By Devin L. Ward, Ph.D.
If you were expecting darkness and heavy snow, Friday’s Ruka World Cup 10-kilometer interval-start classic race delivered. Conditions were trying, but seemed to improve through the race. Deep snow on some of the uphills in the second race of the day led to more than a few stumbles.
After struggling through much of last season, Iivo Niskanen performed for his home crowd in the first men’s race of the season, finishing 12.5 seconds ahead of Harald Østberg Amundsen of Norway with an emphatic pole-drop to punctuate the victory. I thought I could hear the Finns cheering from my couch in London. They are well practiced at this by now; this was Niskanen’s fifth (!) career win in a 10- or 15-kilometer interval-start classic race to open the season at this venue.
Norwegians made up the rest of the top-six finishers. Johannes Høsflot Klæbo paced the race consistently, staying in fourth or fifth from the 3-kilometer mark onward and finishing fourth overall. Coming off of a standout performance in the 10km classic in Beitostølen, Andreas Fjorden Ree of Norway started fast and subsequently slowed, finishing 13th. Skating his way into the finishing stretch, Hugo Lapalus of France picked up the season’s first yellow card for either men or women.
Gus Schumacher led the American men with an 18th-place finish, followed by Ben Ogden in 29th and Zanden McMullen in 30th. Schumacher is happy with this early season result, stating to Nordic Insights, “Wasn’t really looking for anything in particular but wanted to be in striking distance over a long season, so a top 20 feels really nice.”
In comments shared from USSS with multiple outlets, Schumacher added, “I don’t think the high of last season really changed the feeling of getting into race mode. It’s the same nervous energy and feeling of slight uncertainty right before racing. This year I definitely have an increased desire to be fighting for top results, but I don’t think it’s helpful to be focusing on that for the start.”
When asked how he felt about his performance in this opening race, McMullen told Nordic Insights, “I think I skied like I was in control for the whole race today. I never felt like I was blowing up, and was able to ski well throughout the whole course.”
With poorly-timed mono last season, it’s been longer since Ogden has raced. Reflecting to Nordic Insights, he said he told himself, “All I can do is ski my own pace and if I do that then I will be satisfied.”
Zak Ketterson was the next American finisher today in 36th (+1:34.1). He wrote on Strava, “10 seconds from top 30!! Really proud of this start and the feeling in the body compared to last year when I was 71st in this same race. Things are feeling good and trending in the right direction. Started 30 seconds in front of the winner Iivo Niskanen and did not manage to keep up with him 🥸.”
Ketterson was followed by Hunter Wonders in 48th (+1:56) and Michael Earnhart in 57th (+2:11.6). John Steel Hagenbuch did not start for the Americans.
In a change from previous years’ Ruka race schedule, racing now shifts to a classic sprint for Saturday. Catch Zak Ketterson, Kevin Bolger, JC Schoonmaker, Ben Ogden, Zanden McMullen, and Michael Earnhart in the sprint qual tomorrow at 10:35CET (3:35 a.m. East Coast time, 11:35 p.m. Friday Alaska time).
You’re reading this on Nordic Insights, one man’s labor of love dedicated to publicizing American nordic skiing. Last season’s GoFundMe is literally the only reason why I turned a profit in years one and two of Nordic Insights, and in turn the only reason why there is a year three of Nordic Insights for you to be reading now: I was okay with working for very little money to get this love letter to American cross-country skiing off the ground, but I didn’t want to lose money for the privilege of doing so. If you would like to support what remains a brutally shoestring operation, last season’s GoFundMe may be found here. Thank you for your consideration, and, especially, for reading.
