Gus Schumacher: What’s behind his success?

Gus Schumacher
Gus Schumacher made a key move before the season. Then, the pieces fell into place: two weeks ago, he won his first World Cup.

In 2020, he became a Junior World Champion and was predicted to have a bright future. However, it took four years before Gus Schumacher claimed his first elite-level victory.

But when he did, it was spectacular—almost like a statement: At home in Minneapolis, in front of family and friends and huge crowds along the track, on the first World Cup stage in the USA in over twenty years.

Read More: Surprising win for Gus Schumacher at the World Cup 10km race in Minneapolis

Of course, an experience the 23-year-old will never forget.

“It was absolutely magical; just sitting in the leader’s chair was huge. I expected that I had to move. So, when the big stars started to ski, and my intermediate times still stood, I was a bit surprised. Suddenly, there were only Pål Golberg and Johannes Høsflot Klæbo left,” says Schumacher to Langrenn.com, and continues:

“When Klæbo had ten seconds left and wasn’t even over the last hill, I almost couldn’t believe it was true. It was crazy that I had beaten them all. And that I should do it on home soil. I have family in the Midwest, and to think that my grandmother could see this live!”

Schumacher was just barely born the last time the USA hosted a World Cup in cross-country skiing, in 2001. He hopes it won’t be as long before the next time.

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Gus Schumacher could hardly believe he had beaten the entire world elite at home. Photo: Modica/NordicFocus

The epiphany that was the turning point

For Schumacher, it’s not a surprise that he’s succeeding right now. He’s just a little surprised that it happened in Minneapolis.

He has seen his national team colleagues succeed, one by one – the same guys with whom he himself won gold at the Junior World Championships – and he wishes them all every success.

“All of us guys on the team have known each other since we were 12-14 years old. They are my best buddies. I was so happy for JC (Schoonmaker) when he took his first podium place just before Christmas and for Ben (Ogden) when he took his, even though I thought, ‘Damn, I wish I had my podium place too,’” says Schumacher, and continues:

“Now I’ve got mine in the form of a victory. It’s an incredible relief. And I know that those who haven’t taken their first podium place yet are on their way. Luke (Jager), Zanden (McMullen), John Hagenbuch… They’re right up there, too.”

Also Read – USA’s show of strength in Östersund: A game changer for cross-country skiing

In retrospect, Schumacher realizes that he put too much pressure on himself after his success at the Junior World Championships in 2020, and this is a significant reason why it took him four seasons to get where he is now.

The article continues below.

Gus Schumacher won gold at the Junior World Championships 2020. Photo: Kent Murdoch/Langrenn.com

What did you do between the Junior World Championships in 2020 and now?

“I trained too much. I felt a huge pressure to perform that I should be the one to change American men’s cross-country skiing on the distance side. So, I trained more and more and got no better.”

Schumacher had an ambitious training regimen based around 1000 hours a year. He rarely completed it.

“The first year in the World Cup went fine, but then it got worse and worse. I got sick more often, and I felt that I didn’t have the strength and energy that I needed, especially as the season went on. So, I piled on more training.”

Until the victory in Minneapolis, Schumacher had an eighth and a ninth place as his best individual results in the World Cup, both from January 2021 – the season after the success at the Junior World Championships. Additionally, he finished fourth in the sprint in Davos during this year’s Tour de Ski.

From average to victory, seemingly overnight: How did it happen? And why now?

“I had an epiphany last year. At the end of the season, I realized that I had been on the verge of getting sick all the time. So, I decided to cut down a bit on the load. I don’t know why it took me so long to understand the connection.”

What exactly did you do?

“I cut quite drastically in the training volume. Overall, I’ve probably reduced at least 10 percent compared to before, but I’ve cut especially in the summer. I don’t have those huge weeks anymore.”

At the same time, Schumacher admits that it felt scary to cut down, especially in the beginning, and that he has had to work with his mindset to change his attitude.

“I was always thinking that the best are the ones who train the most, so with all the training I put in, I should become really good. And if I didn’t train everything I had set up, then I felt a nagging feeling and bad conscience. But now I’ve come to understand that I don’t need to be the one who trains the most. I’d rather be the one who trains best,” he says to Langrenn.com and adds:

“I’m much less rigid. The training regimen is not as dictated by a random chosen number of hours and sessions I should train, based on what I decided a couple of weeks ago, when I didn’t know how I would feel on that day. And I really see that it works. I have more energy and perform better in ski races.”

The same Gus as before

Now, Gus Schumacher is ready for the last period of the World Cup season 2023/24. This weekend he in the 50 km at Holmenkollen, then the sprint in Drammen, and the World Cup final in Falun.

Has the victory changed your daily life or your position on the team?

“Inside the team, everything is as before. There are enough of us who have performed well and taken podium places now that it doesn’t create any strange vibes. But I do notice that many more people recognize me out when I show up now. It’s a bit unusual.”

Gus Schumacher takes a pause, thinks, and then adds:

“Yes. It has changed something. We were just a group of boys who grew up together, buddies who trained and competed in skiing together. But when I look at them now, I realize that they are professional elite athletes at the top of the world.”

The USA relay team during the 2020 Junior World Championships: Luke Jager, John Hagenbuch, Gus Schumacher, and Ben Ogden. Photo: Kent Murdoch/Langrenn.com
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