Diggins Ninth in 20k Classic Mass Start

Coming off a victory in the 10k and a fourth in the skate sprint, Jessie Diggins rounds out the Cross Country World Cup in Lillehammer, Norway with a ninth place in today's 20k classic mass start and teammate Gus Schumacher skied a smart race and ended the weekend with a 17th place finish. 

Diggins started the race in the lead pack and promptly finished in the lead pack, only 5.5 seconds back from the winner, Frida Karlsson of Sweden. In typical mass start fashion, it was chaos from the start, as over 57 racers descend onto the 3.3k lap course. "It was pretty clear it was a chaotic day out there, " Diggins said while laughing. "It is the kind of course that keeps things together. There were a number of attempts to break it up, but everyone just kept coming back together on that long winding downhill." 

On the six-lap course, with spectators cheering at every corner, the women skied a fast and technical race. The Americans again had fast skis, evidenced by the lack of slipping on the steep uphills and gliding on the flats and downhills. 

"Overall, I am happy with where my body is at and where my fitness is at, there are always things I want to work on and there are always learning opportunities out there. I definitely took some lessons away from this race that I want to apply forward to the next classic race," said Diggins. 

Teammates Alayna Sonnesyn finished 36th, Sophia Laukli 39th and Julia Kern 44th, all scoring World Cup points for their top 50 finishes. 

Schumacher Top 20 in Lillehammer

Gus Schumacher had a great day on the course, skiing with the pack and finishing in 17th place. Throughout the laps, Schumacher steadily chipped away and had energy until he crossed the line. 

"It's been a while since I was stringing together good races, so to be getting better and better every time I put a bib on is huge for me," said Gus Schumacher. "Today in particular was a chaotic race, with no big operating features on the course, so the pack stayed together the whole race. Even so, the feeling of being able to be proactive closer to the front and reactive near the back was a good feeling and is a product of feeling good and having good skis. So, I'm stoked about it!"

Schumacher was only 6.6 seconds behind the winner, Paal Goldberg of Norway. Teammates Hunter Wonders was 31st, Zak Ketterson 26th, and Ben Ogden 46th, all scoring World Cup Points. Scott Patterson was 57th. 

The next set of races will be in Beitostolen, Norway where the team will race a classic sprint, a 10k classic and a 4.5k classic/freestyle team sprint. 

RESULTS 

Women's 20k Classic

Men's 20k Classic

Jessie Diggins finished fourth to lead four U.S. Ski Team athletes into the top 10 in the FIS Cross Country World Cup freestyle sprint in Lillehammer, Norway, on Saturday. Ben Ogden posted a career-best World Cup result, finishing seventh, and Julia Kern and JC Schoonmaker each finished eighth. 

“We had some awesome skis out there,” Diggins said, once again praising the effort of the U.S. service techs. “It was so cool seeing the U.S. Team as a whole having such a great day.”

Diggins posted the fifth-fastest qualifying time and advanced to the finals after finishing second in the opening quarterfinal heat. She then advanced as the Lucky Loser in the semifinal heat. 

Kern was 20th in qualifying and came out swinging when she skied away from the field to take the opening-round win in the fifth heat. In the semifinals, Kern was locked in on the second Lucky Loser position, only to watch it slip away when Norway’s Lotta Udnes Weng crashed in front of her in the closing 200 meters. 

“I was able to react pretty quickly and get around her,“ Kern said. “And I felt really strong coming into the finish, but that little blip and hiccup cost me. But that’s sprint racing.”

In the finals, Diggins was well-positioned on the first of two laps, but racing up the final climb into the finish, the Swedish duo of Emma Ribom and Maja Dahlquist put the hammer down and finished 1-2 with Norway’s Tiril Udnes Weng in third.

“I had the skis, I just didn’t have the gas and the sharp race form feeling in that final, but that’s OK. I’m really happy with the day and the performance,” Diggins said. 

In an impressive showing for the young U.S. men’s team, three qualified for the heats, including Ogden, Schoonmaker, and Luke Jager, who posted a career-best World Cup freestyle sprint result, finishing 25th.

“Ben and JC and Luke, they skied so well,” Diggins added. “I was really, really impressed. They were (so close) to getting into the final too. It was cool to feel that energy as a team out there today.”

Ogden and Schoonmaker, who qualified 20th and 24th respectively, each won their opening quarterfinal heats to advance. Racing in the second semifinal heat, both were in the mix heading in the final 200 meters but came up short with overall World Cup leader Paal Goldberg of Norway leading countryman Ansger Evensen across the line to finish 1-2. 

In the men’s finals, Norway’s Johannes Kleabo put on another sprint show, skiing to his 55th World Cup victory. Italy’s Frederico Pellegrino was second, and Norway’s Evan Northug was third.

World Cup racing wraps up Sunday in Lillehammer with a 20k classic mass start.

RESULTS
Women’s freestyle sprint
Men’s freestyle sprint

Jessie Diggins skied to her 13th individual World Cup win - tying her former teammate Kikkan Randall for the most U.S. World Cup Cross Country victories - in Friday's opening 10k individual start in Lillehammer, Norway.

"First and foremost, I want to say thanks to the wax techs and the team. I am really proud of their effort because my skis were so awesome out there," said Jessie Diggins in a post-race reflection. "I went into the race with the plan of trying to ski really smooth, pace it evenly, work the transitions and the corners and push hard into the downhills and maximize every second that I could." 

On a fast, 3.3k loop course lined by numerous American fans, fast skis, high tempo, and quick transitions made all the difference for Diggins. Germany's Katharina Hennig was sitting comfortably in the hot seat until Diggins skied through every time check with positive splits. Hennig held on for second, 3.8 seconds back, with Heidi Weng of Norway rounding out the podium in third. 

"My fitness and brain were in a really good place and today I felt like when I asked my body to go deep into the pain cave, it responded," said Diggins. 

Julia Kern and Sophia Laukli also posted top 30 results, finishing 25th and 29th respectively. Alayna Sonnesyn was 32nd, and Lauren Jortberg was 48th in her first World Cup distance race.

With the win, Diggins has racked up 250 World Cup starts, 41 podiums and 15 overall World Cup wins, including a U.S. Team Sprint win in Quebec in 2012, and a Mixed Team victory in Falun, Sweden, last season.

In the men's 10k, Zak Ketterson led the U.S. Ski Team, finishing 26th. Gus Schumacher was 32nd, Scott Patterson 40th, Hunter Wonders was 45th, and Ben Ogden was 56th.

"The fans were pretty fun," Ketterson said. "I actually noticed the cheering the most while I was skiing around the course on my warmup. Tons of American and Norwegian fans cheering for me and asking me silly questions. Can always rely on Norway to provide an awesome World Cup experience."

Racing continues in Lillehammer Saturday with a freestyle sprint, followed by a 20k classic mass start on Sunday. All events are streamed LIVE on skiandsnowboardlive.com.

RESULTS
Women's 10k freestyle individual start
Men's 10k freestyle individual start
 

The U.S. Cross Country Ski Team is in Ruka, Finland for the first World Cup of the season, racing in three different races; classic sprint, 10k classic and 20k skate. Men and women all raced equal distance, which marks the first time equal distance has been implemented on the World Cup stage.

Classic Sprint

On Friday, Nov., 25, eleven athletes started the sprint race on the fast and quick course in Ruka. Julia Kern led the women's team with a personal record (PR) in a World Cup sprint, finishing in 11th place with teammate Jessie Diggins finishing top 30 in the stacked women's field. On the men's side, JC Schoonmaker had a stellar start to the season in 19th and Ben Ogden rounds out the top 30 finishing in 22nd. Norwegian star, Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo started off the season with a sprint podium for the men and Emma Ribom from Sweden was atop the sprint podium for the women. 

"It was really great to get the processes back in action," says Diggins. "I didn't have any big expectations in terms of results, I just had big expectations in terms of my process, technique focus and mental game. I was focused on dialing in all the things I could control and I was happy with how it's going so far!"

Results

Women's Sprint

Men's Sprint

10k Classic

On Saturday, Nov., 26, Rosie Brennan had a great day finishing in seventh, only 29 seconds back from the leader in the 10k classic. A two-time Olympian, Brennan is off to a great start in the first World Cup of the season. For the men, summer training is looking like it paid off, as Ben Ogden skied very well into a top-30 finish in 28th place with several teammates close behind, including Zak Ketterson who had his best classic World Cup start finishing the day in 31st. With one more race of the weekend to go, both men's and women's teams are looking strong, healthy and excited for more. 

"I am very happy with today's race. It felt really good to be able to turn around after a disappointing day yesterday," says Brennan. "I was able to find a good rhythm and strong skiing today and that is all I can ask for in my first race weekend of the year. I am pleased with some of the technical improvements I have made over the summer and am hopeful to have stronger classic races this season. I am really looking forward to tomorrow. It feels like a big opportunity with a new distance and I am excited to see what happens!"

For the podium on the men's side, Norway's Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo snags another first place and Ebba Andersson from Sweden is the winner for the women's 10k classic. 

Results 

Women's 10k Classic

Men's 10k Classic

20k Skate Pursuit 

What a weekend in Ruka! Today was the 20k skate pursuit on the hard, technical and hilly course in Finland. Both men and women raced the same distance and the Americans had solid races all around on the six-lap course. 

Leading the charge for the women was Rosie Brennan, followed closely by Jessie Diggins. Brennan and Diggins stuck with the chaser pack for the majority of the race chasing down Frida Karlsson and Ebba Anderson from Sweden. Brennan pushed it right at the end and had a photo finish, ultimately landing in sixth place. Diggins was right there in top ten and crossed the line in tenth, which rounds out her personal best results in Ruka. Novie McCabe scored her first World Cup points of the season after finishing in 25th place and a trio of her teammates, Alayna Sonnesyn, Sophia Laukli and Julia Kern finished together, immediately embracing in a hug the second after crossing the finish line. 

For the men, Scott Patterson was first on the team and in the mix the entire race, finishing in 14th place - his best result in Ruka to date. A great start to the World Cup for Patterson, who has shown what it takes to be in the top! The pack was fast, as were the skis. Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR) won again, but the American men held their own and worked together with the various chaser packs and had great races all around. Hunter Wonders had another fast day and skied to a 30th place in the 20k pursuit, with many of his teammates close behind, including Zak Ketterson, Gus Schumacher and Ben Ogden. 

Results

Women's 20k Skate Pursuit

Men's 20k Skate Pursuit

U.S. Ski & Snowboard is proud to name 22 athletes to the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team for the 2022-23 season. The 2022-23 team includes those active athletes who qualified based on the published selection criteria in the prior season.

“Over the course of the year, the coaching staff has been continually impressed by the dedication, professionalism, and preparedness of this amazing group of athletes, and we’re so excited to see what they can do this season,” said U.S. Cross Country Team Directory Chris Grover. 

Three-time Olympic medalist Jessie Diggins, and two-time Olympians Rosie Brennan and Scott Patterson return to lead the team into the 2023 World Championship season. Joining Diggins, Brennan, and Patterson on the A Team are 2022 Olympians JC Schoonmaker, Julia Kern, Novie McCabe, and Ben Ogden. 

The B Team includes 2022 Olympians Hailey Swirbul, Sophia Laukli, Gus Schumacher, Kevin Bolger, and Luke Jager. John Steel Hagenbuch and Hunter Wonders move from the D-Team to the B Team, and Zak Ketterson re-joins the national team program as a member of the B Team for the 2022-23 season. Finn O’Connell joins the B Team for the first time after finishing fourth in the overall 2021-22 SuperTour standings, which included nine individual top-10 results. 

The 2022-23 Development Team includes returning team athletes Sydney Palmer-Leger – the 2020-21 NCAA Champion – and Zanden McMullen. New Development Team athletes include Samantha Smith - who recently represented Team USA at the U-17 Women’s Soccer World Cup in India – Will Koch, Michael Earnhart, and Walker Hall.

The 2022-23 FIS Cross Country World Cup season is scheduled to kick off with races in Ruka, Finland Nov. 25-27. The 2023 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships are scheduled for Feb. 21 through March 5 in Planica, Slovenia.

2022-23 U.S. Cross Country Team
(Hometown; Club; Birthdate)

A TEAM
Women

• Rosie Brennan (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Pacific University Ski Nordic Center; 12/21/88)
• Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.; Stratton Mountain School Elite Team; 8/26/91)
• Julia Kern (Waltham, Mass.; Stratton Mountain School Elite Team; 9/12/97)
• Novie McCabe (Winthrop, Wash.; Methow Valley Nordic Team/University of Utah; 12/15/01)

Men

• Ben Ogden (Landgrove, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School Elite Team/University of Vermont; 2/13/00)
• Scott Patterson (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center; 1/28/92)
• JC Schoonmaker (Tahoe City, Calif; Sugar Bowl Ski Team and Academy; 8/12/00)

B TEAM
Women

• Sophia Laukli (Yarmouth, Maine; University of Utah; 6/8/00)
• Hailey Swirbul (Aspen, Colo.; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center; 7/10/98)

Men

• Kevin Bolger (Minocqua, Wisc.; Sun Valley Gold Team; 4/11/93)
• John Steel Hagenbuch (Ketchum, Idaho; Dartmouth College; 10/1/2001)
• Luke Jager (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center/University of Utah; 1/17/00)
• Zak Ketterson (Bloomington, Minn; Team Birkie 4/2/97)
• Finn O’Connell (Bozeman, Mont.; Bridger Ski Foundation; 6/26/1998)
• Gus Schumacher (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Winter Stars; 7/25/00)
• Hunter Wonders (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center; 8/7/98)

DEVELOPMENT TEAM
Women

• Sydney Palmer-Leger (Park City, Utah; Stratton Mountain School/University of Utah; 2/4/2002)
• Sammy Smith (Boise, Idaho; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation; 9-22-2005)

Men

• Michael Earnhart (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center; 8-11-2002)
• Walker Hall  (Winthrop, Wash.; Methow Valley Nordic Team/University of Utah; 6-11-2002)
• Will Koch (Peru, Vermont; Stratton Mountain School T2/University of Colorado; 2-21-2002)
• Zanden McMullen (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center; 5/31/2001)

Cross Country Coaches and Staff

• Cross Country Program Director: Chris Grover
• Head Coach: Matt Whitcomb                    
• World Cup Coach: Jason Cork                                     
• D Team Coach: Kristen Bourne
• Development Team Coach: Greta Anderson                                                                            
• Cross Country Sport Development Manager: Bryan Fish                       
• Cross Country Sport Coordinator: Adam St. Pierre              
• Cross Country Communications Manager: Tom Horrocks

Service Staff

• Head of Service: Oleg Ragilo           
• World Cup Service: Bjørn Heimdal    
• World Cup Service: Tim Baucom                         
• World Cup Service: Eli Brown    
• World Cup Service: Chris Hecker
• World Cup Service: Karel Kruuser    

2022-23 FIS World Cup Schedule
2022-23 National Nordic Foundation SuperTour Schedule

Follow the U.S. Cross Country Team:
Instagram: @usskiteam
Facebook: @usskiandsnowboard
TikTok: @usskiandsnowboard
Twitter: @usskiteam

The season is coming and ski and snowboard fans worldwide are excited to cheer on their favorite athletes as they compete in the 2022-23 season. But between all ski and snowboard sports, there are dozens of World Cup races, and watching on television or streaming is a little complicated. We’re here to simplify the process so all you have to do is cheer.

There are three main ways to watch U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes compete all over the world; through Outside+, NBC/Peacock and through skiandsnowboard.live. 
 

How to Watch DOMESTIC U.S. World Cups: Outside+ and NBC platforms

STREAMING: Outside+

Through a new partnership, Outside+ is the new streaming broadcaster of our domestic World Cups with over 90 hours of competition at your fingertips. Now, you can watch all FIS World Cups (alpine, cross country, freestyle, snowboard, and freeski) held in the United States LIVE through the Outside platforms. Outside platforms include OutsideOnline.com, SkiMag.com, Outside App and OutsideTV.

Many events will be free to watch on Outside, but with an Outside+ subscription (less than $5 per month or $29.99 annually) you will be guaranteed the opportunity to watch the most ever World Cups on U.S. soil. All eight alpine, freestyle, snowboard and freeski domestic 2022-23 FIS World Cup Events will be available to watch LIVE through Outside’s services, along with archived footage and more.

ON TELEVISION: NBC / CNBC 

NBC platforms will also broadcast all eight domestic FIS World Cups for the 2022-23 season. NBC will present 19 hours of coverage for the domestic World Cup event’s across their multiple platforms, including live and tape-delayed coverage on NBC, CNBC and simulcasted on Peacock. 

Step 1: If you don’t have access to broadcast television, download PeacockTV 

FIS World Cups are only available for viewing with a paid Peacock Premium subscription. So, create an account and subscribe to PeacockTV Premium for only $4.99/month with commercials or $9.99/month without, and have full access through live or on-demand and delayed coverage. 

Step 2: Find your events on PeacockTV 

1. Create an account
2. Subscribe to Peacock Premium 
3. Click on the sports tab, and scroll down the page until you see the section “Skiing and Snowboarding” 
4. Hover your mouse over the scheduled broadcasts and find the event you would like to watch (there are several events happening every single weekend, so don’t give up if it looks overwhelming!).
5. Watch the event, or add it to your watchlist to view at a later date. 
6. You can find your watchlist and replays of other events under your account. 

U.S. FIS World Cup action includes:

Alpine: Heroic Killington Cup in Killington, Vermont, Xfinity Birds of Prey in Beaver Creek, Colorado, the Aspen World Cup in Aspen, Colorado, and the Palisades Tahoe World Cup in Olympic Valley, California. 

Freestyle: Intermountain FIS Freestyle International at Deer Valley Resort in Deer Valley, Utah, Freeski/Snowboard: Toyota Grand Prix events at Mammoth Mountain in California and Copper Mountain, Colorado, and the Visa Big Air presented by Toyota at Copper Mountain, Colorado.
 

How to Watch INTERNATIONAL FIS World Cup Events: skiandsnowboard.live

To watch almost all of the action overseas, head over to skiandsnowboard.live. This is a one-stop shop to see all of the races and competitions happening around the world. There will be live English commentary on all events. But important to note: Ski and Snowboard Live will not have any World Cups held in Austria. 

To watch the events, you will need to pay. An All Access Pass ($12.99/month now, up to $15.99/month starting in November) grants you access to all FIS World Cup and World Championship events outside of the U.S. (excluding Austria) billed as a monthly subscription. There are also sport-specific passes ($8.99/month) or you can pay per race ($1.99). 

There are portals for each discipline, and you can watch all archived footage of past events, highlights from races, and more.

How to Watch AUSTRIAN FIS World Cup Events

In the agreement with NBC and Austria, you can now watch Austrian World Cup events like the Soelden World Cup on October 22-23, 2022 as well as Hahnenkamm, Flachau, Stubai, and more through NBC and Peacock. 

We know this is a lot of information, so we will also post the television and streaming schedule every week on our social channels and keep the schedule updated on our website. Follow along, and get ready to cheer on the athletes because #theszniscoming! 

Current television broadcast and streaming schedules for all sports are available on our website, here. Sport-specific broadcast and streaming schedules are available below:

• Alpine
• Cross Country
• Freeski
• Freestyle
• Snowboard

Join the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team and the U.S. Biathlon Team for the Second Annual Schutzenski Festival at Solider Hollow on October 15 and 16, 2022. The Schutzenski Festival is a great opportunity to watch elite-level Biathlon and Cross Country athletes train and race on the storied 2022 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games course. 

Throughout the day, spectators will have a front-row seat to cheer on some of the best cross country and biathlon racers in the country. For the elite XC ski races, several U.S. Cross Country Ski Team athletes will race including Olympic gold and silver medalist Jessie Diggins, University of Utah Ski Team athletes Luke Jager and Novie McCabe, and many more. 

Public activities include biathlon and roller ski clinics, meet-and-greets with elite athletes, vendor villages, industry demos and more. Don’t miss out on this unique event at the iconic Solider Hollow Nordic Center, the site of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games!

EVENT SCHEDULE for Saturday, October 15:

• 6:30 AM: Race Registration Opens
• 8:15 AM: XC Rollerski Open Race
• 8:30 AM: FREE 1km Dino Fun Run Begins
• 8:40 AM: 5/10km Run/Walk Begins
• 9:00 – 11:00 AM: Coffee & Breakfast Food Trucks available
• 9:00 AM – 12:15 PM: Elite Biathlon & XC Ski Races (Spectators Welcome!)
• 11:00 AM: Beer Garden Opens
• 12:15 PM: Wild West Shootout
• 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM: Open Biathlon and Ski Races
• 12:45 PM: Awards
• 1:14 PM: Athlete Meet & Greet
• 1:30 PM: Open Biathlon Race
• 2:00 PM: Public Biathlon Sessions
• 2:15-4:15 PM: Industry Demos
• 4:00 PM: Beer Garden Closes

Learn more from the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation. 

Sammy Smith will soon suit up for the United States in a second sport.

The U.S. women’s soccer team on Thursday selected the Boise High junior for next month’s U-17 World Cup in India, adding to a breakthrough year for the multisport star — on her 17th birthday.

“I was really shocked, especially after not being invited to some of the recent events. I’m super excited. I can’t wait. It’s going to be a great opportunity.”
- Sammy Smith

The U-17 Women’s World Cup kicks off Oct. 11, when the United States takes on host India at 8:30 a.m. Mountain time. The U.S. also drew Brazil and Morocco in Group A. Fox Sports 2 will broadcast all U.S. games during the group stage, and the 16-team tournament crowns its champion Oct. 30.

Read the full story at IdahoStatesman.com