Gus Schumacher (skier)
Schumacher in 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | August Schumacher | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | July 25, 2000 Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Skiing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Cup career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Seasons | 7 – (2019, 2021–present) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiv. starts | 106 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiv. podiums | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiv. wins | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team starts | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team podiums | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overall titles | 0 – (14th in 2025) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Discipline titles | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Updated on December 31, 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
August "Gus" Schumacher (born July 25, 2000) is an American cross-country skier.[2] In 2020, Schumacher became the first American to win a gold medal in an individual race at the Junior World Ski Championships.[3] He competed in the 30 kilometre skiathlon at the 2022 Winter Olympics.[4] Schumacher won the Men's 10 km freestyle race at the 2024 Stifel Loppet Cup in Minneapolis on February 18, 2024.[5] His win marked the first time an American male skier had won an individual distance event since Bill Koch in 1983.[6] At the 2026 Winter Olympics, he won a silver medal in the men's team sprint with teammate Ben Ogden.
Early life
Schumacher was born in Madison, Wisconsin and grew up in Anchorage, Alaska.[7] He learned to ski as soon as he could walk, using strap-on skis in his backyard.[8] By the time he reached middle school, Schumacher had begun to show an interest in competitive racing.[9] After moving through the ranks with the Anchorage Junior Nordic League, he joined the Alaska Winter Stars program.[10] He graduated from Service High School in 2018 and enrolled as a part-time student at the University of Alaska Anchorage in pursuit of a Civil Engineering degree.[11][9] He currently works part-time as an engineering consultant at HDR.[12]
Athletic career
High school and juniors
As a high school student, Schumacher trained with the Alaska Winter Stars. He swept both individual races at the Alaska state high school championships to claim the title of Skimeister, awarded to the skier with the best combined times, in both 2017 and 2018.[13][14]
From 2015 to 2019, Schumacher competed at the Cross Country Junior National Championships with the Alaskan divisional team.
World Cup
As a 23-year old, Schumacher won the men's 10 kilometer final at the 2024 Stifel Loppet Cup in Minneapolis. He became the youngest American to win a World Cup cross-country skiing race, the first American man to win any World Cup race since Simi Hamilton in 2013, and the first American man to win a distance race since Bill Koch in 1983.[15][16][6]
While on break from the World Cup ski tour, Schumacher competed in the American Birkebeiner in Wisconsin, and won the men's 50 km freestyle race on February 24, 2024.[17]
Advocacy
In 2022, Schumacher lobbied Congress as a member of the Protect Our Winters Athlete Alliance.[18] On March 20, 2024, Schumacher testified at a U.S. Senate Budget Committee hearing titled “Recreation at Risk: The Nature of Climate Costs” where he shared firsthand experiences of climate change throughout his skiing career.[19]
Cross-country skiing results
All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).[2]
Olympic Games
| Year | Age | Individual | Skiathlon | Mass start | Sprint | Relay | Team sprint |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 21 | 48 | 39 | —[a] | — | 9 | — |
| 2026 | 25 | 39 | 24 | 13 | 31 | 6 |
a Distance reduced to 30 km due to weather conditions.
World Championships
| Year | Age | individual | skiathlon | 50 km mass start |
Sprint | 4 × 10 km relay |
Team sprint |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 20 | 51 | — | 29 | — | 8 | 14 |
| 2023 | 22 | 19 | 38 | 28 | — | 7 | — |
| 2025 | 24 | 13 | 9 | 26 | 27 | 6 |
World Cup
Season standings
| Season | Age | Discipline standings | Ski Tour standings | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Distance | Sprint | U23 | Nordic Opening |
Tour de Ski |
World Cup Final | ||
| 2019 | 18 | NC | NC | NC | NC | — | — | 52 |
| 2021 | 20 | 30 | 25 | 65 | 32 | 18 | N/a | |
| 2022 | 21 | 79 | 45 | NC | 13 | N/a | DNF | N/a |
| 2023 | 22 | 62 | 43 | NC | 9 | N/a | 35 | N/a |
| 2024 | 23 | 15 | 16 | 27 | N/a | N/a | DNF | N/a |
| 2025 | 24 | 14 | 14 | 30 | N/a | N/a | DNF | N/a |
Individual podiums
- 2 victories – (1 WC, 1 SWC)
- 4 podiums – (3 WC, 1 SWC)
| No. | Season | Date | Location | Race | Level | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023–24 | February 18, 2024 | Minneapolis, USA - Stifel Loppet Cup | 10 km Individual F | World Cup | 1st |
| 2 | 2024–25 | February 16, 2025 | Falun, Sweden | 20 km Mass Start F | World Cup | 2nd |
| 3 | 2025–26 | December 31, 2025 | Toblach, Italy | 5 km Heat Mass Start F | Stage World Cup | 1st |
| 4 | 2025–26 | January 24, 2026 | Goms, Switzerland | 1.5 km Sprint C | World Cup | 2nd |
Team podiums
- 1 podium – (1 WC)
| No. | Season | Date | Location | Race | Level | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2025–26 | January 23, 2026 | Goms, Switzerland | 6 × 1.5 km Team Sprint F | World Cup | 3rd |
References
- ^ "University Elite Team". apunordic.com. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ a b "SCHUMACHER Gus". FIS-Ski. International Ski Federation. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
- ^ Bragg, Beth (March 5, 2020). "Anchorage's Gus Schumacher skis to historic gold medal at World Junior Championships". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ "Gus Schumacher". Beijing 2022 Olympics. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
- ^ "2023–24 FIS Cross-Country World Cup", Wikipedia, February 19, 2024, retrieved February 21, 2024
- ^ a b "Gus Schumacher Rides the Minneapolis Wave—American Wins on American Soil! – FasterSkier.com". fasterskier.com. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ "Under 23 Questions: Gus Schumacher – FasterSkier.com". fasterskier.com. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ Sjong, Austin (February 2, 2022). "Athlete of the Week: Team USA's Gus Schumacher". alaskasnewssource.com. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ a b "About". Gus Schumacher. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ "The Phenom Next Door: Gus Schumacher Looks to Lahti – Nordic Insights". nordicinsights.news. September 30, 2022. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
- ^ "Gus Schumacher". Team USA. February 15, 2022. Archived from the original on February 2, 2022.
- ^ "About". Gus Schumacher. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
- ^ "Nordic Ski Records — Alaska School Activities Association". asaa.org. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
- ^ Tunseth, Matt (February 23, 2020). "West Valley, Service skiers earn one of Alaska's most coveted titles: Skimeister". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
- ^ Harkins, Courtney (February 18, 2024). "Magic in Minneapolis: Schumacher Wins, Diggins Third". U.S. Ski & Snowboard. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
- ^ "Gus Schumacher makes U.S. cross-country skiing history in Minneapolis". NBC Sports. February 18, 2024. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
- ^ Kentch, Gavin (February 24, 2024). "Jessie Diggins, Gus Schumacher Win 50th American Birkebeiner". Nordic Insights. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
- ^ Sullivan, Stacie (May 19, 2022). "Olympians Hit the Nation's Capitol for Lobby Day". Protect Our Winters. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
- ^ "S. HRG . 118–258 – 118th Congress (2023-2024): Recreation at Risk: The Nature of Climate Costs" (PDF). U.S. Government Publishing Office. March 20, 2024. Retrieved January 21, 2026.