MINNEAPOLIS, MN: Surging along Sunday’s 10km Freestyle course, American cross-country skiing roared in anticipation and witnessed the unbelievable: A Win at Wirth. As Amundsen, then Klæbo, then Krüger finished off-pace, Gus Schumacher remained improbably, elatedly fixed to the Hot Seat. The thunder of the grandstands rose in frantic intensity, the hillsides overlooking the finish line roiled, and Pål Golberg plunged into the stadium – six seconds too late!

Schumacher buried his head in his hands; his teammates buried him in an ecstasy of embraces; American Men’s Nordic buried a of ‘almosts’ in the snow and mud at Theodore Wirth and acclaimed a new champion. Ten years after Simi Hamilton won in Lenzerheide, and forty-one since Bill Koch won in Sarajevo, Gus Schumacher stood triumphant on the top of the Men’s podium in Minneapolis.

Asked to put it into words, Schumacher says he’s “getting better at it with each interview. I’m so grateful and thankful and happy. It means a lot to me to have my best race ever with my grandma here, and so many people who would never be able to watch otherwise.” To win in the United States, “With so many people here is amazing.”

Also Read: Surprising win for Gus Schumacher at the World Cup10km race in Minneapolis

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Those people enveloped the course in unrelenting sound. Schumacher “wasn’t feeling much other than the crowd. I couldn’t even hear my own breathing, which is normally a metric for how hard I’m going, so maybe that helped. I felt pretty unstoppable out there. The ‘U.S.A!’ chants on the last couple hills were really crazy.”

After the media scrum quieted, Jessie Diggins – waiting patiently in her warmups and Yellow Bib – met Schumacher in a long, emotional hug. It was a tender moment in a morning of frenzied celebration.

“This is Gus’s day, and I want everyone to know that,” Diggins told me after her race. “This is so special, and I couldn’t possibly be more proud of him. He’s like a little brother, you know? This team is so tight, we’re like a family – it made my whole weekend.”

Indeed, despite securing her own, fervently-anticipated hometown podium, Diggins appreciated the reality of a Minneapolis World Cup more than her medal – and recognized the long road to Wirth. “This whole weekend has been my career’s dream. It barely feels real, but I’m just trying to enjoy it […] I’ve never been more proud. Maybe of anything.”

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Harald Amundsen described this Loppet Cup – and Schumacher’s win – as “Insane.”

“I thought I had a really good day and a really good finish, but Gus was even stronger than me in the finish, so hats off to him,” Amundsen told me. “On the longest uphill it was absolutely crazy. I couldn’t hear myself think or breathe because it was so loud. I imagine that Gus had even more cheering.”

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Johannes Klaebo was similarly quick to praise Schumacher. “Everyone was waiting for him to take the next step, and for him to do this at home – how can this be better for him? I’m super happy for him.”

Diggins told me she hoped this weekend’s spectators were “leaving super inspired. I know I am.”

Cole Taggett and Krin Blegen, high school teammates who drove five hours to watch the races, certainly were. “It was fantastic to see all these people that we’ve watched on TV for so long in real life, and to see how fast they were going […] I think we’re getting better technique-wise just watching them.”

And Schumacher, the Winner at Wirth, had words of advice: “Trust yourself and be patient. Take the time, love the sport,” and the unbelievable is achievable. “I’m proof of that!”

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Top 5, 10km F, Men

1. Gus Schumacher (USA), 20:52.7
2. Harald Østberg Amundsen (NOR), +4.4
3. Pål Golberg (NOR), +5.8
4. Johannes Høsflot Klæbo (NOR), +6.5
5. William Poromaa (SWE), +8.1

Here you can find the complete results.

More information can be found HERE

See below the complete program with facts and information links for the World Cup in Minneapolis, USA.

FACTS Minneapolis World Cup Season 2023/2024

• When: Saturday, February 17, to Sunday, February 18, 2024
• Who: Elite national skiers – women and men
• Where: Minneapolis, USA
• What: FIS Cross-Country World Cup in Minneapolis, USA

PROGRAM

Saturday, February 17: Sprint Freestyle (More details can be found here)

• 17:00 CET: Sprint Qualification F, Women
• 17:36 CET: Sprint Qualification F, Men
• 19:30 CET: Sprint Final F, Women
• 19:30 CET: Sprint Final F, Men

Sunday, February 18: 10km Interval Start Freestyle (More details can be found here)

• 17:30 CET: 10km Interval Start F, Men
• 19:45 CET: 10km Interval Start F, Women 

Read More: World Cup calendar for the 2023/2024 Winter Season