MILAN — American cross-country skier Ben Ogden earned the silver medal in the men’s sprint classic at the 2026 Winter Olympics, finishing with a time of 3:40.61, just 0.91 seconds behind Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, повідомляє Baltimore Chronicle with a reference to the original source. Norway’s Oskar Opstad Vike took the bronze, crossing the line at 3:46.55.
Ogden’s achievement marks the first Olympic cross-country skiing medal for a U.S. man in nearly 50 years. He becomes only the second American male athlete to reach the Olympic podium in cross-country skiing, following Bill Koch, who claimed silver in the 30km event at the 1976 Innsbruck Winter Games.
At the 2022 Beijing Olympics, Ogden finished 12th in the men’s sprint classic, which was the best U.S. performance in that event at the time. Entering the 2026 Games, he had already achieved two World Cup podium finishes, including a bronze in the 10km freestyle in January 2025.
Klaebo maintained a strong lead throughout the race, easing his pace near the finish line to secure his third consecutive Olympic sprint classic gold and his seventh overall gold in the event. He also won the men’s 10km + 10km skiathlon on Sunday.
In the women’s sprint classic final earlier on Tuesday, American skier Julia Kern placed sixth with a time of 4:43.41. Jessie Diggins, who won bronze in the same event at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, did not advance past the quarterfinals.
Earlier we wrote about Super Bowl 2026 Kickoff Times, Halftime Show, and Full Schedule for Seahawks vs. Patriots
