Team USA make history at the 2026 Winter Olympics as Ben Ogden wins medal for first time in 50 years

Ben Ogden has become the first man to win an Olympic cross-country skiing medal for Team USA in 50 years.

The 25-year-old scored a silver medal on Tuesday (February 10) in the men's sprint classical race, clocking in at 3:40:61.

The US Ski Team said Ogden is the first American man to win an Olympic medal in cross-country skiing since Bill Koch at the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics.

"I hope it gives the future of the sport in the US a big boost. I know Bill [Koch] winning his medal gave a big boost to all the young skiers and all the people who dreamed the US could be a champion cross-country ski nation. I hope this propels us into the next 50 years," Ogden told Reuters.

Norway's Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo cinched the gold medal, finishing 0.8 seconds faster than Ogden, while Oskar Opstad Vike, also from Norway, won bronze with a time of 3:46.55.

Ogden's isn't the only major Team USA cross-country skiing win, however - back in 2018, Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall made history at the PyeongChang Winter Games by winning gold in the women’s team sprint cross-country skiing event.

It was the first Olympic gold medal ever for the US in cross-country skiing, as Team USA recalls.

Diggins, from Minnesota, and Randall, from Alaska, pulled off a thrilling finish in the team sprint final, edging out Sweden and Norway to stand atop the podium.

Ogden, from Landgrove, Vermont, made his first Olympic appearance at the 2022 Beijing Games, where he finished twelfth in the individual sprint; the best US men’s sprint result up to that point.

He was introduced to skiing at a very young age, with his father, John Ogden, a former Middlebury College cross-country skier, coaching a local youth ski league.

Ogden made an early mark internationally by helping the US men’s team win their first medals ever at the FIS Junior World Ski Championships relay - a silver in 2018 and gold in 2019.

He also skied for the University of Vermont, where he became a multi-time NCAA Nordic champion, and graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering.

So far at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, Team USA has won a total of five medals; two gold, two silver and one bronze.

Breezy Johnson struck gold in Women's downhill Alpine skiing, while the Team USA figure skating team - consisting of Ilia Malinin, Madison Chock, Evan Bates, Amber Glenn, Ellie Kam, Alysa Liu, Danny O’Shea - also placed first.

Alex Hall won silver in the Men's freestyle slopestyle skiing, and Paula Moltzan and Jacqueline Wiles won bronze in the Women's team combined Apline skiing.

The Milano Cortina Games continue until Sunday February 22.