# Gus Schumacher (skier)

August "Gus" Schumacher (born July 25, 2000) is an American cross-country skier. In 2020, Schumacher became the first American to win a gold medal in an individual race at the Junior World Ski Championships. He competed in the 30 kilometre skiathlon at the 2022 Winter Olympics. Schumacher won the Men's 10 km freestyle race at the 2024 Stifel Loppet Cup in Minneapolis on February 18, 2024. His win marked the first time an American male skier had won an individual distance event since Bill Koch in 1983.

## Early life

Schumacher was born in Madison, Wisconsin and grew up in Anchorage, Alaska. He learned to ski as soon as he could walk, using strap-on skis in his backyard. By the time he reached middle school, Schumacher had begun to show an interest in competitive racing. After moving through the ranks with the Anchorage Junior Nordic League, he joined the Alaska Winter Stars program. He graduated from Service High School in 2018 and is currently enrolled as a part-time student at the University of Alaska Anchorage in pursuit of a Civil Engineering degree.

## 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.
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.
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.

## Cross-country skiing results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).

### Olympic Games

| Year | Age | 15 km  individual | 30 km  skiathlon | 50 km  mass start | Sprint | 4 × 10 km  relay | Team  sprint |
| 2022 | 21 | 48 | 39 | — | — | 9 | — |
$^a$ 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 | Discipline standings | Discipline standings | Discipline standings | Ski Tour standings | Ski Tour standings | Ski Tour standings |
| Season | Age | 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 | — |
| 2022 | 21 | 79 | 45 | NC | 13 | — | DNF | — |
| 2023 | 22 | 62 | 43 | NC | 9 | — | 35 | — |
| 2024 | 23 | 15 | 16 | 27 | — | — | DNF | — |
| 2025 | 24 | 16 | 13 | 40 | — | — | DNF | — |

#### Individual podiums

* 1 victory – (1 WC)
* 2 podiums – (2 WC)
| No. | Season | Date | Location | Race | Level | Place |
| 1 | 2023–24 | 18 February 2024 | Minneapolis, USA - Stifel Loppet Cup | 10 km Individual F | World Cup | 1st |
| 2 | 2024–25 | 16 February 2025 | Falun, Sweden | 20 km Mass Start F | World Cup | 2nd |

## Political Activity

On March 20, 2024, Schumacher testified at a U.S. Senate Budget Committee hearing titled “Recreation at Risk: The Nature of Climate Costs.” He shared firsthand experiences of climate change throughout his skiing career. During the hearing, Senator John Kennedy (R-La.) subjected Schumacher to a series of irrelevant and overly detailed questions, which he could not answer. Kennedy later shared a video of the testimony with his millions of followers, resulting in significant online harassment directed at Schumacher.
In 2022, Schumacher lobbied Congress as a member of the Protect Our Winters Athlete Alliance.