– A couple of months ago, I couldn’t have imagined talking about this. Emotions would have taken over too much.
Skier Ben Ogden sits in his home in Vermont, sighs deeply and wipes the corners of his eyes. The 23-year-old American is known in skiing circles as a happy pill, from which one joke or another comes out, even if there are only a few seconds to the start of the race.
Last season, Ogden also became known for its results. He was by far the skier under the age of 23 who collected the most points in the World Cup, which earned him a crystal trophy at the end of the season. However, the achievement was overshadowed by great sadness.
Ogden’s father, a well-known ski enthusiast in New England and Vermont ski circles John Ogden had contracted cancer ten years ago. Several operations over the years won Dad more time to live, but the cancer returned time and time again and eventually spread to all parts of the body. Last season it was clear that the winter would be his last.
– I was on the other side of the world, even though I wanted to be at home all the time. However, my father would have been devastated if I had stayed home for him, Ogden says via video call.
John Ogden passed away on Midsummer in the presence of his family.
– If last season was difficult, I believe that the upcoming one will be as well. My father was the main reason why I became a skier. He crosses my mind constantly, which isn’t a bad thing. Vice versa. But that can have its own challenges.
In the footsteps of the great American
Although only 23 years old, Ben Ogden is a rarity in US men’s cross country history. In recent years, the country has been known especially for its successful women such as About Jessie Diggins, Kicking Randall and From Rosie Brennan.
For Finns, the most memorable US memory for men is related to the 2009 World Cup in Liberec. In them Matti Heikkinen won bronze at 15 km, beating the fourth-placed USA by Kris Freeman with a difficult 1.3 seconds.
In the World Cup, several American men have sneaked into the top ten with individual rankings. About them Andrew Newell reached the podium three times between 2006 and 2010 and Simeon Hamilton Four times in 2013–2017. The only win in Hamilton’s career will be ten years old next New Year’s Eve.
Ogden has yet to be seen on the podium. In fact, he has never been in the World Cup even in the sprint finals, i.e. in the top six. Last season, at his best, he was seventh twice in the sprint. However, it tells about the basic level that his average ranking in sprints was a respectable 13th.
The best result of his career came unexpectedly in January at the Tour de Ski in Oberstdorf, where Ogden was sixth in the 10 km split start.
– It was a big surprise, but there will be days in the World Cup when everything sucks. The skis are perfect, the feeling is great and the track profile is favorable, says Ogden.
Ogden collected 1118 points in the World Cup, with which he finished eighth in the final points. Perttu Hyvärinen was 22nd as the best Finnish man (734 points). Ogden became only the fourth US male skier to beat all Finns in the final points of the World Cup.
Before Ogden, the aforementioned Newell and Freeman had succeeded in the trick. The Finns’ first defeater has to be looked for much further than the results lists of this millennium.
William Conrad Koch was better known in sports circles Bill Kochina. He won the first World Cup in history in the 1981–1982 season ahead of Sweden Thomas Wassberg and Finland Harri Kirvesniemea. Koch also reached the top in the following season, being third in the overall points, when Asko Autio remained 12th as the best Finn.
Koch, who won Olympic silver (1976) and World Championship bronze (1982), also had a significant impact on Ben Ogden’s career and private life.
The 68-year-old skiing legend lives just minutes from the Ogdens. The Bill Koch Ski League, named after Koch, served as Ogden’s cross-country scholarship, where his father worked as a coach.
Ogden says that the legend was an important support for him after his father’s passing.
– Bill has been and still is a huge source of inspiration for me. I was lucky to grow up close to him. I’ve trained with Bill and his son hundreds of times, says Ogden.
By boy, he refers to someone two years younger than himself to Will Kochwhich debuted at the World Cup in January.
“Bill and my dad taught me and Will how lucky we are to be able to chase our dreams in the sport we love,” says Ogden.
A healthy growing environment
Ogden garnered admiration for his results last season, but also received a different kind of attention. The American, who turned 23 in February, admits that his skiing technique is raw.
Ogden rejects the current state of sports and exercise, where children and young people are made to compete and train with a goal too early. Ogdenin, who was coached by his father until he was 15, says that his training was focused on play.
– Thanks to that, I am still motivated and enthusiastic about sports. Now I can focus on honing my technique.
Ogden has not had to be alone with his good results. The last few years have been upswings for all of US men’s skiing.
Ogden was part of the USA foursome that won relay silver at the Junior World Championships in 2018. The foursome turned silver into gold in 2019 and successfully defended their championship a year later. Since then, Ogden’s rise has continued at the adult level.
At the end of last season, Ogden became only the third American man ever to finish in the top ten in overall World Cup points, joining Kochi and By Dan Simoneau (7th in the season 1981–1982) in addition.
– I am happy that I was able to show my talent to my father. I know that every season can’t be all about development.
The main goal is Minneapolis
In the starting season, Ogden’s goal is to make it to the sprint final for the first time in the World Cup. The first opportunity to do so will be offered in Ruka on November 24, when the season starts with a traditional skiing sprint. Three of Ogden’s four top 10 finishes have come on traditional.
Since the season does not include value races, Ogden has set his main goal to be in top shape on the 17th-18th. from March. At that time, the World Cup of Skiing will return to the United States for the first time since January 2001, when Ogden was 11 months old.
– It’s the best thing that can happen to US skiing. Success in the home games is the dream of every American. If it hits anyone, we celebrate it as a team.
According to Ogden, the USA national team has been aware of his mental burden, but only now is he ready to open up about his situation to a larger audience.
– I wrote one update on Instagram in memory of my father, but otherwise I wanted to deal with things myself before and after my father’s death. I have not denied the problems if someone has asked about them. Now I feel I can talk about this publicly.
– The trials that my father had to go through have put things into perspective. When I face difficulties in my skiing career, I believe that I can accept them as a part of life.