Schumacher wins Beck International Trophy as USA’s top skier
Gus Schumacher
Cross-country skier Gus Schumacher of Anchorage reached rarified air after winning the Beck International Trophy.
The award dates to the 1930s is given annually to the U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s top athletes – Schumacher was the men’s winner and alpine star Mikaela Shiffrin of Colorado was the women’s winner.
Schumacher, of Service High fame, is just the third Alaskan to win the honor, joining Alaska Sports Hall of Fame inductees Tommy Moe (1994) and Hilary Lindh (1997).
Teammates honor Schumacher after his historic win at world juniors.
What a year the 19-year-old had on the ski trails in 2020 as he bagged his first senior national championship and became the first American male to win a world junior championship.
In March, he wiped away decades of frustration after he used a killer kick over the final two kilometers to come from behind and snag the gold medal in the 10-K classic race in Germany by 4.5 seconds.
His gold at the U20 international competition is the first-ever medal by an American male at World Juniors.
In January, Schumacher won his first senior title in the 1.5-kilometer sprint and followed up with a silver medal in the 15K freestyle.