Cross-country skiing : Ben Ogden breaks new ground
Early on Friday afternoon, Ben Ogden had another great moment in his young career. Having reached the podium for the very first time in December 2023 in the sprint in Toblach (Italy), the American this time claimed his first top 3 in distance during the individual skate of the cross-country skiing world cup in Les Rousses (Jura).
Competing against Iver Tildheim Andersen, Paal Golberg and Simen Hegstad Krueger, who was behind him on the line, the 24-year-old had the perfect day on the difficult French track: “My first podium at a distance, it’s a dream! I love this race in France and I’m really proud to have done well here,” he admitted to Nordic Magazine in the mixed zone.
“I like races like this where you suffer”.Ben Ogden at Nordic Magazine
It’s a route that the American enjoyed despite the difficult climbs. “It’s good because you can quickly find yourself with other people and if you ski well, you can conserve your energy. But it can also be harder if you start too hard,” he explained. “I like races like this where you suffer but it’s still fun. A lot of people scream and that’s great.
Cheered on by the French fans, as evidenced by the “Go Ben” that the leader of the United States heard, Ben Ogden is expecting another great battle in the classic sprint that will be on the programme this Saturday.
“I’m going to use today’s race to approach the event in the same way. It’s a classic race, so I’m going to have to push hard,” he says. I’m also going to try to be tactical and intelligent. I’m hopeful and it’s going to be a fun race.
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