Amundsen Returns to the Top, Schumacher 10th in Cogne 10 k

John TeafordFebruary 2, 2025

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Just a little faster than the rest at each checkpoint, Harald Oestberg Amundsen (NOR) demonstrated both dominance and control with his victory in Cogne’s World Cup 10 k Freestyle. (Photo: Vanzetta/NordicFocus)

10 k Freestyle is a speed race . . . and so much faster than the fastest runner in my home town can RUN a 10 k that it’s not even funny. Age grouper racers and recreational skiers might think, “Great! Finally, a distance that’s manageably short!” But that’s not the way World Cup skiers are put together. For the world’s best skiers, 10 k is likely to be the hardest distance they’ll race. The only thing scarier than 10 k would be a 5 k; World Cup racers are eternally grateful that they almost never compete over that brief, incendiary distance. 10 k is bad enough . . .

There are all kinds of things that can go wrong in ten kilometers. Go out too hard, and you’ll totally blow up (think “lactate-bloated slug crawling across the finish line”). Go out too easy, and you’ll finish a full-time zone behind the winners (build speed early, or you’ll never have speed at all). Everyone who wants to race well is going to take massive risks in this short, evil race. That’s just the way it goes. And in order to do well, you’ll need to challenge a virtual rogues-gallery of Norwegian ski-stars: Simen Hegstad Krueger, Harald Oestberg Amundsen, Martin Loewstroem Nyenget, Iver Tildheim Andersen. World Cup winners, Crystal Globe hoisters, World Championship medalists, Olympic heroes—some of whom have never even stood on the podium at their own national championships. It’s a crazy world.

In the end, it was that phalanx of Norwegian greatness that the field could not overcome. Though Iivo Niskanen definitely tried (he would lead at early checkpoints and finish a remarkable sixth in a race that was anything but his specialty), it was Amundsen who took the win ahead of his countrymen, Andersen and Nyenget.

After a mid-season break to recover from illness, Gus Schumacher (USA) appears to be returning to form. He would finish 10th in Cogne’s Freestyle 10 k. (Photo: Authamayou/NordicFocus)

Gus Schumacher (USA) continued his return to form with a 10th-place finish. Having controlled his opening speed without reaching too far, he began picking off earlier starters. He would hold his form through the finish for 10th place. After a few weeks at home in Anchorage to recover from mid-season illness, Schumacher seems to be rounding back into form in time for the World Championships.

“It does feel like I’m coming back to myself,” said Schumacher, “But there’s always more shape to find, and I think another bit at altitude here than going low and doing some racing/hard efforts/rest should set me up well.”

Among other American finishers, Ben Ogden delivered a steady and controlled 24th place finish, Zak Ketterson 32nd, Zanden McMullen 43rd, Hunter Wonders 46th, Walker Hall 48th.

Canadian finishers were Antoine Cyr 30th, Remi Drolet 35th, Olivier Leveille 40th, Julian Smith 65th,

Iivo Niskanen (FIN) always races to win—a level of determination and stubbornness that made him an early leader in Cogne’s 10 k Freestyle. He would fade to sixth, but showed that he may be returning to form in time for the World Championships in Trondheim. (Photo: Vanzetta/NordicFocus)
10 k Freestyle

Niskanen is an emotional guy—not what might be expected of the phlegmatic and stoic residents of the cold northern countries, but it’s true. A few weeks ago, he was visibly agitated by his failure to win the Classic Mass Start in Les Rousses. Second was simply not good enough, and he stormed out of the finish area, acknowledging neither his rivals nor the media. Then, on Friday, Niskanen was disqualified for a technique infraction in the Classic Team Sprint. Classic racing is his thing, and he just hasn’t been able to pull it together of late. Niskanen has something to prove.

Strange, then, that Niskanen would choose to mount that effort in a Freestyle race. Decades ago, when Skating began changing World Cup and World Championship events, it was the immortal Finn, Juha Meito, who suffered the most. A towering and dominant figure who made his bones through the power of the double pole, Mieto began the transition to skating, looking like a reindeer on skates. He would definitely improve, but his Skate technique still appeared strained and wooden. Niskanen is far better than that, but he’s still another Finn who appears far more comfortable in the Classic tracks.

Iver Tildheim Andersen (NOR) on his way to second-place in the 10 k in Cogne (ITA). (Photo: Nordic Focus)

Nevertheless, Niskanen rocketed out of the starting gate, determined to make his mark in Cogne’s 10 k Freestyle. Total commitment, high risk: he was the leader at most checkpoints up through the mid-point of the race. Then, the inexorable fade began. Niskanen is a supremely talented endurance athlete, so he was able to hold onto his form better than most. Even so, he couldn’t hold back the Norwegian tide. Niskanen faded a bit at each subsequent checkpoint—third at 5.4 kilometers, fourth at 6.6, fifth at 8.7—ultimately finishing sixth. Skiers with good early-season form are taking a break right now to rest up for the World Championships in a few weeks. Niskanen, it would seem, is racing himself into form.

Other contenders struggled to overcome race mistakes of their own. World Cup Distance leader, Simen Hegstad Krueger, attempted the negative split strategy, but he had given up too much speed early on. He would only advance to fifth place. Hugo Lapalus (FRA) never got it going in the early kilometers; there simply wasn’t time for him to recover the placings he surrendered early on. Lapalus would finish 11th. Calle Halfvarsson (SWE) started fast (top four in early splits), then faded to 14th. Like Halfvarsson, new Italian sensation Victor Lovera might’ve been a little too enthusiastic; top three in early splits, then fading to 13th.

Gus Schumacher (USA) on his way to tenth-place in the 10 k Freestyle in Cogne (ITA). (Photo: Nordic Focus)

Schumacher was the one who made the best use of a conservative strategy with split times that moved consistently up through the field—24th, 14th, 9th, 7th—before settling into 10th as the podium contenders turned on their finishing surges. For a skier who lost a few weeks of World Cup starts to illness, it was a masterfully controlled race for Schumacher.

“Definitely felt controlled for the first half,” Schumacher explained. “And then got super hard in the last lap, which is about exactly what I wanted. I would wish for more pop in that last 2 k, but I think that speaks to just not being fully acclimated still for 5000+ feet.”

“Today’s effort was definitely better after some racing last week,: Schumacher continued. “I think the altitude adjustment has been the hardest part for me. Anything over 4500ft feels tough on this sea-level guy! The time off definitely freshened me up mentally, which I think is huge in a long season like this with the big goals at world champs still a month away.”

Ben Ogden (USA) sometimes starts like a rocket. Today, in Cogne, he was controlled and consistent. (Photo:  Authamayou/NordicFocus)

Like Schumacher, Ogden controlled his race effort, measuring his speed and never seeming to go too deep. He would finish 24th, seemingly with more to give. That’s a good strategy on the road to Trondheim.

Edvin Anger (SWE) raced well on the day, hovering around sixth at most checkpoints, then closing in the final kilometer for a top-four finish. A few weeks ago, Anger had made the mistake of speaking a bit too flippantly when he suggested that he would’ve beaten Klaebo in a sprint (Klaebo was staying home in Norway that weekend). Since then, Anger (who wears the green U23 leader’s bib) has had trouble living up to his own predictions. Today’s fine finish in a 10 k Freestyle suggests that he may begin to show the results that his obvious potential has often suggested.

Edvin Anger (SWE) continues is stellar season with a fourth-place finish in the 10 k Freestyle in Cogne (ITA). (Photo: Nordic Focus)

But it was the Norwegian stars who began appearing at the top of the splits with each passing checkpoint, and none mastered it better than Amundsen—starting fast, utilizing a tempo just a bit quicker and snappier than all the others, and holding on without visible stress. Amundsen led at the first checkpoint, then relaxed into a holding pattern behind Niskanen at 2.1 and 3.3 kilometers before beginning to tighten the screws on his effort for a long, controlled surge to the finish line. It was a bit strange to watch: Amundsen led at every subsequent split, but only by a little bit—a display of dominance, but also of control. It really was an impressive performance, one that the field may find difficult to overcome when the show moves to Trondheim.

Men’s 10 k Freestyle RESULTS

Iver Tildheim Andersen (NOR), Harald Oestberg Amundsen (NOR) and Martin Loewstroem Nyenget (NOR), (l-r) share the 10 k Freestyle podium in Cogne (ITA). (Photo: Nordic Focus)
Harald Oestberg Amundsen (NOR) returns to the top of the podium. in Cogne, Italy. He’ll be a favorite in the 10 K at the World Championships next month in Trondheim. (Photo: Vanzetta/NordicFocus)

John Teaford

John Teaford—the Managing Editor of FasterSkier — has been the coach of Olympians, World Champions, and World Record Holders in six sports: Nordic skiing, speedskating, road cycling, track cycling, mountain biking, triathlon. In his long career as a writer/filmmaker, he spent many seasons as Director of Warren Miller’s annual feature film, and Producer of adventure documentary films for Discovery, ESPN, Disney, National Geographic, and NBC Sports.

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