Team USA's Ben Ogden and Gus Schumacher earned a silver medal in the men's team sprint free at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina. The duo finished just 1.4 seconds behind gold medalists Norway, marking Ogden's second silver of the Games. This achievement represents the United States' third cross-country skiing medal at the event.
In Tesero, Italy, on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, American skiers Ben Ogden and Gus Schumacher competed in the Cross-Country Skiing Men's Team Sprint Free finals. Ogden, 25, from Vermont, and Schumacher from Alaska, finished second with a time of 18:30.3, behind Norway's 18:28.9 and ahead of Italy's 18:32.2 for bronze.
The two-man relay featured each skier completing two legs, with Ogden starting and Schumacher anchoring. Schumacher trailed Norway's Johannes Høsflot Klæbo closely on the final climb. "Look at Klaebo’s butt and just lock in and follow that to the finish line," Schumacher said of his strategy. "I did it and I’m really proud of it." He held off Italy's Federico Pellegrino to secure the medal, crossing 1.4 seconds behind Klæbo, who claimed his 10th Olympic gold.
This silver is Ogden's second at the Milan Cortina Games, following his individual sprint classical victory on February 10 with a time of 3:40.61. It ends a 50-year medal drought for American men in the sport, last achieved by Bill Koch in 1976, and makes Ogden the most decorated U.S. male cross-country skier.
Ogden highlighted the significance: “We just proved today and all week that we’re here to stay and that U.S. guys are in good form. So it was awesome.” He added that the bicoastal success should inspire the U.S. skiing community: “Everybody hopefully is gonna get fired up after seeing this... it’s gonna be sick to go home.”
The result contributes to the U.S. team's unprecedented third cross-country medal at these Olympics. Meanwhile, Jessie Diggins and Julia Kern placed fifth in the women's team sprint with 20:41.53. In Vermont, a watch party at Richmond-based BIVO drew crowds cheering Ogden and Kern. Ogden's sister Charlotte noted, "To have so many people who are just as invested in his results... is really cool." Friend Lily McCabe echoed community pride: "We're just so proud, and it's been so fun for us to be a part of this."
