Fire, Ice, and Belief: Two Vermonters Deliver Under the Lights in Davos

This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com.

The lights come on early in Davos, not because they are needed, but because Davos wants them on. By mid-afternoon, the valley is already sliding toward dusk, the alpine light thinning and flattening, and the sprint venue leans into the moment the way it always has: music turned up, cowbells ringing with a little extra insistence, flames licking the edges of the course like stage cues. The effect is deliberate. This is not cross-country skiing as a quiet endurance ritual in the woods; this is cross-country skiing as spectacle.

“Davos deliberately designs this event to feel like a rock concert,” U.S. head coach Matt Whitcomb said afterward. “They race at night, they bring in fire and lighting and music, and because it’s a two-lap course, you see the athletes twice as much. They invest in the experience, and it pays off.”

Jack Young (USA) on his way to a fast qualification in Davos (SUI). (Photo: Modica/NordicFocus)

On Saturday night, it paid off in a men’s freestyle sprint that delivered one of the most compelling American performances in years. Jack Young finished fourth, Ben Ogden fifth — the first time two American men had made a World Cup sprint final together in Davos — on a night when the script cracked open early and never fully resealed. Johannes Høsflot Klæbo was gone before the semifinals. A notoriously slick downhill corner became the day’s silent antagonist. And by the time Lucas Chanavat lunged across the line to win by three hundredths of a second, the story had already shifted: the U.S. men were no longer visitors to the sprint final. They were participants, with opinions about how it might have ended differently.

For Young, the fourth-place finish marked his first World Cup sprint final — a breakthrough that felt less like a surprise than a confirmation. “This result means so, so much,” he said. “It really feels like proof that I can make it to the top in this sport. If I’d told myself three years ago that I’d finish fourth in a World Cup sprint, I would have thought I was insane.”

Ben Ogden (USA) during qualification in Davos (SUI). (Photo: Modica/NordicFocus)

A course that punishes impatience

Davos is not a long sprint, but it is not a forgiving one. Two laps of just under 600 meters pack in a decisive climb, sustained skating tempo, and — this year especially — a downhill corner that demanded respect. The snow was entirely man-made, hard and fast, and as the temperature dropped through the evening, it glazed into ice. Athletes began to talk about the corner not as a feature, but as a test.

“That bottom corner was particularly dicey this year,” Whitcomb said. “Man-made snow turns to ice quickly, and that corner claimed a lot of people over the last couple of days.”

Ben Ogden felt it more than once. “That last corner was really the focus,” he said. “I fell there yesterday, JC fell there in practice, and I stumbled twice in the final and ended up against the boards. It was unfortunate, but every year you learn a little more about how the ice forms there.”

The corner changed the race’s outcome. The first time through, athletes skied it conservatively, prioritizing stability over speed. The second time, with fatigue setting in and the finish looming, choices became riskier — and more consequential.

Janik Riebli (SUI), Jack Young (USA), and Lars Heggen (NOR), (l-r) during the heats in Davos (SUI). (Photo: Vanzetta/NordicFocus)

Qualifying hints, early shocks

The qualifying round suggested a familiar hierarchy, but with enough irregularities to hint that Davos might misbehave. Lucas Chanavat of France was fastest, Ben Ogden second, Klæbo third. Jack Young qualified sixth — an excellent position that put him squarely in control of his bracket.

“That’s one of the best qualifying results we’ve ever had on the U.S. team,” Whitcomb said. “Qualifying in the top ten gives you options. It lets you race offensively instead of defensively.”

Klæbo’s day began to unravel in the quarterfinals. Boxed in and forced wide through the downhill, he finished fourth in his heat and failed to advance. His 16-race sprint win streak ended not with drama, but with traffic — a reminder that sprinting, for all its stars, is still governed by physics and positioning.

Ogden and Young both advanced cleanly. Ogden won his quarterfinal with authority. Young skied his with the composure of someone who knew exactly what he needed to do — no more, no less.

Ben Ogden (USA) and the US Ski Team had a lot to celebrate in Davos (SUI). (Photo: Modica/NordicFocus)

Semifinals: the Americans arrive together

By the semifinals, the noise in Davos had sharpened. Chanavat advanced. Ogden advanced. And then Young did, stepping into his first World Cup sprint final with the kind of quiet efficiency that suggested the moment had not surprised him.

“To be honest, the first thing that went through my mind standing on the start line was how tired I was,” Young said. “But I reminded myself that anything can happen in a sprint final. I don’t train just for qualifiers and quarters — I train for the full day. It was time to execute.”

For Ogden, the significance of sharing the moment wasn’t lost. “Racing with Jack today was awesome,” he said. “He has this infectious confidence, especially here in Davos. Last year we were in the semifinals together, and this year we were in the final together. That’s a big step.”

Whitcomb saw it as more than a statistical milestone. “To put two guys into the men’s final is a dream,” he said. “When athletes finish a race seeing the podium and knowing they can be on it, that’s when things start to get dangerous — in a good way.”

Jack Young (USA) had every right to be celebrated after his breakout race today in Davos (SUI). (Photo: Modica/NordicFocus)

The final: margins measured in inches

The men’s final unfolded at full speed. Chanavat and Federico Pellegrino established themselves early, both reading the race the way veterans do — not forcing it, but shaping it. Oskar Opstad Vike of Norway positioned himself patiently, waiting for the moment when commitment would matter.

Ogden and Young stayed connected. Coming into the final corner, Ogden had position. Young had momentum.

“I was really gunning for that podium,” Ogden said. “I felt like I was pretty close. With fewer stumbles and maybe a little better positioning, I think I could have made it happen.”

The corner had other plans. Ogden’s line took him over the ice and was forced wide, momentarily pinned against the boards. Young exited cleaner, carrying speed into the finishing straight.

Chanavat and Pellegrino lunged together at the line, Chanavat winning by three hundredths of a second. Vike took third. Young crossed fourth, Ogden fifth — separated from the podium by seconds, but not by belief.

“I finally feel like I can truly compete at the top,” Young said. “That’s a special feeling.”

Results — Men’s Sprint Freestyle, Davos

Lucas Chanavat (France)
Federico Pellegrino (Italy)
Oskar Opstad Vike (Norway)
Jack Young (USA)
Ben Ogden (USA)
Edvin Anger (Sweden)

Notables: Johannes Høsflot Klæbo (Norway), 17th, and JC Schoonmaker (USA), 27th.

It has been a tough trail back to the top step on the podium for Lucas Chanavat (FRA) so he was extremely excited to be standing on it today in Davos (SUI). (Photo: Vanzetta/NordicFocus)

What Davos leaves behind

Davos has always been good at revealing things. It reveals how athletes handle altitude, manage nerves, and respond when a race refuses to go according to plan. On Saturday night, it revealed something else: American depth at the sharp end of a sprint final.

Young talked about the atmosphere as something that lifts him. “With all the energy, it’s easy to trick yourself into thinking you’re walking into a big arena,” he said. Ogden talked about validation — not just from results, but from proximity. “My target in these races is the podium,” he said. “It feels good to know I’m getting closer.”

Whitcomb, standing back from it all, saw the longer arc. “We’re in a really good place with these guys,” he said. “There’s a lot more to come.”

The flames went out eventually. The music faded. Davos returned to being a quiet alpine town under an early winter night. But for the American men — and for two Vermonters who now know exactly what a World Cup sprint final feels like in tandem — something lingered.

Not noise. Not spectacle.

Belief.

Men’s Individual Sprint Final RESULTS

Love Stories Like This? Help Keep Them Coming.

Feature stories like this one take time, access, and care to produce. If you value thoughtful storytelling and independent ski journalism, please consider becoming a Voluntary Subscriber. Your support directly fuels the work we do to cover the people, places, and moments that make our sport special.

Join the FasterSkier community!

Federico Pellegrino (ITA), Lucas Chanavat (FRA), and Oskar Opstad Vike (NOR), (l-r) on the sprint podium in Davos (SUI). (Photo: Vanzetta/NordicFocus)

Matthew Voisin

As owner and publisher of FasterSkier, Matthew Voisin manages the day-to-day operations, content, and partnerships that keep the site gliding smoothly. Away from the desk, he’s doing his best to keep pace with his two energetic sons.