For all the success the Americans have had at the Winter Olympics over the last half-century, men's cross-country skiing has remained an unsolvable puzzle. Ben Ogden changed all of that on Tuesday at the Milan Cortina Games when he earned a silver medal in the men's sprint, finishing in 3:40, behind Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway. Oskar Vike of Norway finished in third place, claiming bronze.
Ogden is only the second American man to ever medal in the event, joining Bill Koch, who won silver at the 1976 Games in Montreal. Both Koch and Ogden are from Vermont and the younger skier grew up honing his craft in a league named after the elder. Jessie Diggins has won three medals—a gold, silver and bronze—on the women's side.
Heres the video of Ogden's thrilling finish:
Ben Ogden goes full-tilt down the stretch to break America's 50-year men's cross-country medal drought. 🥈😤#WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/I8CCuLCQDx
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 10, 2026
The path to Ogden's silver medal required advancing through the qualifying round and then the quarterfinals and semifinals to a final heat of six participants. Ogden was stellar in the opening heat, establishing himself in second place.
This is the third medal for the United States at these Olympics while Norway, which leads all countries, ran their total to eight.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ben Ogden Breaks Team USA's 50-Year Medal Drought in Cross-Country Skiing.
