When you think about racing in Lahti, Finland, the first thing that comes to mind is challenging waxing conditions and hard courses, but that did not stop the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team from finding success at the first set of races back in Europe. In today's 20k classic individual start, Rosie Brennan led the team, finishing the day in ninth place - her 13th World Cup top 10 of the season - with fellow Alaskan Zanden McMullen in 23rd, tying his career-best result in the process. 

Lahti has historically been a difficult race and today was no exception. With a 20k classic interval start on deck, the temperatures were high, the clouds were low and klister was the only option for the skis. With today's conditions, even the best skiers would feel challenged, both physically and mentally. Would the klister hold? Will there be as many crashes as there were in yesterday's sprint? Would the glide be enough? Patience was the main theme of the day, mixed with a healthy amount of perseverance and grit.

Lahti's 20k is the second race back since the unforgettable weekend of racing at the Stifel Loppet Cup in Minneapolis, which saw historic results from the U.S. team among top-tier skiing from the world's best. With a long plane ride separating Minneapolis and Lahti, the rest of the cross country elite is back to their normalcy - racing in Europe. 

The women kicked things off with three Americans on the start: Jessie Diggins, Rosie Brennan and Sophia Laukli. With the interval start format, Laukli was off first, followed by Brennan, then Diggins. 

The eventual leaders of the race were indicated early on through the splits on the course. At the five-kilometer time check, Brennan was within seconds of the leaders, sitting in a comfortable position within the top 10, even having battled illness for the last few weeks. 

"The conditions were wet and soft but honestly not that bad by Lahti standards," said Brennan, post-race. "This place has some of the toughest waxing on the circuit. The course demands a lot technically and physically so I felt that focusing solely on good skiing was my best chance to put together a decent race. Going in to today, I had no expectations, knowing that my body is far from it's best. But I love klister skiing, so i felt like that if I just focused on good skiing, I might be able to have an ok race." 

Five kilometers into the race, Brennan was still positioned well within the top 10, with Diggins and Laukli in the top 30. With kick and glide becoming a real challenge, made evident by athletes utilizing the herringbone technique on the uphills rather than staying in the classic tracks, the battle continued with everything, and everyone, being tested. Brennan ultimately crossing the finish line in ninth. 

"Today was a challenge," said Diggins. "We had some variable wax conditions within the team, for sure. Without fluoros and in conditions like this, if the glide isn't where you want it to be and it blows up your race. So that was challenging, but the thing was, everyone tried as hard as they could. The service team did their best, I went out there and did my best and I am really proud of how I skied. I never gave up, I worked every inch of that course and pushed as hard as I could for all of it!"

Diggins finished 21st and continues to lead the overall World Cup standings, ahead of Sweden's Linn Svahn. The result also helps her continue to lead the distance standings ahead of Germany's Victoria Karl. Brennan is fifth in the overall World Cup standings.

At the end of the women's race, the excitement was for Finland, as Krista Parmakoski, a long-time great of the sport who has skied competitively on the World Cup for over 15 years, finally felt the taste of victory once again after a six-year drought. With today's win, Paramkoski was back on top of the podium, met with hugs and congratulations from Brennan and Diggins post-race. 

Germany's Karl was just .5 seconds behind in second place and Kerttu Niskanen gave the home crowd what they deserved - another Fearless Fin on the podium in third. Laukli finished 26th. 

For the men, McMullen stole the show in 23rd, another top result for the young Alaskan. On the start list alongside four other Americans, including Michael Earnhart, Scott Patterson, Luke Jager and Peter Wolter. Gus Schumacher and Zak Ketterson did not start today's race. 

In the early stages, the scene was already being set, with Norway's Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, Martin Loewstroem Nyenget, Paal Goldberg and Finland's own Livo Niskanen setting the bar. Four laps around Lahti's crowded course, it was still anyone's race. 

At the halfway mark, McMullen was a top 25 contender, skiing a consistent and strong pace. Dropping back to 27th at 13.4k, McMullen stepped on the gas to move up to 23rd across the finish line, tieing his career-best World Cup result; his previous best was in Canmore, Alberta just a few weeks ago, where he was 23rd in the 15k. McMullen is having a breakout season, consistently skiing in the top 30 in the world, and is having fun in the process.

"I felt pretty strong today," said McMullen. "The skiing was very tough, and I historically have struggled A LOT in warm wet slushy conditions. It was definitely a mental battle out there and felt so nice to cross the finish line. Also proud that I had a good race in a Scandinavian-stacked classic race!"

Klaebo took home the victory, with Finland's hometown hero, Niskanen in second, marking quite the comeback campaign after missing the majority of the season, and gracing the podium only hours earlier in Friday's team sprint. Norway's Nyenget rounded out the men's podium in third. For the U.S. men, Patterson was 34th, Earnhart 48th, Jager 55th and Wolter 57th. 

Tomorrow, the athletes wrap up the Lahti Ski Games with a skate sprint, slated to begin at 3:15 a.m. ET for qualifications, with rounds kicking off at 5:45 a.m. ET, live on skiandsnowboard.live. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

This past weekend marked a historic moment in the world of ski racing as Minneapolis, Minnesota played host to the Stifel Loppet Cup, one of the most dynamic World Cup events in the history of cross country skiing. With more than 40,000 passionate fans lining the course over the weekend, the atmosphere was nothing short of electric for the first World Cup on U.S. soil since 2001.

Highlights included Gus Schumacher winning his first ever World Cup in the 10k freestyle, becoming the youngest American ever to win a World Cup and the first American male to win a distance event since 1983, and Olympic champion Jessie Diggins podiuming in the 10k freestyle.

"I am just so grateful for this team and for everyone being here and I just think this represents something so big for our team. This has been the best day ever!" said Gus, through tears. 

Diggins, a hometown hero who hails from just 30 minutes away from the venue, was equally as emotional about the event, having worked for years to get the World Cup to happen.

"I feel like this whole weekend has been huge for the growth of American skiing," said an emotional Diggins after the race. "Everyone finally got to see how much people love this sport and see how psyched everyone was. We've wanted this for so long." 

Athletes found themselves awestruck by the thunderous roar of the crowd, so deafening that they could hardly hear themselves breathe. The consensus: It was the biggest, loudest and most exciting World Cup event the world's best athletes had ever experienced. 

"This was something special!" said seven-time Olympic medalist Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, one of the most successful cross country skiers in history. "What an amazing crowd and atmosphere it was. So much fun racing this weekend, goosebumps!"

World Cup winner Lucas Chanavat of France expressed a similar sentiment on Instagram. "Huge congrats to Gus Schumacher for making history and giving goosebumps to everyone watching the race. Thanks Jessie Diggins for making all of this possible, and the whole U.S. Ski Team for pushing cross country skiing to new levels and showing the world how every World Cup should look like."

Among the thousands of passionate fans, athletes and families, the energy of Wirth Park brought both U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey trailside, with Frey comparing the event to the Super Bowl in terms of its significance to the city. Similar to how the 2015 Fenway Big Air in Boston, Massachusetts and 2019 Visa Big Air in Atlanta, Georgia brought skiing and snowboarding to major metro areas, the Stifel Loppet Cup did the same, with fans coming from all 50 states to witness the magic in Minneapolis, just 20 minutes from the airport. All general admission tickets were provided free of charge by the Share Winter Foundation and Loppet Foundation, ensuring an opportunity for everyone to see the inspiration up close.

World Cup events are a multimillion-dollar investment and the Stifel Loppet Cup would not have been possible without the support of the Loppet Foundation, Share Winter Foundation, the International Ski & Snowboard Federation, volunteers, key sponsors and donors. U.S. Ski & Snowboard blue chip partners were also on-site, including Stifel Financial, Kappa, iFit and Textron Aviation.

The momentum from the weekend extended into the following Monday with unprecedented community engagement. With athletes scheduled to sign autographs for 60 minutes, more than nine Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes, including Diggins and Schumacher, sat in the chilled Minnesota air for four hours to sign autographs for kids and adults alike. With the success of the first U.S. World Cup in more than two decades, the foundation has been set for what it takes to host a world-class cross country event in the states again.

"In the wake of the Stifel Loppet Cup's resounding success, it's evident that this event wasn’t just about the results—it's about inspiring the next generation of cross country skiing across America," said Sophie Goldschmidt, President and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. "This World Cup marks a pivotal moment in our nation's ski racing landscape, especially as we saw how many Americans were not only on the start list, but in the top 30 and on the podium. As we continue to replay this weekend in our minds, we’re reminded how important it is to bring this level of events to the U.S., knowing the impact it has not only on our athletes but the future. By investing in the infrastructure to bring World Cups to U.S. soil, we're not only showcasing our love for skiing but also laying the groundwork for a future where World Cup events include U.S. as a yearly stop on the calendar. I could not be more proud of what this team has accomplished this week right in our back yard."

The Stifel Loppet Cup is included in the slate of FIS World Cups in the United States, including four alpine, two freestyle, three snowboard/freeski and one ski jumping event. With a goal to bring more exposure to sports under U.S. Ski & Snowboard, Goldschmidt has continued to increase the amount of World Cups hosted in the states year after year.  

Now, the momentum stemming from the best season in history for the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team season continues, as the team heads back to Europe for races. Diggins is leading the overall World Cup standings and continuing to etch her name in history as the only American woman to win the overall World Cup Crystal Globe.

In the end, the Stifel Loppet Cup in Minneapolis just did exactly what it needed to do, leaving its legacy as one of the important ski races in the history of the sport, inspiring generations to come and providing a blueprint for the future of World Cups around the world. 

Relive the magic of the historic races by both Gus and Jessie. 

With tears streaming down their faces, Gus Schumacher won his first career World Cup and Jessie Diggins stepped on the podium in third place at the Stifel Loppet Cup in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The weather warmed up for Sunday’s race with a deep crew of Americans ready to attack the 10k skate course. The crowd showed up in droves, with another 20,000 people arriving to see their favorite ski racers race the local track at Wirth Park. 

The men went first, with Stifel U.S. Ski Team’s Schumacher skiing a strong race to take the lead, but he would have to sit for more than 40 athletes to see if the result would hold. Racer after racer came through the finish line as Schumacher’s eyes grew wider, continuing to beat Olympic medalists and world champions. His teammates gathered around him in the leader's box with tears beginning to flow as the last racer crossed the finish line, confirming Schumacher’s win with yells and hugs.

“It’s hard to believe,” said a teary-eyed Schumacher. “I’m just so grateful for this whole team and everyone being here. It represents something big for our team and I really love doing it with these guys… This has been the best day ever.”

Schumacher was the first American man to win a distance World Cup in 41 years, since Olympic silver medalist Bill Koch won in a 30k in Sarajevo in 1983. The last American man to win a non-distance race was Simi Hamilton, who took a sprint in Lenzerheide in 2013, 11 years ago. Schumacher had also never podiumed; his previous best result was fourth. 

It was also another feather in the cap for the successful Stifel U.S. Ski Team men, who have now accrued three podiums this season from three men: Schumacher, JC Schoonmaker and Ben Ogden. Prior to the 2023-24 season, the men had not had a podium since 2017.

Supporters continued to pack the course as the women took to the track. Diggins ran near the end of the start list, with every fan’s eyes on the local girl as she pushed for a top result. She left everything on the course, gasping for air and collapsing at the finish, but skied into third place to secure the podium. Surrounded by her family, friends and teammates, Diggins cried happy tears through the awards ceremony. 

“It wasn’t even about the podium,” she said. “I just had the best day ever out there. No one had more fun than me, except maybe Gus because it’s his day! I’m so proud of him. It was so emotional. The whole team was over the moon for him. That was an incredible day.”

More than that, the Stifel Loppet Cup in Minneapolis was about bringing World Cup cross country ski racing back to the United States for the first time in more than 23 years. 40,000 fans showed up over the two days with signs, banners and cowbells. Tears were shed by athletes, staff, and fans throughout the weekend: the first time the skiers skied the buffed-out track, when crowds walked miles to pack the stands and sides of the course, when the U.S. national anthem was sung over the loudspeaker, when thousands of young girls and boys lined up for autographs from their heroes and get glitter put on their cheeks. 

“I feel like this whole weekend was huge for the growth of skiing in this country,” said Diggins, who had been a massive part of bringing this World Cup to her hometown. “Everyone got to see how much people love this sport. People are psyched. We wanted this for a long time. It’s incredible that we got to experience it together and share it.”

Rounding out the Americans, Stifel U.S. Ski Team’s Sophia Laukli snagged a top 15 result in 15th place. Julia Kern was 19th and Rosie Brennan 22nd and Haley Brewster 25th. Brewster had her first two World Cup starts in Minneapolis and secured impressive results. Sydney Palmer-Leger was 32nd, Kendall Kramer 36th, Movie McCabe 37th, Margie Freed 41st, Sammy Smith 42nd, Alexandra Lawson 50th and Alayna Sonnesyn 51st. 

On the men’s side in the top 30, Scott Patterson was 22nd, Zanden McMullen 25th and John Steel Hagenbuch 30th. David Norris was 35th, Luke Jager 39th, Hunter Wonders 47th, Peter Wolter 52nd, Walker Hall 56th, Michael Earnhart 61st, Reid Goble 64th and Brian Bushey 67th.

RESULTS
Women
Men

In front of 20,000 screaming fans in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Jessie Diggins sprinted to fourth place in her hometown at the Stifel Loppet Cup. 

It was a chilly day, but it didn’t stop massive crowds from showing up at Minneapolis’ Wirth Park, armed with cowbells, bibs and homemade signs for the first day of racing. Fans packed the park, running from location to location to cheer on their favorite athletes on the hard-packed track at the first World Cup in the United States in more than 23 years.  

From a stacked start list of Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes, eight Americans qualified through to the heats in the skate sprint: Diggins, Julia Kern, Rosie Brennan and Sammy Smith for the women, and Gus Schumacher, JC Schoonmaker, Zak Ketterson and Kevin Bolger for the men. 

The heats were rowdy. Kern had a near-crash with Frida Karlsson of Sweden, forcing her out of contention in her quarterfinal heat. Brennan and Smith were in the same quarterfinal heat, but did not move on to semis. Schumacher, Schoonmaker, Ketterson and Bolger also did not move out of quarterfinals. 

Diggins sailed through both the quarterfinals and semis, finishing in first place for both. In the finals, she was locked in a battle with Jonna Sundling and Linn Svahn of Sweden and Kristine Stavaas Skistad of Norway, but was beaten out to just miss the podium. But that didn’t matter to Diggins, who was thrilled to be racing in her home state and in front of her friends and family. 

“We’ve been keeping track and I've cried seven times today and all for the best reasons,” said Diggins, who was instrumental in bringing the World Cup to Minneapolis. “I’ve dreamed about this for my entire career. I thought about what it would be like to race in my own country for 300 World Cups and this blew me away. This is the coolest day in my entire racing career. It was so special. It was really overwhelming.” 

Out of the eight athletes in the heats, three hail from the midwest: Diggins from Afton, Minnesota, Ketterson from Bloomington, Minnesota and Bolger from Minocqua, Wisconsin. While all of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes were excited to race in their home country, it was particularly special for these three.

“This exceeded any expectations I could have ever had,” said Ketterson. “It was the loudest, most well-attended race. You go to races like Holmenkollen with a lot of fans, and they’re never cheering for you. Hearing ‘Zak, Zak, Zak!’ and then when they announced that I was from Bloomington, the crowd was just yelling. That’s why you ski.”

Rounding out the American women, Brennan was 21st, Smith 26th, Kern 27th, Ava Thurston 40th, Haley Brewster 41st, Alayna Sonnesyn 44th, Renae Anderson 48th, Sydney Palmer-Leger 49th, Margie Freed 50th and Michaela Keller-Miller 51st. On the men’s side, Schumacher was 17th, Bolger 20th, Ketterson 21st, Schoomaker 28th, Jack Young 33rd, John Steel Hagenbuch 37th, Will Koch 38th, Michael Earnhart 44th, Zanden McMullen 46th, Adam Witkowski 53rd, Luke Jager 62nd and Walker Hall 67th.  

The race continues on Sunday with a 10k skate. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

On a day where seemingly all weather patterns moved through the Canadian Rockies, the fourth race of a week-long World Cup brought the cross country world together for an exciting day of classic sprinting, with JC Schoonmaker skiing to an impressive seventh place and Julia Kern leading the women in 11th. 

With the Stifel Loppet Cup in Minneapolis looming, skiers had one more chance to see what they could do before traveling to the United States. In the qualifiers, where only the top 30 advance to the heats, which include a quarterfinal, semifinal and final round, seven Americans made their way, including Jessie Diggins, Rosie Brennan, Julia Kern, JC Schoonmaker, Gus Schumacher, Zak Ketterson and Luke Jager. This was Schumacher’s first time advancing to a classic sprint heat and the first time for Jager in the 2023-24 season. 

In the quarterfinal heats, there were seven Americans on the start line, all fending for the top two spots in their heat or the remaining two positions reserved for the "lucky losers," which refers to the third fastest athlete across the line. The quarterfinals were a nail-biter. On a tough course that challenged each athlete due to the slow snow, steep hills and skied-out classic tracks, everyone had to dig deep to fight for position. After several quarterfinal rounds, it was only Kern and Schoonmaker who made it to the semis - advancing to the next round by literally hundredths of a second. 

In the semis, Kern crossed the line in sixth, yet her time across around the course (3:20.81) was faster than the winner of the second semi-final heat. But, rules and rules and Kern's day was ultimately cut short, yet her positive attitude was present knowing that she is back to skiing where she wanted to be.

"I am really proud of how I skied today," said Kern. "It was just fun to ski on the skis I was on - our techs did an amazing job - and I love classic skiing on these kinds of days. It's been so fun here in Canmore and it's just building the excitement to next week in Minneapolis. I am so ready to show the world the U.S. I cannot express how exciting it will be."

For Schoonmaker, the race was interesting and exciting from start to finish. On a course that emphasizes the final stretch, it was all Schoonmaker's game. Coming into the last several hundred meters in sixth, he pulled out all the stops and made the move on the left side of the six-lane classic tracks into the finish, moving past three of his competitors and nearly crossing the line in third. With that move, Schoonmaker secured a top 10 result and even though he did not advance, still put a seventh place onto his strong resume. 

"It was nice to have a couple of good finishes and have a solid result," said Schoonmaker. "Honestly, my mentality in sprints is to act like I am going into the semis because if I am thinking too much about if I make it or not make it, that's just not the right headspace. I just went into it and skied on those trails and did what I could."

Alongside Kern and Schoonmaker in the top 30, was Brennan in 16th, Diggins in 17th, Ketterson in 18th, Schumacher in 20th and Jager in 24th. The ultimate winners of the race included five-time Olympic champion Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway in first for the men and World Cup sprint overall leader Linn Svahn of Sweden. 

Now, it's time for the race everyone has been waiting for, the Stifel Loppet Cup in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the first cross country ski race in the United States in more than 23 years. The action starts Saturday, Feb. 17. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

On the second day of racing in Canmore, Alberta, the Stifel U.S. Ski Team had another historic day in the skate sprint. Through the qualifications, where the top 30 for both men and women advance to the sprint heats, 11 qualified, marking the most Americans advancing to the heats in recorded history.

Jessie Diggins led the team with a fifth-place result, after her historic win just a day earlier in the 15k skate, followed by a slew of teammates, some of them having their first-ever World Cup starts. At the end of the day, 11 U.S. athletes graced the top 30, once again increasing the never-ending momentum felt this season by the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team. 

In the women's qualifications, Diggins led the way, crossing the finish in sixth, followed by Rosie Brennan in 15th, Julia Kern in 17th, Lauren Jortberg of Stratton Mountain School in 20th and Erin Bianco of Bridger Ski Foundation making her career-first sprint heats in 25th. On the men's side, JC Schoonmaker led the team qualifying in fifth followed closely by an impressive run by Jack Young, a Colby College Nordic Ski Team athlete called up to the World Cup for the first time in his career, qualifying in 11th. Behind Young was Ben Ogden in 22nd, Logan Diekmann of Bridger Ski Foundation in 24th, Kevin Bolger of Team Birkie in 26th, and Gus Schumacher 27th. 

Into the quarterfinals, the athletes would take another fast lap around the intensely challenging sprint loop that featured sharp corners, fast downhills, and long uphills - a course that challenges even the best sprinters in the world. Though many did not advance onto the semis, this day is a step in the right direction with several USA athletes punching their tickets through to the heats.

"I was expecting to make the qualifications and knew I could do it," said Young, post-race. "Going into the heats, it was a lot like the rounds of the World Cups I've been watching my whole life. It went out easy, everyone slowed down at the top of the hill, and then everyone went for it on the downhill. I unfortunately did not advance, but it was a blast."  

Into the semis, Diggins, Kern and Ogden represented the red, white and blue on the start line, surrounded by fans - thousands of them - lining the entire course, creating an electric and impressionably loud atmosphere. 

Diggins ultimately wad the only American moving onto the finals as Ogden and Kern were just seconds away from qualifying, ending their day just short of the final round. 

In the women's final, things suddenly got interesting. "I don't think I've ever done a race like that," said Diggins, in her post-race reflections. "On the World Cup, you usually don't see that happening in the women's race in general." Diggins is referring to how the entire pack of six women nearly came to a stop at various points in the race - often a tactic used to not lead the downhill, which often allows your competitors to draft and slingshot ahead going into the finishing straightaway. "A lot of courses don't have this dramatic long straight slingshot and today, it was just fascinating. I tried to time it right, but it's a safer bet to just blast my way through, get up there, and see what happens. I sure tried and proud of myself for that and did what I had to do today!"

As the day came to a close, Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway won for the men and Kristine Stavaas Skistad of Norway won for the women. The top 30 included Diggins in fifth, Kern 12th, Jortberg 19th, Brennan 26th and Bianco 29th. For the men, six landed in the top 30, led by Ogden in seventh, Diekmann 16th, Bolger 18th, Schumacher 19th, Schoonmaker 22nd and Young 23rd. 

Tomorrow, the athletes will once again turn around for another race, the 20k classic. Watch LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

In the first race of the North American World Cup series, a North American and the winningest skier in U.S. history, Jessie Diggins took home her 20th World Cup victory and her 58th World Cup podium. With Diggins' win today, she has now surpassed fellow Olympic champion Kikkan Randall for most wins in one single season, with her fifth individual win this season in Canmore. 

It's the first time the FIS Cross Country World Cup has come back to Canada since 2019 and the first time more than a dozen Americans got their career first World Cup start. Before the race even started, the day was turning out to be special. 

"USA, USA, USA" was heard throughout the venue, with fans traveling from as far as Vermont to come cheer on the Stifel U.S. Ski Team. With the World Cup finally coming back to the U.S. next week in Minneapolis, Minnesota, fans are making their way from all corners of the country to come cheer on their favorite skiers, creating an atmosphere that is new and exciting, as very few of the athletes on the current team have ever raced this close to home on the World Cup level. 

For both the men and women's U.S. start list, it included not only the typical 12 athletes between both genders, but both 12 athletes per gender. With the best cross country skiers in North America, the Canmore Nordic Center prepared a challenging but exciting course, where athletes would loop around four times to equal out a 15k mass start skate. With all on the line at once, it was anyone's game. 

In the women's race, through the first lap, the field hardly broke - the course profile featuring hill after hill, it was challenging to break up the packs as they clustered together again on the next hill. With that, racers had to navigate the high-speed corners, steep uphills and fast downhills together in a pack.

Through the first lap, Diggins led through the stadium lap, with Sophia Laukli, Rosie Brennan and Julia Kern with her in the lead pack. Alongside the athletes who have skied on the World Cup for years, like Diggins, Brennan, Laukli and Kern, were three new World Cup names: Margie Freed of Craftsbury Green Racing Project, Emma Albrecht of the Montana State Ski Team and Mariah Bredal of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation. 

Going into lap two and three, it was a similar story, with Laukli moving up in the ranks, at one point, leading the race for several kilometers, pushing the pace on the uphills and making her move to spread the lead pack out. With the skiers breaking up ever so slightly, it was now Diggins and Laukli setting the tone for the rest of the race.

"Going into lap three and knowing my sprinting abilities, I decided that it was going to be worth making a bit of a move on the uphill because I was feeling super good and I just wanted to get the group as small as possible," said Laukli. "I sent it on that lap - it definitely worked and then I took that same tactic into the fourth loop. I just focused on going all out and it worked. I've never done that type of thing in a race before - leading and going ham - but in this space that is what I needed to do! For me, going really hard and leading was the best method for me to get a top result." 

In the last lap, Diggins and Laukli were in the mix with Heidi Weng of Norway, Ebba Andersson of Sweden, and a handful of others. It was anyone's game going into the final sharp corner into the stadium. Diggins came into the final stretch in the lead - with a huge smile on her face and family in the crowd, she pumped her hand into the air and took home her 20th career victory. Laukli ended up eighth on the day but had much to celebrate after taking control of the race and mixing things up. 

"I was going with the flow," said Diggins. "After a couple of laps, I knew it was going to be a sprint finish, so I had to be smart. But I wanted to play it tactically! The entire time, I had a pretty fluid race strategy. I knew it was going to be fast, especially on this really hard course, so the entire race I was making myself be patient, which is not my strong suit, but I kept telling myself to 'be smart, be smart, be smart' and trust my sprint finish."

Rosie Brennan was next in 15th, adding another top 15 to her impressive 2023-24 resume and Julia Kern broke her way back into the top 20, in 19th. Sydney Palmer-Leger had her first-ever skate World Cup race, finishing 25th, Margie Freed was 29th, Mariah Bredal 30th, Lauren Jortberg 35th and Emma Albrecht in 40th. 

For the men, Patterson led the way for the Americans, crossing the line in eighth place. In a race similar to the women's, where the pack hardly broke until halfway through and there were various leaders throughout every major checkpoint, no one knew who would take the win. At 8.9k, Patterson was in fifth place, skiing with a group of Norwegians and Swedish athletes, putting himself in a good position for a top 10 result in Canmore. Alongside Patterson, there were more new faces to the World Cup, including Reid Goble of Bridger Ski Foundation's Pro Team, Braden Becker of Craftsbury Green Mountain Project and Graham Houtsma of Bridger Ski Foundation's Pro Team. 

At the end of the day, Patterson was back into the top 10 in eighth, with Gus Schumacher and Zanden McMullen in 22nd and 23rd, respectively, and David Norris rounding out the top 30 in 27th. Peter Wolter was 36th, Luke Jager 39th, Hunter Wonders 40th, Goble 44th, Becker 45th, Michael Earnhart 47th, Graham Houtsma 49th and Ben Ogden 54th. 

"I felt like this course has an edge," said Patterson, post-race. "If you bump it over, you're hurting really bad, but if you stay under it, you're going to be okay. On the third lap, and seeing how the women's race went, I knew that I needed to make some pretty hard moves to move up. On the fourth lap, I had to give everything to stay in the top. It's been a while since I've been in the top 10 and I'm psyched to do it in front of almost a home crowd. My parents and here, my friends from Alaska - it's just amazing to be here." 

Now, the team will race tomorrow's skate sprint in Canmore, the second of four races. Watch LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live.

Results
Women
Men

It was another big day of results in Planica, Slovenia for the 2024 U23 FIS Ski World Championships with Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes Haley Brewster and Novie McCabe both in the top five, led by Brewster in second, securing her career-first U23 World Championships silver medal in the 20k mass start skate race.

On the fourth day of back-to-back races in Planica, it was the U23 athletes' turn on the challenging 20k course. In a mass start format, 45 women descended onto the course. Through the first several kilometers of the race, it was McCabe leading the pack, with Brewster in tow, alongside her fellow Americans, Kendall Kramer and Anabel Needham. At the halfway mark, McCabe continued her lead and Brewster was starting to make her move into the top 10, sitting around sixth place between Italy's Sara Hutter and Germany's Helen Hoffman.

Into the final hill and finish straight, it all came down to the sprint to the finish. As the athletes crested the final climb, McCabe got caught up in France's Maelle Veyre skis and had an unfortunate fall, which took her out of contention for the podium, but that did not slow McCabe down. Pushing across the line, and finishing fourth, McCabe adds another top 10 result to her U23 resume. 

"It was a very cool day today! It was fun to be in the mix, and I had some insanely good skis so that was definitely helpful," said McCabe. "Quite proud of the team effort, pretty awesome skiing by everyone! Skiing with Haley was definitely a highlight and super cool to see her end up on the podium!"

For Brewster, today's silver medal is her first medal won at the U23 World Championships and her first top five of the championships, topping her 13th place in the skate sprint earlier in the week. 

"It was definitely pretty fun," said Brewster. "It was very warm and the best part was getting to ski with Novie!"

Kendall Kramer finished within the top 20, in 17th place with Anabel Needham in 31st. For the men, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete John Steel Hagenbuch was the first American to cross the line in 17th, with Brian Bushey in 28th, Logan Moore in 37th and Elijah Weenig in 39th. 

Now, the U23 athletes will take a day to rest before the 10k classic interval start on Feb. 10. Tomorrow, Jan. 9, the Junior World Championships team will race the 10k classic. 

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John Steel Hagenbuch of the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team is taking home a bronze medal at the first race of the 2024 U23 FIS Ski World Championships, marking himself as the third-fastest U23 sprinter in the world today, Feb. 6. 

On-site in Planica, Slovenia, Steel Hagenbuch is on one of the biggest podiums of his career. After only eight World Cup starts, with a career-best result in the Östersund 10k in 13th, he is setting the tone for the championships and adding his first U23 World Championships medal to his resume. 

It was another warm day in Planica. On the same sprint course that the Junior World Championship athletes skied less than 24 hours earlier— where U.S. athlete Sammy Smith took home a silver medal— it was the U23’s chance. On the start list were several athletes who have consistently races on the World Cup circuit, many of them even racing through to the semifinals in sprints– the sprint field was strong in Planica. 

During the qualification round, Steel Hagenbuch was sixth, behind his Stifel U.S. Ski Team teammate Brian Bushey who crossed the finish line in third. Alongside both Bushey and Steel Hagenbuch, was Walker Hall qualifying in 23rd, all punching their ticket to the sprint heats. 

Into the quarterfinals, Steel Hagenbuch won his heat, .13 seconds ahead of Preben Horven on Norway, advancing through to the semifinal heat. Both Hall and Bushey did not advance out of the quarters but still added a top 30 to their U23 World Champs resume.

Into the quarters, Steel Hagenbuch was fourth, typically that would end an athlete's day as he did not finish in the top two or in the lucky loser position, but his heat was the fastest of the two semis, giving him the green light to race in a skate sprint final. 

Into the final, he was the lone American up against the top juniors from Norway, France, Switzerland and Sweden. Off the start line, the Dartmouth Ski Team star turned on the gas and skied a smart race, crossing the finish line in third, snagging his first U23 World Championships medal and capping off one of the best races of his career. 

“Considering that I was relieved to even make the heats, it was a really incredible day to go all the way to the final,” said Steel Hagenbuch. “It was not possible without a great support team, cracked skis, and a whole lot of luck. This is definitely my best sprint ever, so I’m grateful for such good timing! There were a lot of really strong competitors out there, and I was happy with how I executed my race plan of attacking on the second part of the course. It was easy to get nervous lining up with some really strong sprinters, but I was confident in my climbing and finishing speed after a solid qualifier. After today, the motivation is really high headed into my main focus - the 20km skate mass start on Thursday!”

At the end of the day, Steel Hagenbuch led the team in third, Hall in 18th, Bushey in 21st, Elijah Weenig in 45th. For the women, Haley Brewster of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team was the leading American in 13th, Anabel Needham 23r and, Nina Seemann 28th; Novie McCabe did not start. 

Next up is the 20k mass start, scheduled for this coming Thursday, Feb. 8. Tomorrow, the World Champs Junior athletes will race the 20k.

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Sammy Smith of the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team started off the 2024 FIS Ski Junior World Championships with a silver medal in the first race of the championships, the skate sprint. This is the best-ever sprint result for any American at the Junior World Championships, and only the second silver medal the American women have historically won at the championships. 

On location in Planica, Slovenia, the best junior athletes in the world are having their turn on the same course as the FIS Ski World Championships a year earlier, with 450 athletes and 42 countries present. Smith, who has been racing on the World Cup for the majority of the season, including taking home her career-best result just a week ago in Goms, Switzerland in 21st, has been a force despite only being 18 years old. 

Smith is a multi-sport athlete. She is also a soccer player, having represented the USA at the FIFA U-17 World Cup over the summer and grew up as a freestyle skier. But, it's ski season, which means Smith is solely on skis and finding success at every turn in the process. 

"I’m super excited about today’s race," said Smith. "I was not thrilled with my qualifier. I knew I made some mistakes that cost me some time, but I was really happy with how the heats went. It was a competitive field and congrats to all the other racers on an awesome day! Hopefully, I’ll be able to carry some of this momentum into 20k and 10k classic!" 

Smith, skied a tactical and smart race. Typically excelling on courses with challenging hills, Smith adapted to the flatter Planica course well. Qualifying in fifth, she was in good company with all of her U.S. teammates making it through to the heats, all landing within the top 30. Stifel U.S. Ski Team's Ava Thurston led the U.S., qualifying in second, alongside Smith in fifth, Evelyn Walton of the Dartmouth Ski Team in 27th and Middlebury Ski Team's Sofia Scirica in 29th.

In the heats, Smith was the only American to advance, winning her quarterfinal heat. In the semis, Smith crossed the line in second, punching her ticket to her first Junior World Championships final. She fought for a podium position alongside Gina Del Rio of Andorra and Milla Grosberghaugen Andreassen of Norway. On the final hill, Smith turned on the gas and jump-skated into podium position. With the finish line in sight, Smith ultimately crossed the line in second, making history in the process. 

At the end of the race day, Smith led the team in second, while Thurston was 21st, Walton in 25th and Scirica in 30th. For the men, Zachary Jayne (University of Utah Ski Team) was just out of the top 30 in 32nd, Trey Jones (University of Colorado Boulder Ski Team) was 39th, Lucas Wilmot (Jackson Hole Ski Team) 48th and Matt Seline (University of Alaska Anchorage Ski Team) in 67th. 

"We're launching the week on a high note," said Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team Development Coach, Greta Anderson. "Our athletes arrive with significant ambitions, and it's incredibly rewarding for all of us to see them achieve their objectives collectively. Sammy's second-place finish in the sprint is a testament to the hard work and determination that defines our team. It's an ideal beginning to our week. Every one of our female athletes made it through the qualification rounds today. Meanwhile, our male competitors gave their all in their first international starts and fought hard to the finish line." 

With Smith's silver medal, she is etching her name in the Junior World Championship history books. 

Next up, the U.S. Junior World Championships team will race the 20k on Feb. 7. Tomorrow, Feb. 6, the U23 team will race the skate sprint on the same course. 

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