Ben Ogden

Quick Facts

• Son of John and Andrea Ogden
• Ben's father was the coach of his local youth ski league, getting him into skiing at a young age
• Sister Katharine is a Nordic skier at Dartmouth College
• Lists Usain Bolt as his favorite athlete to watch
• Outside of skiing, Ben has an interest in woodworking

Biographical Information

Ben Ogden grew up in Landgrove, Vermont, a small community of fewer than 200 residents nestled in the Green Mountains. His father John, a former cross-country skier at Middlebury College, introduced Ben to skiing at a young age by coaching the local youth league. The Ogden family barn became a central gathering place where Ben developed his love for both skiing and mechanical projects. His older sister Katharine competed for Dartmouth College, while younger sister Charlotte skied for Middlebury College, making the family well-represented across New England collegiate skiing programs.

Ogden attended Stratton Mountain School, where he combined rigorous academic studies with elite-level ski training. He made history as a junior racer when he and his teammates earned silver in the relay at the 2018 Junior World Ski Championships, marking the first-ever medal for U.S. men at that event. The following year, Ogden helped the team improve to gold in the same event at the 2019 championships, and then repeated as champions in 2020. These breakthrough performances established him as one of the most promising young skiers in the country.

At the University of Vermont, Ogden became a two-time NCAA champion. He won the 10-kilometer freestyle in 2020 and claimed both the 10-kilometer classic and 20-kilometer freestyle titles in 2022, becoming one of only four skiers to win an NCAA championship and compete at the Olympic Games in the same season. He graduated in 2022 with a degree in mechanical engineering and pursued graduate coursework while balancing his professional skiing career. 

Ogden made his Olympic debut at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, where he finished 12th in the freestyle sprint, the best-ever individual sprint result for a U.S. man at the Olympics. He earned the Under-23 Green Bib during the 2022-23 season, recognizing him as the fastest male skier under 23 in the entire world cup. He has achieved world cup podiums, including a third-place finish in the skate sprint at the 2023-24 Tour de Ski and another third-place result in the 10-kilometer skate in Les Rousses, France, in 2025. 

Outside of competition, Ogden maintains a workshop in his family's barn where he pursues projects that balance his intense training regimen. He has worked on a 1973 Land Rover, which he completely disassembled, learning mechanical processes through hands-on work. He also enjoys welding. His approach to these projects mirrors his skiing philosophy: study the challenge, work through problems methodically and find satisfaction in the process. Ogden credits these pursuits with keeping him mentally fresh and preventing him from becoming overly fixated on racing results. 

Olympic Experience

• 1-time Olympian
  • Olympic Games Beijing 2022, 9th (Team Sprint Classic Style - Men), 12th (Sprint Freestyle - Men), 42th (15km Classic Style - Men)

World Championship Experience

• Most recent: 2025 – 7th (4 x 7.5km Relay - Men), 12th (Sprint Freestyle - Men), 47th (10km Classic Style - Men)
• Years of participation: 10km Classic Style - Men 2025; 4 x 7.5km Relay - Men 2025; Sprint Freestyle - Men 2025; 15km Freestyle - Men 2023; 4 x 10km Relay - Men 2023; Sprint Classic Style - Men 2021, 2023; Team Sprint Freestyle - Men 2023; 2 x 15km Skiathlon - Men 2021
• Top finish: 7th – 2023 (4 x 10km Relay - Men), 2025 (4 x 7.5km Relay - Men)