Athlete of the Week: Service grad Gus Schumacher makes history on the World Cup stage

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - It’s been over 20 years since the World Cup found itself on American snow, and even longer since a skier donning the red, white and blue has won a distance event at the premier ski event.

Both of those droughts came to an end this weekend when Minneapolis, Minnesota, welcomed hundreds of the world’s best skiers for the Stifel Loppet Cup at the city’s Theodore Wirth Regional Park.

It was here in the Twin Cities where Service High alum Gus Schumacher finished first in the 10-kilometer freestyle race with a final time of 20 minutes, 52 seconds, the top spot in an event headlined by European all-stars. It’s the first time a U.S. skier has won a World Cup distance event in over 40 years. The last American to accomplish this was Bill Koch in 1983.

“I felt pretty unstoppable out there,” Schumacher said. “The ‘USA!’ chants in the last couple of hills were really crazy.”

That feeling turned to gratefulness as reality set in what he had just accomplished.

“I’m just so grateful and thankful and happy,” he said. “It means a lot to me to have my best race here — with my grandma here, and so many other people who would never be able to watch otherwise.”

It’s a performance that will serve to inspire those who choose to follow in his tracks, including West High’s Murphy Kimball.

“Gus is probably my biggest inspiration,” Kimball said, “first seeing him win when I was in middle school his World Junior Championship, he won gold, it’s insane, every day he is doing something crazy. I want to be as good as him — better even.”

Stay tuned to Alaska’s Sports Source as the ski season continues!

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