Jessie Diggins

Jessica Diggins (born August 26, 1991) is an American cross-country skier. She and teammate Kikkan Randall won the United States' first-ever cross-country skiing gold medal at the Winter Olympics in the team sprint in 2018.[2][3] At the 2022 Winter Olympics, Diggins won the silver medal in the 30 kilometer freestyle and the bronze medal in the individual sprint, making her the most decorated American cross-country skier of all time. She also won four medals at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships from 2013 to 2017 and would later become the first American to win a gold medal at the event for an individual contest in 2023. In 2021, Diggins clinched the top spot in the women's overall standings for the 2020–21 FIS Cross-Country World Cup, becoming the first American to do so.[4]

Jessie Diggins
Diggins in Seefeld, January 2018
CountryUnited States
Born (1991-08-26) August 26, 1991
Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States
Height5 ft 4 in (163 cm)[1]
Ski clubStratton Mountain School
World Cup career
Seasons13 – (2011–present)
Individual wins14
Team wins2
Indiv. podiums47
Team podiums10
Indiv. starts277
Team starts19
Overall titles1 – (2021)
Discipline titles1 – (DI in 2021)
Medal record
Women's cross-country skiing
Representing the  United States
International nordic ski competitions
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Winter Olympics 1 1 1
World Championships 2 2 2
Total 3 3 3
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place2018 PyeongchangTeam sprint
Silver medal – second place2022 Beijing30 km freestyle
Bronze medal – third place2022 BeijingIndividual sprint
World Championships
Gold medal – first place2013 Val di FiemmeTeam sprint
Gold medal – first place2023 Planica10 km freestyle
Silver medal – second place2015 Falun10 km freestyle
Silver medal – second place2017 LahtiIndividual sprint
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Lahti Team sprint
Bronze medal – third place2023 PlanicaTeam sprint
U23 World Championships
Silver medal – second place2014 Val di FiemmeIndividual sprint
Updated on 27 March 2023.

Early life

Diggins was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota and grew up in Afton, Minnesota.[5] She has one sister, Mackenzie.[6] Diggins began skiing at age 4.[7] She showed prowess for skiing at age 11 when she started competing against older children.[7] Diggins graduated from Stillwater Area High School in 2010.[5]

Athletic career

High school and juniors

Diggins competed for the Stillwater Area High School, cross-country ski team. In 2008, Diggins was the top-ranked girls' individual cross-country skier in the Minnesota high school rankings.[8] She fell out of the state rankings in 2009 when she competed and won the United States Junior National Sprint title on March 9 of that year.[9] She was added to the United States World Junior Cross-Country Ski Team in 2010.[10]

Professional

Diggins in 2020

Diggins earned an academic scholarship to Northern Michigan University but deferred enrollment to race with the Central Cross-Country Elite team for one year. She decided to race professionally rather than attend college. She was named to the United States Ski Team in 2011[11] and competed at her first World Championships that year. Diggins won a gold medal with Kikkan Randall in the team sprint in the 2013 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Val di Fiemme.[3] At the 2014 U23 World Championships, Diggins won silver in the individual sprint.

Diggins was named to the U.S. team for the 2014 Winter Olympics. In her first event, the 15 kilometer skiathlon, she placed 8th (out of 61 competitors) with a time of 40:05.5.[12]

Diggins won the silver medal in the 10-kilometer freestyle race in the 2015 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Falun.[3] In the 2015–2016 World Cup, she placed 8th in the overall and sprint rankings and 9th in the distance ranking.[13]

At the 2017 Nordic World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland, Diggins took two medals: in the freestyle sprint, she won her quarterfinal and semifinal heats on her way to taking the silver, ahead of teammate Randall in third.[14] Subsequently, in the classic team sprint, Diggins and Sadie Bjornsen finished third, catching and passing the Swedish team in the closing stages of the race to take the bronze by 0.19 seconds. This made Diggins the first American to win four World Championship medals in cross-country skiing.[15]

Diggins finished third overall in the 2017–18 Tour de Ski, becoming the first American to finish on the podium in the overall classification, and beating her previous best of fifth overall in the previous edition. Her teammate Sadie Bjornsen finished ninth overall, also making it the first time that two Americans finished in the overall top ten.[16] Diggins finished second overall in the World Cup 2017–2018 season standings.[4]

At the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Diggins and Randall became the first American cross-country skiers to capture a gold medal by winning the women's team sprint at the Alpensia Cross-Country Centre. In the final sprint, Diggins passed the last two individual sprint classical gold medalists – Sochi gold medalist Maiken Caspersen Falla of Norway before the last turn and then Pyeongchang gold medalist Stina Nilsson of Sweden on the last straightaway. Theirs was not only the United States' first ever cross-country skiing gold medal but also the first American cross-country skiing medal since Bill Koch won silver in the men's 30 km in 1976.[17] Steve Schlanger and Chad Salmela called the end of the race for NBC:[18][19]

Salmela: As they come into the stadium, Diggins trying to get in on the outside!
Schlanger: Jessie Diggins with two fifth-place finishes, one-sixth, so close for the U.S. on so many occasions, now moving up on the outside into second place!
Salmela: They're all completely gassed! They've given it everything on the Klaebo-bakken! Stina Nilsson leading Jessie Diggins into the final turn – can Diggins answer?!
Schlanger: As the roars rattle around the cross-country stadium in Pyeongchang, Sweden, the U.S. and Norway coming to the line!
Salmela: Here comes Diggins! Here comes Diggins!
Schlanger: On the outside! Diggins making the play around Sweden!
Salmela: Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Gold!
Schlanger: Jessie Diggins to the line! And it is Jessie Diggins delivering a landmark moment that will be etched in U.S. Olympic history! The first-ever cross-country gold medal for the U.S.!
Salmela: It's a gold medal for the United States! It's not just a medal; it's the gold!

Diggins competed in all six women's cross-country skiing events at the Olympics and finished in the top 10 in all of them. At the end of the games, she was the flag bearer for the United States in the closing ceremony.[20]

Diggins won the 2021 Tour de Ski, a first for an American. She placed atop the overall World Cup 2020–2021 season standings, claiming the biggest annual prize in cross-country skiing. Diggins' victory put her with Koch, who won the men's title in 1982, to be the only Americans to win overall season titles for a World Cup cross-country ski circuit.[4]

At the 2022 Winter Olympics, Diggins won bronze in the women's sprint to become the first American to win an individual Olympic medal in a cross-country sprint.[21] She went on to win silver in the women's 30 kilometer freestyle, earning the U.S.' last medal on the last day of the Olympics.[22] She was the first non-European to win a medal in the event.[23] Diggins left Beijing as the most decorated American cross-country skier of all time.[24] For the second straight Olympics, she finished in the top 10 in all six women's cross-country skiing events.

In December 2022, Diggins broke the American record for World Cup cross-country ski wins with her fourteenth such win.[25]

At the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2023 in Slovenia, Diggins and teammate Julie Kern won bronze in the team sprint. Two days later, Diggins won gold in the 10km freestyle, which was the first top medal for an American in an individual event at any cross-country skiing world championship.[26]

Social activism

Diggins, wearing an Emily Program logo on her hat, in 2019

Diggins is an ambassador for the non-profit organization Fast and Female, which inspires girls ages 8–18 to be active and empowered in sports.[27][28] Diggins is also an ambassador for the non-profit organization Protect Our Winters (POW), whose aim is to effect systemic solutions to climate change through the outdoor sports community. Diggins traveled with POW to Capitol Hill in April 2018 to raise concerns over climate change.[29]

In 2019, Diggins became a spokesperson for the Emily Program, an organization in the United States that provides treatment for eating disorders. In several interviews and essays, she revealed her experience of seeking treatment for bulimia at the organization in 2010, with the aim of her story to improve self-acceptance and reduce stigma and secrecy around eating disorders.[30][31] In 2020, Diggins wrote an autobiography, Brave Enough, about her athletic accomplishments and personal struggles with bulimia as a teenager.[32]

Cross-country skiing results

Olympic Games

  • 3 medals – (1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze)
 Year   Age   10 km 
 individual 
 15 km 
 skiathlon 
 30 km 
 mass start 
 Sprint   4 × 5 km 
 relay 
 Team 
 sprint 
201422840129
20182655765Gold
20223086SilverBronze65

World Championships

  • 6 medals – (2 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze)
 Year   Age   10 km 
 individual 
 15 km 
 skiathlon 
 30 km 
 mass start 
 Sprint   4 × 5 km 
 relay 
 Team 
 sprint 
20111928299
20132123DNF4Gold
201523SilverDNF48
201725DNF5Silver4Bronze
201927254855
202129415244
202331Gold215Bronze

Season titles

  • 2 titles – (1 overall, 1 distance)
Season
Discipline
2021 Overall
Distance

Season standings

 Season   Age  Discipline standings Ski Tour standings
Overall Distance Sprint Nordic
Opening
Tour de
Ski
Ski Tour 2020 World Cup
Final
Ski Tour
Canada
201119NCNC
20122034263515
201321363444242126
201422202123241336
20152322172344DNF
20162489838105
20172567108516
2018262nd place, silver medalist(s)3rd place, bronze medalist(s)6123rd place, bronze medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)
20192766713614
2020286811596
2021291st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)4151st place, gold medalist(s)
2022302nd place, silver medalist(s)948
2023312nd place, silver medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)1111

Individual podiums

  • 14 victories – (6 WC, 8 SWC)
  • 47 podiums – (25 WC, 22 SWC)
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place
12015–168 January 2016Italy Toblach, Italy5 km Individual FStage World Cup1st
223 January 2016Czech Republic Nové Město, Czech Republic10 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
320 February 2016Finland Lahti, Finland1.6 km Sprint FWorld Cup2nd
41 March 2016Canada Gatineau, Canada1.7 km Sprint FStage World Cup3rd
512 March 2016Canada Canmore, Canada10 km Pursuit CStage World Cup3rd
62016–173 December 2016Norway Lillehammer, Norway5 km Individual FStage World Cup1st
73 January 2017Germany Oberstdorf, Germany5 km + 5 km Skiathlon C/FStage World Cup2nd
86 January 2017Italy Toblach, Italy5 km Individual FStage World Cup1st
92017–181 January 2018Switzerland Lenzerheide, Switzerland10 km Pursuit FStage World Cup3rd
107 January 2018Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy9 km Pursuit FStage World Cup3rd
1130 December 2017
– 7 January 2018
SwitzerlandGermanyItaly Tour de SkiOverall StandingsWorld Cup3rd
1228 January 2018Austria Seefeld, Austria10 km Mass Start FWorld Cup1st
137 March 2018Norway Drammen, Norway1.2 km Sprint CWorld Cup3rd
1411 March 2018Norway Oslo, Norway30 km Mass Start FWorld Cup2nd
1518 March 2018Sweden Falun, Sweden10 km Pursuit FStage World Cup1st
1616–18 March 2018Sweden World Cup FinalOverall StandingsWorld Cup2nd
172018–1929 December 2018Italy Toblach, Italy1.3 km Sprint FStage World Cup3rd
181 January 2019Switzerland Val Müstair, Switzerland1.4 km Sprint FStage World Cup3rd
193 January 2019Germany Oberstdorf, Germany10 km Pursuit FStage World Cup3rd
2016 February 2019Italy Cogne, Italy1.6 km Sprint FWorld Cup1st
2117 March 2019Sweden Falun, Sweden10 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
222019–201 December 2019Finland Rukatunturi, Finland10 km Pursuit FStage World Cup3rd
237 December 2019Norway Lillehammer, Norway7.5 km + 7.5 km Skiathlon C/FWorld Cup2nd
2415 December 2019Switzerland Davos, Switzerland10 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
254 January 2020Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy1.3 km Sprint CStage World Cup3rd
2626 January 2020Germany Oberstdorf, Germany1.5 km Sprint CWorld Cup3rd
272020–211 January 2021Switzerland Val Müstair, Switzerland1.4 km Sprint FStage World Cup3rd
282 January 202110 km Mass Start CStage World Cup3rd
293 January 202110 km Pursuit FStage World Cup1st
305 January 2021Italy Toblach, Italy10 km Individual FStage World Cup1st
316 January 202110 km Pursuit CStage World Cup3rd
329 January 2021Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy10 km Mass Start FStage World Cup2nd
331–10 January 2021SwitzerlandItaly Tour de SkiOverall StandingsWorld Cup1st
3429 January 2021Sweden Falun, Sweden10 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
356 February 2021Sweden Ulricehamn, Sweden1.3 km Sprint FWorld Cup3rd
362021–223 December 2021Norway Lillehammer, Norway1.6 km Sprint FWorld Cup2nd
3712 December 2021Switzerland Davos, Switzerland10 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
3828 December 2021Switzerland Lenzerheide, Switzerland1.5 km Sprint FStage World Cup1st
3931 December 2021Germany Oberstdorf, Germany10 km Mass Start FStage World Cup1st
4012 March 2022Sweden Falun, Sweden10 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
412022–232 December 2022Norway Lillehammer, Norway10 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
4217 December 2022Switzerland Davos, Switzerland1.5 km Sprint FWorld Cup2nd
4318 December 202220 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
4427 January 2023France Les Rousses, France10 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
453 February 2023Italy Toblach, Italy1.3 km Sprint FWorld Cup3rd
464 February 202310 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
4712 March 2023Norway Oslo, Norway50 km Mass Start FWorld Cup3rd

Team podiums

  • 2 victories – (1 RL, 1 TS)
  • 10 podiums – (7 RL, 3 TS)
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place Teammate(s)
12011–1215 January 2012Italy Milan, Italy6 × 1.4 km Team Sprint FWorld Cup2ndRandall
22012–1325 November 2012Sweden Gällivare, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup3rdBrooks / Randall / Stephen
37 December 2012Canada Quebec City, Canada6 × 1.6 km Team Sprint FWorld Cup1stRandall
42013–148 December 2013Norway Lillehammer, Norway4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup3rdRandall / Bjornsen / Stephen
52015–166 December 2015Norway Lillehammer, Norway4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup3rd Brennan / Bjornsen / Stephen 
624 January 2016Czech Republic Nové Město, Czech Republic4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndCaldwell / Bjornsen / Stephen
72019–208 December 2019Norway Lillehammer, Norway4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2nd Caldwell / Bjornsen / Brennan 
82021–2219 December 2021Germany Dresden, Germany12 × 0.65 km Team Sprint FWorld Cup2ndKern
913 March 2022Sweden Falun, Sweden4 × 5 km Mixed Relay FWorld Cup1stBrennan / Ketterson / Patterson
102022–235 February 2023Italy Toblach, Italy4 × 7.5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup3rdSwirbul / Brennan / Kern

US National Championships medals

2011 – United States Rumford, Maine 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st, sprint freestyle
2011 – United States Sun Valley, Idaho 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 3rd, 30 km classic mass start
2012 – United States Rumford, Maine 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st, sprint freestyle
2012 – United States Rumford, Maine 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st, 10 km freestyle
2012 – United States Rumford, Maine 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st, 20 km classic mass start
2012 – United States Rumford, Maine 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd, sprint classic
2012 – United States Craftsbury, Vermont 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd, 30 km freestyle mass start
2016 – United States Craftsbury, Vermont 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st, 30 km freestyle mass start
2018 – United States Craftsbury, Vermont 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st, 30 km freestyle mass start

Bibliography

  • Diggins, Jessie and Smith, Todd (2020). Brave Enough. ISBN 978-1517908195

References

  1. "Jessie Diggins". usskiandsnowboard.org. United States Ski and Snowboard Association. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  2. "Jessie Diggins". U.S. Ski & Snowboard. Retrieved 2019-03-08.
  3. Jessie Diggins at the International Ski and Snowboard Federation
  4. OlympicTalk (2021-03-09). "Jessie Diggins clinches historic World Cup overall title". OlympicTalk | NBC Sports. Retrieved 2021-03-10.
  5. "Jessie Diggins". Team USA. Archived from the original on May 9, 2015. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  6. "Jessie Diggins". U.S. Ski & Snowboard. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  7. Emerson, Dan (January 2017). "Afton's Jessie Diggins is a star on the U.S. Nordic Ski Team". Community Life Magazine. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  8. "Minnesota High School Rankings". Skinnyski.com. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  9. "High School 2008". Skinnyski.com. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  10. "High School 2009". Skinnyski.com. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  11. "About – Jessie Diggins: Making the Choice to Ski". 2019. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  12. "Ladies' Skiathlon 7.5 km Classic + 7.5 km Free Results". SOOC. Archived from the original on July 19, 2014. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  13. "FIS Ski World Cup Leader Board". International Ski Federation. Archived from the original on 2016-03-16. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  14. Axon, Rachel (24 February 2017). "U.S. women make history at cross-country skiing world championships". USAToday.com. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  15. Shinn, Peggy (26 February 2017). "Jessie Diggins, Sadie Bjornsen Win Bronze In Team Sprint; Diggins Is First American To Win 4 World Medals". United States Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on December 27, 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  16. "Jessie Diggins takes third in Tour de Ski, makes history for U.S. team". USAToday.com. 7 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  17. Dougherty, Tom (February 21, 2018). "U.S. ends 42-year Olympic cross-country medal drought with historic gold". NBC Universal. Archived from the original on 2018-03-07. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  18. "Women's Team Sprint Ending". Twitter. National Broadcasting Company. 21 February 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  19. "Team USA 2018 Playlist: Jessie Diggins And Kikkan Randall Win Gold". YouTube. United States Olympic Team. 7 December 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  20. Nancy Armour (23 February 2018). "Gold medalist Jessie Diggins will carry U.S. flag in 2018 Winter Olympics closing ceremony". USA Today. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  21. Chappell, Bill. "Jessie Diggins wins first-ever U.S. Olympic medal in cross-country sprint". npr.org. February 8, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  22. Scott, Roxanna. American Jessie Diggins wins silver in 30K, Team USA's final medal in Beijing. USA Today. February 20, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  23. Schrader, Adam (February 20, 2022). "Jessie Diggins wins silver medal for U.S. in 30-km. cross-country skiing". UPI. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  24. Gastelum, Andrew (February 20, 2022). "Jessie Diggins Reveals Food Poisoning Bout Before Winning Historic Silver in 30-Km Race". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  25. "Jessie Diggins breaks U.S. record for World Cup cross-country ski wins, contacts freeze". sports.yahoo.com.
  26. "Jessie Diggins is first U.S. cross-country skier to win individual world title". NBC Sports. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  27. Coleman, Alyson. "About". Fast and Female. Retrieved 2019-03-08.
  28. Coleman, Alyson. "Ambassadors - USA". Fast and Female. Archived from the original on 2019-05-24. Retrieved 2019-03-08.
  29. "Jessie Diggins talks climate change & Olympic gold | Cross-country skiing". Retrieved 2019-11-07.
  30. "Jessie Diggins: Facing my Fears and Finding Recovery". The Emily Program. 2019-02-25. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  31. "How Olympic gold medalist Jessie Diggins works to be her own best cheerleader". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  32. "'Brave Enough' Book Review: Here Comes Diggins's Memoir – FasterSkier.com". Retrieved 2020-10-21.
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