked to follow. After the Tour, Ogden graded the first half of his season. 

“It was a B+,” said Ogden. “I am happy with many performances but still was hoping to be a little stronger in certain ones.” 

Today, he was stronger. 

In the first splits of the race, Ogden was the one to beat — some would say he had near-perfect pacing. 

“I am really psyched with today, that was incredible. Really fired up to get on the podium and really excited to round out the sprint and distance third places - now I just need to get some classic results in there!”

Alongside Ogden was Bolger, who returned to the World Cup with a 28th place result, a solid distance result for the veteran. Schoonmaker was just outside of the top 30 in 31st and Wonders was 48th. The ultimate winner of the day went to Iver Tildheim Andersen of Norway and Paal Goldberg in second. 

For the women, the sentiment was the same. Diggins was the fastest out of the gate, pushing a pace no one could catch. Through the time check at the middle section of the race, her pace held steady over Norway's Astrid Slind and continued to increase over Sweden's Frida Karlsson and Germany's Victoria Carl.

Sophia Laukli had her own race and put up splits that challenged Diggins and the rest of the World Cup field. Laukli, a specialist in distance skate races, especially those with climbs, was on fire. Across the line, Laukli spent some time in the leader's chair before other races came in and ultimately finished the day in eighth place, a solid result. The rest of the U.S. women had strong races, including Luci Anderson of the U.S. Biathlon Team, who started her first-ever FIS Cross Country World Cup, crossing the line in 21st, with Brennan not far behind in 28th. Sonnesyn was 34th. 

“I'm just so happy,” said Diggins, post race. “I was super inspired by Ben this morning and the rest of the boys, and it got me really fired up to race today. Overall, it was a really good day and I just raced with my whole heart!” 

"Today was definitely a bit of a confidence boost I needed," said Laukli. "I actually felt more like myself racing so that’s all I can ask. Results wise I’m happy but I know I can still be moving up so it was definitely motivating to be back in the mix and close to the podium."

With today’s victory, Diggins continues her lead in the overall World Cup rankings and clinches her 25th World Cup victory of her career and fourth victory of the 2024-25 season. 

Saturday, the team is back at it for the classic sprint. Watch LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live, with heats starting at 8:45 a.m. ET. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

The 2025 U.S. National Championships have officially wrapped in Anchorage, Alaska, with new National Championships crowned and top results by athletes worldwide throughout the four races, including distance and sprint race formats. 

Kinkaid Park in Anchorage played host to hundreds of skiers–and even more volunteers–for the past week for the 2025 U.S. National Championships, which brought together junior and senior-level athletes from around the world, collegiate programs and the Stifel U.S. Ski Team. The race format was as follows: 10k skate interval start, 1.3k classic sprint, 20k classic mass and a 1.3k skate sprint. 

Kinkaid Park has long been a staple of the cross country ski community in Anchorage and despite the rain, cold temperatures and a mixture of manmade and natural snow, it held together nicely for the four races. On the first day, Jan . 4, athletes took to the track for the 10k skate. 

Day One: 10k Skate (National Championship)

In the interval format, 183 men took to the start line for the reportedly “very cold” race. John Steel Hagenbuch of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team B team and a Dartmouth College student-athlete took the win in a fast 10k time, notching a National Championship title to his decorated resume. After coming off racing in the first period of the World Cup, Hagenbuch took the win ahead of Norway’s Andreas Kirkeng by .8 seconds and 14.6 seconds ahead of University of Utah’s Walker Hall. Stifel U.S. Ski Team and Anchorage-local Luke Jager was just off the podium in fourth. For the domestic podium (only U.S. athletes), Hagenbuch was first, Hall second and Jager third. Results can be found here. 

For the women, 151 athletes took to the interval start gate. It was a fight between Stifel U.S. Ski Team and the University of Alaska Fairbanks dual athlete Kendall Kramer, Montana State’s Kate Oldham and University of Utah’s Erica Laven. Kramer ultimately took second place in the final result. Oldham led the domestic podium, Kramer in second and U.S. Biathlon athlete Luci Anderson in third. Results here. 

Day Two: Classic Sprint (National Championship)

Sprinting was on the program for the second day of racing at Kincaid. In the qualification round, Jager put down the fastest time, with Bridger Ski Foundation’s Erin Bianco winning the round for the women. With the top 30 from both men and women qualifying for the sprint heats, it was anyone’s game to take home the National Championship title. It was cold and windy going into the heats, but three more races would determine the day's winner. For the men, Jager was leading the way with his qualification win. Through the heats, Norway’s Kirkeng, who was second in the 10k skate two days prior, moved up a place and took home the overall win. Jager was second, holding off his teammate Michael Earnhart, who was third. Yet, looking at the domestic podium, it wasn’t only a Stifel U.S. Ski Team sweep but all athletes from Anchorage growing up skiing and racing on these tracks their entire lives were on the podium together, with Jager in first, Earnhart second and Murphy third. Results here. 

For the women, Bianco was the athlete to beat and Sammy Smith was the one to do it for the domestic podium. After a successful first season of D1 soccer at Stanford, Smith returned to ski racing with minimal skiing under her belt this season. Despite the late start to the season, Smith was the first American across the sprint finish, becoming the U.S. National Champion for the classic sprint. Following her was Bozeman’s Bianco, who is coming off some World Cup racing and rounded out by Dartmouth’s Nina Seemann in third. For the overall podium, Sweden’s Erica Laven was first and Estonia’s Mariel Merlii was second. Results here. 

Day Three: 20k Classic (National Championship)

Back to distance racing for the third day of events. It was a mass start day, with all athletes immediately off the line in one pack. In the men’s race, the field never really broke up - skiers raced in a pack most of the race through the four laps of the 5k course. In the final lap, it was anyone’s race, but Norway’s Kirkeng put the hammer down and crossed the finish line first, taking home another win. Seconds later, Stifel U.S. Ski Team’s Hagenbuch was in second place and Jager third. The domestic podium was in Hagenbuch’s favor, with the Dartmouth senior taking home his second victory of the National Championships, with Jager in second and Will Koch in third. Results here. 

In the women’s race, it was Fairbanks local Kramer who made a statement on the course, taking home her first National Championship title in front of family, friends, teammates, and more. It was her against Laven, pushing a pace that was too fast for the rest of the field. Skiing together for most of the race was a fight from start to finish. Neck-to-neck into the final stretch, Kramer took it into another gear, crossing the line in first place and clinching her first-ever National Championship title. Laven was second and Lauren Jortberg of Quebec Ski Club was third. Domestic results were led by Kramer, with Jortberg in second and Oldham in third. Results here. 

Final Day: Skate Sprint (SuperTour)

It’s been a long week of racing in Anchorage, and the classic sprint has wrapped up all the action. The day started with a stellar skate sprint qualifier by an Anchorage skier and first-year Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Murphy Kimball and Laven winning the women's qualifier. Into the heats, the course was quickly deteriorating because of the rain. Still, the athletes put their best ski forward and continued, with the course surprisingly staying intact despite the unfavorable weather. Into the final, Alaska’s Earnhart, a Stifel U.S. Ski Team B Team athlete, took home the SuperTour win, with Walker Hall of the University of Utah Ski Team in second and Carl Rune of Sweden in third. Earnhart, Hall topped the domestic podium in second and Reid Goble of the Bridger Ski Foundation in third. Results here. For the women, Team Birkie’s Mariel Merlii led the way first, with Laven second and Kate Oldham third. The domestic podium was led by Oldham, Anderson in second, and Stifel U.S. Ski Team’s Smith in third. Results here. 
 

On the final stage of the 2023-24 Tour de Ski, Jessie Diggins took sixth place in the Final Climb to secure third overall in the Tour de Ski.

After six grueling stages featuring new Olympic-style courses prepped for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games next season, the remaining six athletes from the Stifel U.S. Ski Team lined up for the mass start of the climb. The course, new to the Tour, led athletes through a lap of the Val di Fiemme course, then down the winding Marcialonga tourist track to the base of the alpine hill. The race concluded with a brutal 4k ascent up the alpine course of Alpe Cermis, featuring a steady gradient of 12%, with the steepest section averaging 28% – the same gradient as the Champions course that moguls athletes race on at the Intermountain Health Freestyle International presented by Stifel at Deer Valley.  

Diggins entered the final stage in the women's race ranked third in the overall standings and had to fight for every second to secure the overall podium position. Despite a strong push from Norway’s Therese Johaug, Diggins held on to finish sixth on the day, clinching the overall Tour de Ski podium in the process. 

“Oh man, I don’t think you’ve ever seen a happier third place than what you’re seeing now,” said Diggins. “It’s so awesome to finish this tour and an overall podium kind of happened against all odds! It was a really epic tour, in ways that I didn’t ask for. I learned to be tough in new ways and it was a huge thanks to the amazing team around me. I am definitely excited for some rest now but it was so great to fight out there today! I am so lucky that our alpine girls were out there cheering today, and also my husband! I and the team had so much support, it was awesome.”

Norwegian teammates Astrid Oeyre Slind and Heidi Weng finished second and third for the day, with Johaug first and Slind second overall in the Tour de Ski standings. It is Johaug’s fourth Tour de Ski win, equaling the record—a particularly impressive feat for the skier who took off the last two seasons from professional ski racing.

Sophia Laukli was 15th in the Final Climb with Julia Kern 19th. Last year, Laukli became the youngest American to win an individual cross country World Cup, when she won the Final Climb. Julia Kern was 19th.

Kern was the next American after Diggins in the overall, finishing in 17th, while Laukli was 21st.  

Ben Ogden, Zanden McMullen and Jack Young represented the remaining Stifel U.S. Ski Team Tour de Ski male athletes. Up the Alpe Cermis, Ogden and McMullen fought through the pain, skiing around the alpine gates to land in the top 20: McMullen in 19th and Ogden 20th. Young, whose finish marked his first-ever Tour de Ski – his 2024-25 season goal – crossed the finish line in 53rd. 

Going into the day, Ogden was ranked 15th in the Tour de Ski overall ranking and maintained his position. This was his second best finish in the Tour de Ski, finishing 13th overall two years ago. Ogden also secured seventh in the sprint standings. McMullen was 21st overall and Young 55th. 

The day's winner went to Norway’s Simen Hegstad Krueger, followed by Mika Vermeulen of Austria in second and Friedrich Moch of Germany in third.

With a remarkable 1:23.1 second lead and four victories out of seven stages, Norway’s Johannes Klaebo secured a record-equaling fourth Tour win. Vermeulen of Austria was second and Hugo Lapalus of France was third.

Cheering on the Stifel U.S. Ski Team racers were their alpine teammates Lindsey Vonn and Alison Molin. “This is a ski slope that is meant to go downhill!” said Vonn. “It’s counterintuitive to go up! But this is incredible.” 

The Stifel U.S. Ski Team women and men both finished fourth overall in the nation standings of the Tour de Ski. 

The cross country athletes will head to their respective recovery camp locations before the World Cup season continues in Les Rousses, France Jan. 17-19.

RESULTS
Women
Men

OVERALL RESULTS
Women
Men

CLIMBER
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Men

SPRINT
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NATION
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Men

The Tour de Ski continued in Val di Fiemme, Italy with the sixth stage of the grueling series—the 20k skiathlon, which saw Jessie Diggins in fifth and Julia Kern in a career-best distance result in seventh.

Today's race marked the second race in Val di Fiemme, a venue preparing to host the world’s best athletes at the upcoming 2026 Olympic Winter Games next year. It also delivered standout performances from the remaining six athletes on the Stifel U.S. Ski Team's Tour de Ski roster. The new course tested the field with 10k of classic skiing followed by 10k of skate skiing, with a ski change at the halfway point of the six-lap course. This format demands physical endurance and tactical precision, as it features some highly challenging descents met with steep climbs. 

The men’s race started the day with Zanden McMullen powering to a strong 17th place result and Ben Ogden following closely in 21st. At this point in the Tour, athletes are mentally and physically fatigued from racing six times in eight days. Only 61 athletes remained on the start list in the day's first race, but McMullen, Ogden and Jack Young put the hammer down. Throughout the six laps, McMullen and Ogden were in and out of the lead and chase pack, fighting for position in the ripping descents, hairpin turns and steep climbs.

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo continued his streak, winning the race and leading in the overall Tour de Ski rankings, with Italian Federico Pellegrino in second and Jan Thomas Jenssen of Norway in third. 

For the women, a field reduced to just 36 competitors due to illness made for an even tighter race. Diggins and Kern were in the mix, fighting for top positions from the start. After the ski change, Norway’s Therese Johaug established a gap, but Diggins and Kern kept pushing, sometimes skiing solo or within a pack, to secure top results. Kern, mere seconds behind, delivered a breakout performance and put her name on the map for World Cup distance races. After a less-than-desirable result and race for Kern the day prior, the 20K result showed how never giving up works out.

"I've had a lot of bad luck so far this season and just not all the pieces coming together on the right day all of the time," said Kern. "I knew there was a lot more potential today and I hadn't really shown my best yet in distance racing, or sprints, so I really believe that there's a lot more to give into show. And today, I had incredible skis that helped me do that and my body was responding well to my surprise! I just bounced back today, and I kept believing that there's so much more potential. I'm really excited for what's to come!"

"I was just looking forward to changing to skate," said Diggins, laughing. Diggins is currently dealing with a foot injury that makes classic skiing painful, yet she can still race. "And skating just gives me the normal amount of hurting - and I know how to handle that. So I just put my head down and fought for every second and was just trying to ski my own race. I am really proud! And really proud of our team." 

Sophia Laukli, despite falling and breaking a pole on the first lap, continued the fight, and in the five laps that followed her fall, Laukli continued to pick off athlete-by-athlete, charging the uphills as the strong climber she is to finish 20th.

The women's race resulted in Johaug taking home the win, Teresa Stadlober of Austria in second and Astrid Oeyre Slind of Norway in third. 

Tomorrow, all eyes are on the iconic Final Climb—a brutal 8-kilometer uphill battle up the Alpe Cermis alpine hill. Last year, Laukli etched her name into the history books with a commanding victory on the climb, becoming the youngest American to win a World Cup race. With Laukli’s history on this course, all eyes will be on her as she looks to repeat that feat. Diggins has moved into third place in the Tour de Ski standings, including third in the sprint standings, positioning herself as a serious contender heading into the finale, with Ben Ogden leading the men in 13th overall. 

RESULTS
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Men

OVERALL TOUR DE SKI RESULTS
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Men

The third stage of the Tour de Ski in Toblach, Italy, delivered an exciting day for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team. On the challenging 20k skate course, Ben Ogden achieved a career-best ninth-place finish in distance racing, securing third overall in the Tour standings and Jessie Diggins, Sophia Laukli and Julia Kern all finished within the top 15. 

The men started off the day's races, with the 20k skate featuring a brand new course ahead of them. The course, starting in Toblach Stadium and stretching out toward the Tre Cime mountain range in the Dolomites, challenged the athletes with its lack of rest points - it was all out from the start. Strong gliders and powerful skiers thrived on this “working” course, which demanded consistent effort.

For the men, Ogden, Gus Schumacher, JC Schoonmaker, Jack Young and Zanden McMullen were representing the U.S. At the same time, the women were led by the overall leader, Diggins, then Laukli, Kern, Rosie Brennan and Alayna Sonnesyn. 

Often used as a "tourist track," this course is narrow and unrelenting. Appearing flat, it was anything but that - racers had to put the hammer down from start to finish. It was the sunniest part of the day for the men when the start gun went off. With 91 skiers on the roster and a new course in front of them, it was truly anyone's game. Through the checkpoints, Schumacher and Ogden were showing impressive splits. At the top of the climb, racers did a horseshoe to turn around and come back down, with the Tre Cime towering overhead in the distance. There, Ogden was sitting just outside the top 10, in 11th, with just the downhill. At 15.6k, the final checkpoint, Ogden was solidly in the top 10 and into the finish, he put down the hammer to cross the line in ninth - this was the best skate distance result of his World Cup career. 

"Today will absolutely go down as my best distance race ever!" said Ogden. "Really pumped with that and with the progress I've made lately."

With the men's race wrapped, Ogden was ninth, Schumacher 34th, McMullen 52nd, Schoonmaker 53rd and Young 71st. Norwegians Harald Amundsen was first, Simen Krueger second and Great Britain's Andrew Musgrave in third.  

For the women, all eyes were on Diggins, as this race not only played to her strengths but she's coming off two back-to-back wins the days previous. 

Wearing the yellow bib marking her as the overall Tour de Ski leader, Diggins started right behind teammate Kern. In their favor, this course was made easier if you had someone to work with - whether drafting, taking turns leading, or just fighting the up and downhill together. That is just what Kern and Diggins did. For Laukli, the sentiment was the same. However, she was working alongside Germany's Victoria Karl, who ended the day just off the podium tied for fourth. With the teamwork, Laukli finished the day 10th, a big step forward in her Tour de Ski results, giving her more confidence going into the final stages. Kern and Diggins skied the entire course together and crossed the line together, with Diggins in sixth and Kern in 13th. Brennan was 37th and Sonnesyn 51st, respectively. Norwegians Astrid Oeyre Slind led the podium in first, Therese Johaug in second and Kerttu Niskanen of Finland in fourth. 

"It was so hard - but it was also so cool," said Diggins. "The best part was that I got to ski with my teammate Julia, whom I trained with all summer. We had a plan that if we caught together, we would work together. On the downhill, we had amazing communication and collaboration. Without her, it would have been a really tough time for me - because you either got lucky to ski with someone or didn't. That's ski racing!"

"This is the type of race that you go through a lot of emotions!" Said Laukli. "I was in a dark hole after the past two races and didn't know if I wanted to keep going but I really want to fulfill the Tour and I want to keep going!"

With three stages completed, the Tour heads to stage four tomorrow before moving to Val di Fiemme, Italy, for the final three stages. Diggins remains the overall leader, while Ogden’s strong position in third makes the Stifel U.S. Ski Team one to watch as the Tour continues.

RESULTS 
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Women