Benjamin "Ben" Ogden (born February 13, 2000) is an American cross-country skier.[1] He has been a member of the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team since 2019.[2] 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.[3] His website is, benogden.org.

Ben Ogden
Country United States
Born (2000-02-13) February 13, 2000 (age 24)
Lebanon, New Hampshire, United States
Height184 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Ski clubStratton Mountain School
World Cup career
Seasons5 – (2019, 2021–present)
Starts55
Podiums1
Overall titles0 – (8th in 2023)
Discipline titles1 – (U23 in 2023)
Medal record
Men's cross-country skiing
Representing  United States
Junior World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2019 Lahti 4 × 5 km relay
Gold medal – first place 2020 Oberwiesenthal 4 × 5 km relay
Silver medal – second place 2018 Goms 4 × 5 km relay
Updated on 1 January 2024.

Early life

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Ogden grew up in Landgrove, Vermont.[4] He and his older sister, Katharine, who is also a professional skier, were taught to ski by their father.[5] As a young skier, he trained with the West River Nordic Club at the Wild Wings XC Center.[6][7]

Athletic career

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2017–2018: Juniors

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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.[8] 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.[9]

2018–2019: Return to Juniors and World Cup debut

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Ogden was nominated to the 2018–2019 U.S. Ski Team as a member of the D Team.[10] 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.[11] Ogden skied the second classic leg for the team composed of Luke Jager, Johnny Hagenbuch, and Gus Schumacher.[12] Ogden made his World Cup debut on 22 March 2019 in Quebec City, Canada.[13] He was one of nine SMS T2 skiers to qualify for the 2018–2019 World Cup Finals.[14]

2019–2020: World Juniors Gold and NCAA Championships

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Ogden was again nominated to the D Team with the U.S. Ski Team for the 2019–2020 season.[15] 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.[16] Later that month, Ogden took first place in the 10 km freestyle race at the 2020 NCAA National Skiing Championships in Bozeman, Montana.[17] 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.[18]

2020–2021

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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.[19]

2021–2022: Olympic Debut

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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.[20][21] At the 2022 NCAA National Skiing Championships, Ogden claimed his second national title when he won the men's 10 km classical race.[22]

Cross-country skiing results

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All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).[23]

Olympic Games

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 Year   Age   15 km 
 individual 
 30 km 
 skiathlon 
 50 km 
 mass start 
 Sprint   4 × 10 km 
 relay 
 Team 
 sprint 
2022 22 42 [a] 12 9

a Distance reduced to 30 km due to weather conditions.

World Championships

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 Year   Age   15 km 
 individual 
 30 km 
 skiathlon 
 50 km 
 mass start 
 Sprint   4 × 10 km 
 relay 
 Team 
 sprint 
2021 21 45 17
2023 23 27 26 7 10

World Cup

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Season titles

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  • 1 title – (1 U23)
Season
Discipline
2023 U23

Season standings

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 Season   Age  Discipline standings Ski Tour standings
Overall Distance Sprint U23 Nordic
Opening
Tour de
Ski
World Cup
Final
2019 19 NC NC NC NC 66
2021 21 NC NC NC NC
2022 22 57 75 30 6 DNF
2023 23 8 26 10   13
2024 24 32 46 15 DNF

Individual podiums

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  • 1 podium – (1 SWC)
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place
1 2023–24 30 December 2023   Toblach, Italy 1.4 km Sprint F Stage World Cup 3rd

Personal life

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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.[24][25] 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.[26]

References

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  1. ^ "Ben Ogden". FIS. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  2. ^ "Benjamin Ogden". U.S. Ski & Snowboard. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  3. ^ "World Junior/U23 Championships: Skiathlon/Relays Recap". Skinnyski.com. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  4. ^ "Benjamin Ogden". U.S. Ski & Snowboard. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  5. ^ Kramsky, Marshall (January 4, 2022). "Vermont siblings have sights set on competing in Olympics". WPTZ. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  6. ^ Results (April 1, 2011). "RESULTS: New England Ski Museum 2011 Bretton Woods Marathon". Vermont Sports Magazine. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  7. ^ "Under 23 Questions: Ben Ogden – FasterSkier.com". fasterskier.com. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  8. ^ "Junior Worlds, U23 Teams Named". U.S. Ski & Snowboard. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  9. ^ "Saturday Rundown: Relay Silver for U.S. Men; Loomis 4th; Plus Hakuba & Gatineau – FasterSkier.com". fasterskier.com. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  10. ^ "2018-19 U.S. Ski Team Cross Country Nominations". U.S. Ski & Snowboard. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  11. ^ "SVSEF's Hagenbuch gets gold in Finland". Idaho Mountain Express Newspaper. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  12. ^ "Jager, Ogden, Hagenbuch,Schumacher: U.S. Wins U20 Worlds 4 x 5 k Relay – FasterSkier.com". fasterskier.com. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  13. ^ "OGDEN Ben - Athlete Information". www.fis-ski.com. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  14. ^ "SMS NORDIC". Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  15. ^ "Twenty Athletes Nominated to 2019-20 U.S. Cross Country Ski Team". U.S. Ski & Snowboard. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  16. ^ "Junior Men Gold, Junior Women Silver at World Championships". U.S. Ski & Snowboard. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  17. ^ "Engineering for Speed: Ogden Wins NCAA Championship". The University of Vermont. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  18. ^ Cohen, Tyler (March 20, 2020). "An Abrupt End to the Season: How COVID-19 has impacted racing and recreation". Cross Country Skier. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  19. ^ "2021-22 Davis U.S. Cross Country Team Announced". U.S. Ski & Snowboard. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  20. ^ "Olympic Winter Games Beijing (CHN)". www.fis-ski.com. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  21. ^ Nickel, Lori. "Minocqua native Kevin Bolger helps U.S. cross country team make history in individual sprint freestyle at Winter Olympics". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  22. ^ Abrami, Alex. "Vermont's Ben Ogden captures 10k classic at NCAA championships". Burlington Free Press. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  23. ^ "OGDEN Ben - Athlete Information". www.fis-ski.com. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  24. ^ "Nordic". www.gosms.org. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  25. ^ "Ben Ogden - Skiing". University of Vermont Athletics. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  26. ^ "Ben Ogden". October 15, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
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