Gus Schumacher of Anchorage was selected as our Alaska Athlete of the Week after making history by winning the 10-kilometer freestyle Nordic World Cup race Sunday in Minneapolis.
The Service High School graduate became the first American men’s distance World Cup champion since Bill Koch in 1983.
At age 23, he joins Kikkan Randall as the only Nordic World Cup champion from Alaska.
The win came in his 71st World Cup start. His previous top results included three Top 10s, with the best being fourth place in a sprint last month during the Tour de Ski in Switzerland.
Schumacher has tasted a massive win before, taking individual gold at the 2020 World Junior Championships 10K classic in Germany.
But Sunday’s win was extra special, with so many teammates and staff in attendance — they mobbed him at the podium after the official ceremony there — and a hometown crowd that was off-the-charts loud in support and included dozens of Alaskans.
The Alaska Athlete of the Week is selected by a panel each Monday
Have a candidate in mind? Email us your nomination: info@alaskasportshall.org.