Ben Ogden, Paula Moltzan and Ryan Cochran-Siegle have two things in common: They all have ties to the state of Vermont, and they are all Olympic medalists.
With about 650,000 inhabitants, Vermont is the second-least populous in the United States. That small state, however, is making a big name for itself with strong representation at Milan Cortina. Over two dozen U.S. athletes have ties to the Green Mountain State, and within a 24-hour span, three of those athletes earned medals.
Ogden was the first of the three to reach the podium, and he did so in dramatic fashion on Tuesday. The 25-year-old ended a 50-year medal drought in cross-country skiing for the United States with a silver in the men’s sprint classic, and he celebrated with a backflip off the podium at the conclusion of the medal ceremony. The Landgrove, Vermont, native etched his name in the history books, becoming just the second American man to ever win an Olympic medal in cross-country skiing.
"It’s an unbelievable dream come true,” Ogden said. “Everybody who races dreams of being on an Olympic podium. It’s the ultimate goal, and I feel like this last year I’ve dared to set my expectations on an Olympic podium.”
It was a dream come true, made even more special by those he got to share it with.
“There’s all kinds of people here from Vermont,” Ogden said. “My mom is here, I just got to see her briefly and that was incredible. And a whole bunch of people from my hometown, Landgrove, are all here.
"I am so excited I was able to put on a good show with so many Vermonters here, and so many Vermonters watching back home."
Little did Ogden know that just a few hours later, he would get to share the Vermont spotlight. Ogden and Moltzan, who both skied for the University of Vermont, were college teammates for just a single year in 2019. On Tuesday at Milan Cortina, Moltzan added to the USA’s medal count after taking bronze in women's team combined with her teammate, Jackie Wiles.
“I haven't processed the emotions,” Moltzan said. “It took a lot of people to get me here. There have been setbacks and there have been bad seasons, but I'm very happy with today, and I couldn't have been more proud of Jackie."
Though Moltzan was not born and raised in Vermont, the state holds special meaning for the Prior Lake, Minnesota, native. It’s where she moved to revitalize her skiing career, and it’s where she now calls home after recently buying a house with her husband.
About a decade ago, Moltzan found her way to the University of Vermont skiing team after losing her spot on the U.S. national ski team. The pivot proved to be a valuable one, as Moltzan went on to win the NCAA title in slalom during her freshman season. She eventually made her way back to the national team and made her Olympic debut at the 2022 Beijing Games. After winning her first Olympic medal on Tuesday at 31 years old, Moltzan reflected on her unique journey.
“It's been pretty crazy,” Moltzan said. “The year I went to college was in 2015, 2016 — so 10 or 11 years ago. I am now here sitting with an Olympic medal in my lap. I don't think there's a world in which I pictured this happening when I was in college.”
Cochran-Siegle gave Vermont natives a little something more to cheer about on Wednesday, becoming a back-to-back silver medalist in the men’s super-G.
Born in Burlington and raised in Starksboro, Cochran-Siegle hails from a family of successful skiers who run Cochran's Ski Area near Burlington. Following his silver medal performance, Cochran-Siegle shared that he drew inspiration from Ogden’s historic performance a day earlier.
"He's another fellow Vermonter,” Cochran-Siegle said. “Seeing him get second, there's a lot of pride to that. Then Paula and Jackie yesterday, too. Seeing their success, seeing their joy.
"I'm not going out at the start trying to win an Olympic medal. I'm just trying to go and ski the way I want to ski. And seeing their performances instilled the belief in myself and that inspiration was really key today."
For Cochran-Siegle, skiing success runs in the family. His mother, Barbara Ann Cochran, won gold in slalom on Feb. 11, 1972, at the Sapporo Winter Olympic Games — exactly 54 years ago to the day.
"I'm a representation of my entire family,” he said. “My mom had her success with her Olympics and her ski career, and I feel very fortunate that I was able to continue our spirit and love for skiing.
"It's crazy we're sitting here with another successful Olympics. There must be something in the water back home in Vermont."
