On the second day of racing in Ruka, Finland, Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team athlete Rosie Brennan took home her first individual classic podium in the 10k classic. Teammate Jessie Diggins crossed the line in 11th, a career best classic result in Ruka. 

The first World Cup races of the season can set the tone for what's to come and Brennan is already coming out on top. Despite not having many days on snow prior to the first races, she showed promise in the grueling 10k classic, with two solid laps around one of the hilliest and most technical courses on the World Cup calendar.

Ruka is known for its long hills and challenging terrain. Out of the starting gate, racers descend a steep hill and immediately begin climbing another - a section referred to as the "halfpipe" - with very little room for recovery. At the 5k mark, Brennan moved into a podium spot and comfortably stayed until the finish line. When she crossed the line in front of the large Ruka crowd, Brennan was only 5.5 seconds back from first. At the end of the day, Ebba Andersson of Sweden took home the victory with teammate Frida Karlsson in third - Brennan broke up the Swedish podium sweep in second. 

"I had really nice skis out there today, that's for sure," said Brennan in a post-race interview. "I've been really happy with the improvements I've made in classic skiing and it all worked out today - I'm very happy with my result!" 

Today's second place result gave Brennan her first World Cup individual classic podium and her eighth overall World Cup podium. Right behind Brennan was teammate Diggins, who crossed the line in 11th. This result is Diggins' best classic result in Ruka, and when asked about her race, she focused on her teammate. "I was so proud of Rosie and just seeing her ski with confidence and authority like that was so beautiful," said Diggins. "It made me really happy!” 

Novie McCabe followed Diggins with an impressive 30th place and Gus Schumacher led the American men with a 22nd place. Now, the team will race one more time before the end of the first World Cup race weekend with the 20k mass start on Sunday, Nov. 26. Watch LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live with commentary by Kikkan Randall and Chad Salmela. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

HOW TO WATCH
4:00 a.m. ET // Women's 20k skate // live & on-demand: skiandsnowboard.live
6:35 a.m. ET // Men's 20k skate // live & on-demand: skiandsnowboard.live

The FIS Cross Country World Cup kicked off in Ruka, Finland with the classic sprint and four Americans found the top 11. Jessie Diggins led the women in seventh place and Ben Ogden the men in 11th.

It was a cold, blustery day for the first World Cup of the 2023-24 season and the excitement of a new season was palpable. Thousands of fans crowded the course, including the familiar faces of the Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team moguls athletes who lined the finishing stretch to cheer. 

The start of the season was no easy feat, as this season marks the start of the complete fluro-ban by FIS, in which all nations must ensure that all skis are fluro-free at top-tier events, including the FIS World Cup. The new fluro-free rules brought a few more steps that athletes and staff must abide by before lining up on the start line, but at the end of the day, the race went on. 

For the women, Rosie Brennan, Julia Kern and Diggins advanced to the heats by landing in the top 30 of the field. Ogden and JC Schoonmaker advanced to the heats for the men. The qualifications results painted the picture of just how fast the field was skiing, with only a few seconds separating 30th and first place.

In the heats, Diggins and Kern won their quarterfinal heats easily and Brennan crossed the line in second. Ogden won his quarterfinal heat, putting him in a solid position for the semis; Schoonmaker was fifth and did not advance. In the semis, no American athletes advanced but today still marks the best results from the American team in history, with four in the final top 11: the women going seventh, eighth and ninth, and Ogden just outside the top 10 in 11th. 

"I couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season," said Brennan in a post-race interview. "Honestly, this was quite a good day for the whole team and very cool to see." 

"It's really nice to be back. This is the best Ruka result for the team," said Diggins. "But just being here is a victory and actually racing was a cherry on top. I'm really lucky to have such an amazing team and proud to be here, it took a lot of work. It took me 12 years to make the semi-finals in Ruka, and that's why we don't give up, we just keep trying!" 

Now, the team will make a quick turnaround to the next race - the 10k classic tomorrow, Nov. 24. 

RESULTS
Women's sprint
Men's sprint

HOW TO WATCH
Saturday, Nov. 24
- 6:15 a.m. ET / Men's 10k classic / live and on-demand: skiandsnowboard.live
- 4:00 a.m. ET / Women's 10k classic / live and on-demand: skiandsnowboard.live 

The 2023-24 Cross Country World Cup season is officially upon us, with the first event slated for Nov. 24, in Ruka, Finland. This season includes the first FIS Cross Country World Cup in the United States in over 23 years - the 2024 Loppet Cup presented by Stifel, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Feb. 17-19. 

Use the table below to stay updated on events and how to watch information, for both domestic and international races.

• All international races will be LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live and on-demand on Outside+ and skiandsnowboard.live and Outside Watch the Monday following the race. 
• All domestic races will be LIVE on Outside Watch (for free) and on-demand (behind a pay wall). NBC and CNBC schedule is TBD.

Learn more on How to Watch HERE. 

Full Cross Country World Cup schedule below