In today's 20k skiathlon, Jessie Diggins was back on the podium in second, clinching her fourth podium of the 2023-24 season and 51st podium of her career. Rosie Brennan finished the day in eighth, tallying another top 10 to her impressive season.

As a test event for the 2025 FIS Cross Country Ski World Championships, the skiathlon gives spectators and fans the opportunity to see athletes ski both skate and classic in the same race. For the 20k skiathlon format, athletes kicked off the start line in classic skis, with 10k ahead of them. After more than 25 minutes of hard-fought classic skiing, racers switched to skate skis to finish out the remaining 10k.

It was a warm day in Trondheim, with light rain and the warmest temperatures the athletes have raced in this season. Coming off a fourth place result the day prior in the skate sprint, Diggins started off fast, alongside her teammates Brennan, Novie McCabe and Alayna Sonnesyn. Through the first 10k, Brennan was in the lead pack, skiing comfortably behind the ultimate winner of the day, Ebba Andersson of Sweden. At every time check, Brennan maintained her second position, but on the skate leg, Diggins found her found her way to the front, leading the chase group.

Through the checkpoints, Diggins went from seventh place up to second, making moves to position herself for the finishing stretch, in which she turned on the gas to cross the line in second, 15 seconds behind Andersson. Across the line, Brennan was 52 seconds behind the winner in eighth and McCabe finished within the top 30 in 23.

For the men, Ben Ogden led the U.S. men, finishing in the top 20 in 17th.

Tomorrow, the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team will wrap up the first period of racing with a 10k classic before a well-deserved holiday break.

RESULTS
Women
Men

The Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team started off strong in Trondheim with three Americans in the top-15 in the skate sprint, led by Jessie Diggins in fourth, Julia Kern in ninth and Kevin Bolger in 12th. 

In the debut skate sprint of the year, at the site of the upcoming 2025 FIS World Cross Country Ski Championships, the competition was stacked. With 57 on the startlist for the women and 77 for the men, the last sprint race of period one was set to be exciting. 

On the American side, six athletes advanced to the heats, based on landing in the top 30 in the qualification round. For the women, Kern had the fifth fastest qualification time, with Diggins and Brennan not far behind in 10th and 11th. On the men's side, JC Schoonmaker, coming fresh off his first World Cup podium in the Östersund classic sprint qualified eighth, with Bolger in 13th and Ben Ogden in 18th. 

In the men's quarterfinal heat, Bolger was the only American to advance, winning his heat. For the women, Diggins won her heat and went on to eventually win her semifinal. Kern was second in her quarterfinal, punching her ticket to the semis, but ultimately did not advance through to finals. Brennan, despite a fast quarterfinal heat, did not advance. 

"I was really happy to be out there and have one of my best sprints," said Kern, post-race. "The best part of the day was just getting out there and skiing."

In the final, Diggins was the lone American, alongside Sweden, Germany and Norway. In the finishing stretch of the technical, hilly sprint course, the eventual winner of the day, Kristine Skistad of Norway turned on the gas to out-sprint both Linn Svahn and Emma Ribom of Sweden, who filled the remaining podium positions. At the end of the day, Diggins was just off the podium in fourth, adding another top 10 to her outstanding 2023-24 resume and further solidifying her leading position in the World Cup overall standings. 

The team is back on snow for the 20k skiathlon on Saturday, where they will race 10k in classic skis, switch mid-race, then 10k on skate skis. 

RESULTS
Men
Women

In what many would say is Jessie Diggins' best event, the reigning 10k skate world champion took home her 16th career victory in today's 10k in Östersund, Sweden - her second victory of the 2023-24 season and 50th career World Cup podium. Rosie Brennan and Sophia Laukli finished within the top 10 in fifth and eighth, respectively. 

It was another landmark weekend for the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team, with two individual podiums, over a dozen athletes in the top 30 and career bests across the board. Going into weekend four of racing, Diggins continues to lead the World Cup overall with Brennan close behind in second. Diggins also leads the distance overall; Brennan is third and Laukli is 16th. 

Sunday's 10k skate featured a technical three-lap course in snowy and cold conditions. The men started the day with the individual start format, sending an athlete off the line every 15 seconds. Coming off the energy and momentum of yesterday's historic day, the U.S. sent three into the top 30: Johnny Hagenbuch in 13th, Gus Schumacher in 21st and Zanden McMullen in 28th. Hagenbuch, who had a standout race, secured his career-best result, breaking through to the top 20; McMullen also had a career-best day, besting his 28th place from earlier this season in the Ruka World Cup 20k skate. 

"Today’s race felt great - a continuation of the form that started to come around in the relay in Gällivare," said Hagenbuch. "I executed my pacing really well, and it’s very gratifying to have a such a good result also! Hopefully I’ll be able to carry this momentum into Trondheim, U.S. Nationals and the rest of the season through NCAAs."

For the women, it was nearly a repeat of last weekend, where Diggins won the 10k skate by 23.1 seconds. This time, she won by 23 seconds -  an incredible margin for the shorter of the distance races on the circuit. Across every time check on course, Diggins was in the lead, with Brennan close behind. It was a course that played to the strength of the Americans - gradual gliding sections, technical corners and working descents. Alongside Diggins, Brennan and Laukli in the top 30 was Julia Kern, who ended the day in 29th.  

At the end of the day, Diggins credited her win "to the boys," mentioning in the post-race live interview that "she wanted to ski as fast as JC (Schoonmaker)," and that her race today was for the men's team, as well as shouting out to the wax technicians for providing the entire team with outstanding skis for the third weekend in a row. 

Next up, the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team will travel to Trondheim, Norway for the final race weekend of period one before taking a break for the holidays. 

RESULTS
Women's 10k skate
Men's 10k skate

History was made in U.S. men’s cross country skiing, with JC Schoonmaker taking his first career World Cup podium in the Östersund, Sweden sprint and Stifel U.S. Ski Team teammate Ben Ogden just behind him in fourth place. On the women’s side, Rosie Brennan and Jessie Diggins also finished at the top in fourth and fifth place, respectively. Diggins is now first in the overall and Brennan is third.

History in the Sprints

The Östersund sprint course was longer than a typical sprint, taking athletes over three minutes to complete the track. The snow was tricky, with new snow falling, glazed-over tracks and cold temperatures. Yet, despite the tough conditions to wax for, the wax technicians team nailed the American skis and the athletes capitalized. After the qualification round, where the top 30 times advanced, three American women and two men advanced to the heats: Diggins, Brennan, Julia Kern, Schoonmaker and Ogden. 

In the men’s heats, where the top two finishers advance, Ogden handily won his quarterfinal while Schoonmaker was second. The semis was a similar story with Ogden winning and Schoonmaker scoring second. It was the first time that Ogden and Schoonmaker had advanced to the sprint final in their careers, showing that the next generation of U.S. men’s skiing is here. 

In the final, Ogden and Schoonmaker were surrounded by four Norwegians, including the ultimate winner of the race, Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo. It was a tight race from start to finish, with various leaders going stride for stride on the long Östersund track. In the final stretch, around the 180-degree final turn, Schoonmaker was hanging onto the lead pack and crossed the finish line in third, landing himself on a World Cup podium for the first time in his career. Ogden was only seconds behind, crossing the finish in fourth. With this result, Ogden is now third in the overall World Cup sprint standings; Schoonmaker is seventh. 

“This is the best team in the world and my heart is full knowing I get to be a part of it!” said Schoonmaker, post-race. Teammate Luke Jager added, “I tell myself nothing else in the world matters when your team is doing what they’re doing right now! I felt like I was watching the Moon Landing live today during the men’s final. And Jessie and Rosie just causally both being top three in the overall?! These people show us over and over again that if you do your best every day and you are nice to everyone, good things will happen.”
 

Simi Hamilton was the last U.S. man to stand on a World Cup podium in 2017. 

For the women, Diggins and Brennan did it again, both landing in the top five and furthering themselves from the field in the overall standings. Similar to the men’s race, Brennan and Diggins both led their quarterfinals, easily making their way into the semis. In the semifinal, Brennan finished fourth, which typically results in an end to the race day, yet, based on Brennan’s time, she advanced to the final. Diggins won her semifinal, punching herself a ticket to the final alongside Brennan. In the last race of the day, Emma Ribom of Sweden ultimately won, but Brennan and Diggins crossed the line in fourth and fifth, showcasing their ability to be podium contenders in every single race they enter. Brennan’s fourth place also marks her best-ever classic sprint result. 

When asked about post-race feelings, the focus of Diggins was solely on the men. “When a person succeeds on our team, it feels like everyone’s success,” said Diggins. “We really do celebrate that. When JC crushed the sprint today, it felt like the whole team was part of that moment.”

The momentum of the U.S. team continues to tomorrow in the 10k skate. 

RESULTS

Women’s sprint
Men’s sprint

The most recent World Cup held in Gällivare, Sweden, was 12 years ago. It marked a significant milestone for the U.S. women's team, as they secured their first-ever team relay podium, led by a 21-year-old Jessie Diggins. Fast forward to December 3, 2023, and the U.S. women once again stood on the podium in third place. This time, the team was led by the now-veteran Jessie Diggins and Rosie Brennan, alongside Sophia Laukli and Julia Kern.

On a cold and blustery day during the second day of racing in northern Sweden, the stands and course were packed with enthusiastic fans. It was relay day, where each nation assembled one to two teams of four athletes each, with two athletes skiing a classic leg and two skating. The atmosphere was festive, with USA athletes, techs and coaches donning blue and red relay socks, face paint and glitter. 

Breaking down the women's 4x7.5k team relay, Jessie Diggins, coming off a victory in the previous day's 10k skate, led the U.S. women's team. Each athlete completed two laps of the challenging 3.5k course, featuring technical turns, fast downhills and little room for rest. Diggins set a blistering pace from the start, handing over to teammate Brennan, who extended the lead further. Laukli and Kern continued the strong performance, maintaining a top-three position. Crossing the finish line, the U.S. women secured third place behind Germany and Sweden. 

Post-race, Jessie Diggins expressed her pride in being part of the team relays and witnessing the evolution of the team over the years. 

"One of the things I am most proud of in my career is being part of the team relays, and seeing how the team has changed year after year," said Diggins, post race. "But then some things haven't changed! We still have the relay socks, the face paint, the glitter... and then all of these amazing women that are coming up and putting their heart and soul into this team and racing so hard - it's so cool to see. Seeing the fire in their eyes and seeing them give everything they had makes me so proud, knowing we're doing it all together." 

In the men's 4x7.5k team relay, it was a historic and thrilling day for the U.S. men's team, with both USA teams (USA #1 and USA #2) achieving top results. USA #1, comprised of Ben Ogden, Gus Schumacher, Scott Patterson and Zanden McMullen, finished fifth, breaking a 20-year top-five drought. USA #2 included Luke Jager, Zak Ketterson, Johnny Hagenbuch and JC Schoonmaker. 

The race featured both USA teams setting the pace. On the first leg, Ogden of USA #1 and Jager of USA #2 set a strong pace, then Schumacher (USA #1) and Ketterson (USA #2) then worked together in leg two, and strong performances from Patterson (USA #1) and Hagenbuch (USA #2) rounded out leg three; Hagenbuch skied on the fastest legs of the day when comparing final times. McMullen (USA #1), secured a fifth-place finish, while Schoonmaker (USA #2) crossed the line in eighth.

Reflecting on the day, McMullen emphasized the comfort of camaraderie within the team. "I think being such good friends and being so close to your teammates," he said. "It relieves a lot of pressure and feels very familiar."

Looking ahead, Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team program director Chris Grover highlighted the potential of this strong men's team. 

"Today we got yet another glimpse of the true potential of this men’s team in relays," he said. "We’ve known the talent is there given their World Junior Championship relay medal pedigree, and we know we need patience as these men make the step to World Cup and build critical experience. In the next seasons, these men will clearly challenge for the podium. We’re likely on the cusp of a period of truly inspiring USA men’s success. It’s also very exciting to see the team in third place overall in the Nation’s Cup after two hard weekends of racing in Scandinavia."

Next up, the team travels to Östersund, Sweden for the third week of World Cup racing. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

The FIS Cross Country World Cup made its way to northern Sweden for the first time in over a decade and Jessie Diggins of the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team took home her 15th career World Cup victory and her second podium of the season. 

It was a strong day for the U.S. women's team, with five in the top 30. Diggins finished first, Rosie Brennan tied for sixth, Sophia Laukli 13th, Julia Kern 18th and Novie McCabe 29th. Alayna Sonnesyn crossed the finish line in 40th. 

The last time the World Cup was held in Gällivare was in 2012 when Diggins was only 21 years old and one of the youngest athletes on the team. On the same course, history was made, when Diggins anchored the historic women’s relay that included her then-teammates, Kikkan Randall, Holly Brooks and Liz Stephen. It was the first time in history that the U.S. landed on team podium. Over a decade later, Diggins now 32, is back on top of the Gällivare podium, leading a strong team of young Americans in the process. 

"It was so cool to see all my teammates having great races, too," said Diggins. "We once again had amazing skis thanks to our techs! They put their heart and soul into our skis and my teammates put their heart and soul into their race, and that is what matters."

The 10k course is no easy feat, with two challenging laps, 52 athletes out on course, over 1,140ft of climbing and extremely technical downhills. Throughout the time checks, Diggins never lost the lead. At 8.9k, Diggins had over 20 seconds on Sweden's Ebba Andersson, who ultimately finished the race in second.

Brennan was consistently in the top five throughout each time check and crossed the line tied for sixth with Lotta Udnes Weng of Norway. 

"It was a pretty good day," said Brennan. "I'm generally in a good place right now and am enjoying each day. I'm also really thankful that I get the opportunity to race every weekend!" 

For Laukli, another top 15 is a testament to a strong summer of training and trail running. Over the summer, Laukli won the Golden Trail Series overall, cementing herself as one of the strongest trail runners in the world. Pair a distance race with lots of climbing - Laukli will use that to her advantage. Today she ended the 10k in 13th.

For the men, Gus Schumacher led the team for the second weekend in a row and crossed the finish line in 16th, adding another top-30 result to his roster. Ben Ogden was close behind in 25th, Scott Patterson 35th, Zanden McMullen 36th, John Steel Hagenbuch 45th, Luke Jager 54th and Zak Ketterson 58th. 

At the end of the day, Diggins now has 15 individual World Cup victories to her name and 49 overall World Cup podiums. With a strong start to the 2023-24 season, Diggins is focused on taking it race by race. 

"I wasn't focused on results or time or beating anyone, I was just trying to ski this course as best as I could," said Diggins. 

Up next, the team will compete in the 4x7.5k team relay tomorrow, Dec. 3. Watch LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live. 

RESULTS
Women 10k
Men 10k

Another day, another podium for the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team. Teammates Jessie Diggins and Rosie Brennan put all the pieces together in a gutsy mass start 20k to leave Ruka with a double USA podium, with Diggins in second and Brennan in third. 

On the last day of racing in Finland, the U.S. team was coming off top results from Brennan's second-place result the day prior. Temperatures were frigid - at times, it was less than 1 degree Fahrenheit - yet the field of 49 racers lined the start lanes for the first mass start of the season, ready to ski eight laps around the grueling 2.5k course. 

Through the first couple laps, the pack stuck together with very little movement, but as time went on the lead pack gained momentum with powerhouse nations Sweden and Norway flooding the top 10. But then came Brennan, Diggins and Laukli. 

On the fourth lap, packs were forming and the lead pack featured three Americans pushing the pace. With just 2.5k to go, things became interesting. At the top of the "stair-stepper climb," Diggins lost a pole and immediately began searching for another. While doing so, she was hit in the face by the spare, resulting in not only a bloody lip and cheek, but a lost glove. With 1.5k to go, Diggins dug deep going into the long downhill, with only one glove, a spare pole and 1.5k of course left. 

"I had to dig really, really deep for that one," said Diggins. "I lost a pole and my glove with it with about 1.5k left to go. I quickly got a replacement pole - that ended up smashing me in the face, which resulted in me having a pretty bloody mouth, but I finished the race!"

On the final hill, Diggins and Brennan were charging, alongside Moa Ilar of Sweden and Lotta Udnes Weng of Norway. In the final stretch, with the crowd going wild, Diggins and Brennan pull off a feat every nation strives for - landing two teammates on the podium. Diggins was second and Brennan was third. Laukli finished in 14th, breaking into the top 20 in expert fashion and rounding out three American women in the top 20. 

For the men, Gus Schumacher led the day for the American men with a 14th place result, capping off a successful weekend for Schumacher in Ruka. Scott Patterson was not far behind in 22nd and teammate Zanden McMullen scored his career-best result in 28th. 

At the end of the day in the finish pen, it took Diggins some time to warm up with the help of her teammates, athletes from other nations, USA support staff and coaches shedding their own layers to keep her warm. At the podium ceremony, Diggins was all smiles alongside Brennan, who had just secured her second podium of the weekend. 

"I'm super motivated by my results this weekend because its giving me confidence that my summer of training was really good," said Brennan. "Today was definitely motivating and i'm looking forward to what's next!"

Next on the World Cup program is the Gällivare World Cup in Sweden, with a 10k skate and 4x7.5k relay, Dec. 2-3, 2023.

RESULTS
Women
Men