Ben Ogden

Benjamin Ogden (born February 13, 2000) is an American cross-country skier. He has been a member of the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team since 2019. Ogden made history in 2018 at the FIS Junior World Ski Championships in Goms, Switzerland, when he and his teammates secured a silver medal in the junior men's relay, which was the first ever medal for the U.S. men at a World Juniors Championship event. At the 2026 Winter Olympics, Ogden won a silver medal in the men's sprint, becoming the first American to win an Olympic medal in men's cross-country skiing since Bill Koch's silver in 1976.

Early life Ogden grew up in Landgrove, Vermont. He and his older sister, Katharine, who is also a professional skier, were taught to ski by their father. As a young skier, he trained with the West River Nordic Club at the Wild Wings XC Center.

Athletic career

2017–2018: Juniors In 2018, Ogden became one of 12 skiers named to the squad for the FIS Nordic Junior World Ski Championships by U.S. Ski & Snowboard. Ogden, along with teammates Luke Jager, Hunter Wonders, and Gus Schumacher, won the silver medal in the 4 × 5 km relay race – the first ever medal for the U.S. men at the World Junior Ski Championships. Ogden skied the second leg of the relay, moving the team up from sixth to fourth place at the hand-off.

2018–2019: Return to Juniors and World Cup debut Ogden was nominated to the 2018–2019 U.S. Ski Team as a member of the D Team. During the 2019 FIS Nordic Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti, Ogden and his teammates won the gold medal in the 4 × 5 km relay race, improving upon the result the U.S. had achieved during the previous season. Ogden skied the second classic leg for the team composed of Luke Jager, Johnny Hagenbuch, and Gus Schumacher. Ogden made his World Cup debut on 22 March 2019 in Quebec City, Canada. He was one of nine SMS T2 skiers to qualify for the 2018–2019 World Cup Finals.

2019–2020: World Juniors Gold and NCAA Championships Ogden was again nominated to the D Team with the U.S. Ski Team for the 2019–2020 season. On 6 March 2020, Ogden, Jager, Hagenbuch, and Schumacher became repeat champions and took home the gold medal at the 2020 FIS Junior Cross Country World Championships in Oberwiesenthal. Later that month, Ogden took first place in the 10 km freestyle race at the 2020 NCAA National Skiing Championships in Bozeman, Montana. On 12 March 2020, 30 minutes after the freestyle podium ceremony, the NCAA announced that all remaining races were cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns.

2020–2021 The Davis U.S. Cross Country Ski Team announced their roster for the 2020–2021 season on 7 November 2020, with Ogden once again included as a member of the D Team.

2021–2022: Olympic debut At the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, Ogden placed 12th in the freestyle sprint race, which was the best-ever men’s individual sprint finish for the United States. At the 2022 NCAA National Skiing Championships, Ogden claimed his second national title when he won the men's 10 km classical race.

2026 Winter Olympics At the 2026 Winter Olympics, Ogden made history in cross-country skiing by winning a silver medal in the men's sprint classic, finishing just behind Norway's 11-time Olympic champion Johannes Høsflot Klæbo. Ogden's podium finish marked the first Olympic medal by a U.S. man in cross-country skiing since Bill Koch in 1976. He also won a silver medal in the men's team sprint with Gus Schumacher, becoming the most decorated U.S. male cross-country skier in Olympic history.

Cross-country skiing results All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).

Olympic Games Year Age 15 km individual 30 km skiathlon 50 km mass start Sprint 4 × 10 km relay Team sprint 2022 22 42 — — 12 — 9 2026 25 — — — — Distance reduced to 30 km due to weather conditions.

World Championships Year Age individual 30 km skiathlon 50 km mass start Sprint relay Team sprint 2021 21 — 45 — 17 — — 2023 23 27 — — 26 7 10 2025 25 47 12 7

World Cup

Season titles 1 title – (1 U23) SeasonDiscipline2023 U23

Season standings Season Age Discipline standingsSki Tour standingsOverallDistanceSprintU23NordicOpeningTour deSkiWorld CupFinal 2019 19 — —66 2021 21 —— 2022 22 57 75 30 6 2023 23 8 26 10 13 2024 24 32 46 15 2025 25 10 22 7 15

Individual podiums 2 podiums – (1 , 1 )

Personal life Ogden graduated from the Stratton Mountain School in 2018 and is currently enrolled as a graduate student at the University of Vermont, where he studies mechanical engineering. When he is not racing in Europe, Ogden lives in Burlington, Vermont with his best friends Phoebe Sweet, Sam Noel and Marielle Ackermann. He also spends his spare time honing his skills on the Kendama. Ogden is a member of the UVM ski team, and he trains with the SMS T2 Team, an elite professional team based in Stratton Mountain, Vermont when his schedule allows.