The athlete celebrated his victory by doing a backflip off the podium
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NEED TO KNOW
- Vermont native Ben Ogden became the first man to medal in a cross-country skiing event for Team USA in 50 years when he took silver in the cross-country ski sprint at the 2026 Winter Olympics
- The 25-year-old finished in second behind seven-time gold medalist Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway
- He celebrated his big win by executing a backflip off the podium
Ben Ogden helped Team USA end a 50-year dry spell at the 2026 Winter Olympics when he made it to the podium in the cross-country ski sprint.
The 25-year-old athlete snagged the silver medal during the race, which took place on Tuesday, Feb. 10, at the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium in Lago, Italy.
The last man representing the United States who medaled in a cross-country ski event at the Olympics was Bill Koch back in 1976, according to CBS News.
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Ogden finished the race just behind Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, a seven-time gold medalist who represents Norway and had a time of 3 minutes, 39.8 seconds. Oskar Opstad Vike, also representing Norway, finished the contest in third, winning the bronze medal.
To celebrate his strong finish, Ogden executed a backflip off the podium.
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Speaking at a press conference after the event, Ogden explained that the athletic feat honored an old tradition of his that dates back to high school.
“I used to do the backflip off podiums in high school, and I told myself, ‘If I ever get on an Olympic podium I’ll do it,’ ” he explained. “It felt a little show-boaty in the moment, but sometimes in life you have to satisfy your 15-year-old self. And I accomplished that just now.”
Ogden was thrilled with his performance in the race, calling his second-place finish “an unbelievable dream come true.”
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“Everybody who races dreams of being on an Olympic podium. It’s the ultimate goal, and I feel like this last year I’ve dared to set my expectations on an Olympic podium,” he said.
The Vermont-born skier continued, “Every day in training I’ve thought of how I could get better, and be the best version of myself on this course, and I’ve had good and bad days on this course, but I’m thrilled that today ended up being a good day.”
Speaking about competing against a competitor like Klaebo, he said, “There’s obviously a few fewer gold medals up for grabs when you race against Johannes, but all of us dream of having the stiffest competition and the best people to hold ourselves to the best standard.”
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He added that knowing his competition helps him remember “to bring the best version of yourself and bring your A game” to any event, saying, “You have to keep dreaming.”
“He wins a lot of races, for sure, but it doesn’t mean that one of us can’t come and give him a run for his money. Today I did my best, but he bested me — no surprise there — but maybe next time I’ll get on top,” he said.