Backflip on the podium,
breakthrough on the snow, as Ben Ogden hails new generation of US skiers
[February 12, 2026]
By DEREK GATOPOULOS
VAL DI FIEMME, Italy (AP) — Ben Ogden snapped a selfie, handed off
his Olympic silver medal and the plush mascots of Tina and Milo, and
then did what few would dare.
He launched into a backflip off the podium.
The 25-year-old American lost his hat mid-rotation, amusing the two
Norwegians on the podium who followed with playful jumps of their
own after Tuesday's skiathlon. The celebration marked a breakthrough
for American cross-country skiing — and, Ogden hopes, a catalyst for
the future.
Before the Milan Cortina Winter Games, an American man hadn’t won an
Olympic medal in the sport in 50 years. Ogden believes a
generational breakthrough is now possible.
“There’s been a really strong group of younger men coming up through
the sport that I’ve had the pleasure of racing against for my whole
life,” Ogden told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
“I’ve seen it many times throughout the course of our careers,”
added Ogden, who has a degree in mechanical engineering. “It just
takes one of us to crack through to that next level. And then all of
a sudden, it’s like an onslaught of teammates following.”
Ogden took on Norway’s skiing phenomenon
Ogden finished Tuesday's race 0.8 seconds behind Johannes Hoesflot
Klaebo, the Norwegian star who claimed his second gold of the Milan
Cortina Games and is targeting a record career haul.
As Klaebo sprinted up the final hill, Ogden broke from the other
competitors and unleashed a powerful finishing kick.
“I just powered over the finish line and ended up getting sort of
close to Johannes," Ogden said. "But he won outright, and he had the
gas on the hill that nobody else had.”
A breakthrough 50 years in the making
The last U.S. Olympic medal in men’s cross-country skiing was a
silver by Bill Koch at the 1976 Innsbruck Games. Ogden grew up in
the same southern Vermont area as Koch and trained at his academy in
the Green Mountains. Their families are friendly.
Ogden, who comes from a family of skiers, said he’s not an outlier
as U.S. competitors continue to climb the world rankings. He is
currently ranked fifth in the World Cup sprint standings — behind
four Norwegians — and 15th overall. Other peers gaining ground and
international recognition include J.C. Schoonmaker and Gus
Schumacher, followed by a crop of younger athletes.
[to top of second column] |
Ben Ogden, of the United States, poses after winning the silver
medal in the cross-country skiing men's sprint classic at the 2026
Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP
Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
On the U.S. team, Ogden said, success is
contagious. He cited Schoonmaker’s 2023 World Cup podium finish as
an example.
“As soon as one of us did it, the others were quick to follow suit,”
he said. “So I’m really hopeful and excited for what’s coming with
our group.”
The backflip and importance of family
The backflip celebration was done on impulse.
“When I was young, I had a couple of years where I wanted nothing
more than to learn how to do a backflip,” Ogden said. “Yesterday,
when I was up there getting ready to go on the podium, I thought to
myself, man, no better opportunity to show off my hard-cultivated
skills than right now. So I decided to go for it.”
His mother, Andrea, watched from the stands in northern Italy,
keeping her fingers crossed on both hands during the race. But
Ogden’s thoughts were also with his father, who died three years ago
at age 56.
“It was spectacular to have my mom in the stands,” Ogden said. “It’s
a confusing set of emotions for me because I certainly wish and
crave my father’s presence at moments like those. I miss him every
single day. … I’ve been telling everybody and reminding myself that
he knew I was capable of this long before I ever did.”
Energizing fans back home
Back home in Vermont, fans gathered before dawn to watch the race.
“I saw some videos — there were all kinds of people up in Vermont at
5 a.m. watching the race,” Ogden said. “From the videos, it might as
well have been 9 p.m. They were as amped up and celebrating as much
as any.”
Ogden hopes the silver medal will help grow the sport in the United
States, which this season will host the final World Cup event at
Lake Placid, New York.
“My hopes for this and the rest of this championship are that we can
just get more eyes on cross-country skiing in the U.S. and get more
young kids fired up about it,” he said. “The U.S., being such a
giant country, could have 10 times that success if we could just
continue to grow the sport.”
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