The 24-year-old became the talk of the town when he crushed Johannes Høsflot Klæbo and the entire world elite in the 10km event in Minneapolis last winter. This Friday, they will meet again.

The Alaskan was one of the few athletes to beat Klæbo last winter. On that February day in Minneapolis, the young American outpaced the world’s best cross-country skier, the overall World Cup champion, the 2023 World Championships king, and the rest of the World Cup elite.

Now, Gus Schumacher is ready for his fifth World Cup season, entering with an extra dose of confidence.

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Did winning a World Cup race with all the top athletes present change anything for you?

“Of course it did. As you’d expect, it gave me a lot more confidence in myself and made me trust that the training I’m doing is good enough to compete with the best in the world. It’s also changed how I see myself relative to the top guys—I now know I can hold my own and perform against the best. I’ve had that feeling competing in North America for a while, but now I carry that confidence into the World Cup as well.”

There aren’t many who have beaten Klæbo. How cool is it to have bested someone considered the world’s greatest cross-country skier?

“Well, winning a World Cup race is a huge breakthrough. The whole experience was almost surreal—winning on home soil and sharing that victory with the entire American cross-country community. That was what really stood out to me.”

Patience Pays Off

In 2020, Gus Schumacher became a junior world champion, heralding a bright future. However, it took four years before the skiing talent from Anchorage claimed his first senior-level win.

Beating Klæbo that day was just one part of the achievement.

“I wasn’t the only one to beat Klæbo that day—he finished fourth. But I was the only one who beat all the World Cup stars. I outskied Harald Østberg Amundsen, Pål Golberg, Simen Hegstad Krüger… I was faster than all the big names,” Schumacher said.

He added that it was actually the second time in a few months he had beaten Klæbo, though the first instance went largely unnoticed.

“I beat Klæbo in the 20km race at the World Cup opener in Ruka, where he placed 21st. But he wasn’t in great form then, and I only finished 16th,” Schumacher noted.

Have you changed anything in your training or preparation this season compared to previous years?

“No. But you naturally improve year by year with good training and grow more confident in your technique and choices.”

Ahead of last season, Schumacher made several significant changes, and he now feels he’s seeing the results.

Have you competed against any World Cup stars since the season finale in March?

“No, only against other Americans. But I haven’t felt the need. I know I can compete with the best, and I certainly haven’t gotten any worse over the summer.”

Looking ahead to the World Championships in Trondheim, which events are you most excited about?

“All of them, really. I think I have good chances in most of the events, except maybe the 50km—it’s so long. But the sprint, the other distance races, and especially the team sprint and relay suit me well,” Schumacher said enthusiastically.

“The relay is the big one for me. I’ve done well in relays with the guys before, winning gold and silver at the Junior World Championships, and last year we finished fifth in the World Cup in Gällivare. We’ve all improved since then.”

Speaking of relays, who do you think will be the next Gus Schumacher, Ben Ogden, or JC Schoonmaker?

“I’d bet on Luke Jager, the fourth member of the squad that won gold and silver with us in the Junior World Championships relays. He’s been just below the surface for a while, with some bad luck. But now, I think he’s ready to shine.”

Finally, who do you consider your toughest competitors?

“There isn’t really anyone specific I’ve faced year after year since my level has changed so much over time. I don’t think of my competitors that way. And now, I’ve actually beaten all of them.”

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