2020-21 U.S. Cross Country Ski Team Announced

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced the 23 athletes of the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team for the 2020-21 season who will kick off competition with the traditional World Cup season opener in Ruka, Finland, Nov. 27-29.

Athletes named to the A Team for the 20-2021 season include 2018 Olympic Gold medalist Jessie Diggins and 2018 Olympians Simi Hamilton, Sophie Caldwell Hamilton, Sadie Maubet Bjornsen, and Rosie Brennan. Also joining the A Team this season are Julia Kern, who earned her first World Cup podium last season, and Hailey Swirbul, who scored World Cup points in classic and freestyle sprint and distance races last season.

In addition to a host of veteran athletes with World Cup, World Championship, and Olympic experience, the 2020-21 team includes the largest Development Team the United States has fielded in many years with 11 athletes, including all four members of the silver-medal-winning 2020 FIS Junior World Ski Championships women’s relay team: Kendall Kramer, Sydney Palmer-Leger, Movie McCabe and Sophia Laukli. Also returning to the D Team are three members of the men’s two-time gold-medal-winning Junior World Championships relay team, Luke Jager, Ben Ogden, and Johnny Hagenbuch. Also bringing her smile and positive energy back to the D Team is Hannah Halvorsen, who is back on snow after missing the entire season last year after she was hit by a car in Anchorage and suffered head, back, and knee injuries.

The fourth member of the men’s gold medal relay team, Gus Schumacher, joins the B Team for the 20-2021 season, thanks in large part to becoming the first American male to win an individual gold medal at the Junior World Championships. Katharine Ogden rejoins the B Team this season after racing for Dartmouth the past couple of seasons. Katharine posted two top-30 World Cup results in last season’s Tour de Ski.

Following a unique summer of training, members of the Davis U.S. Cross Country Ski Team are ready to go and open the season, which will also feature the 2021 FIS Nordic World Championships Feb. 24-March 7 in Oberstdorf, Germany.

“Needless to say, this year was the most atypical season of preparation that cross country team has had, with athletes mainly training at home in their smaller club groups,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Program Director Chris Grover. “Given this limitation, it’s impressive to see the level of fitness that many athletes have attained this fall, smashing personal records on time trials and local events. I have no doubt that when the Team gets their snow-feet underneath them this winter, they will have some extraordinary results.”
NBC’s new streaming platform, Peacock Premium, will live stream the 2020-21 FIS Cross Country tour this season. NBC, NBCSN, Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA and NBC Sports’ digital platforms will also air World Cup cross country coverage all season. Cross Country broadcast and streaming listings will be available throughout the season at USSkiandSnowboard.org