Who is Ben Ogden? American skier ends 50-year Olympic drought

American cross-country skier Ben Ogden made history at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

The 25-year-old secured a silver medal in the men’s print classic, ending a 50-year Olympic medal drought for U.S. men in the sport.

The gold medal was secured by Norway’s dominant star Johannes Hosflot Klaebo, who won his second gold medal in the tournament.

While Norway’s Oskar Opstad Vike managed to win bronze.

The last medal secured by any American in cross-country skiing was in 1976 by Bill Koch.

Bill also secure silver medal.

Benjaming Ben Ogden has been a member of the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team since 2019.

He had a dignified career, as in 2018, he made history at the FIS Junior World Ski Championship in Goms, Switzerland.

Ben alongwith his teammates, secured a silver medal in the junior men’s relay, which was the first-ever medal for the U.S. men at a World Juniors Championship event.

Skiing is the family legacy of Ben. His sister Katharine is also a professional skier. Both siblings are taught to ski by their father.

Ogden, a native of Vermont, has been one of the quickest risers in international cross-country skiing. He has been the quickest skier under the age of 23 throughout the 2022-23 season and won his first World Cup podium in 2023. 

Tuesday’s silver has been his best moment so far and marks a major development in US men’s cross-country skiing that hasn’t been seen in several decades.