By Gavin Kentch
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U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced team selections for this year’s Tour de Ski on Friday afternoon. Per USSS, the athletes chosen are:
Men
- Hunter Wonders
- Ben Ogden
- Jack Young
- Zak Ketterson
- Gus Schumacher
- JC Schoonmaker
- John Steel Hagenbuch
- Kevin Bolger
Women
- Lauren Jortberg
- Jessie Diggins
- Julia Kern
- Rosie Brennan
- Luci Anderson
- Alayna Sonnesyn
The final three names on each list were chosen on a discretionary basis. The first five men and three women listed were chosen on an objective basis. The first name on each list is the current overall SuperTour leader at the close of Period 1. Everyone else here was chosen on the basis of their World Cup results during the first three weekends of this race season.
Note that, strictly speaking, these names are nominations, not starters. I know that Lauren Jortberg told me in Anchorage last week that she was leaning against starting the Tour, for example. I also know that Luci Anderson’s plans, at least as of earlier this week, were to “rac[e] US biathlon Olympic trials first week of January at our Olympic venue in Antholz.” So give me another day or two here to suss out who on this list is likely to actually be racing.
The 20th edition of the Tour de Ski starts in Toblach a week from Sunday with a skate sprint. Johannes Høsflot Klæbo and Therese Johaug won last year’s Tour. Astrid Øyre Slind is the highest-placing returning finisher from 2024/2025 on the women’s side.
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