Jessie Diggins emerged from a group of the world’s best cross-country skiers to win at the season-opening World Cup stop in Ruka, Finland, on Sunday.
Diggins, the most decorated cross-country skier in American history, took a 20km freestyle mass start by three tenths of a second over Swede Jonna Sundling, the reigning Olympic and world sprint gold medalist.
The leading group of four that sprinted for the victory and the podium also included Norwegians — two-time World Cup overall champion Heidi Weng and Therese Johaug, the triple 2022 Olympic gold medalist who ended a two-year retirement to compete this season.
Diggins, the reigning World Cup overall champion, was in fourth place at the last intermediate split at 18.8km -- 3.5 seconds behind Johaug -- before overtaking all three of the star Scandinavians.
Johaug, who ended up fourth, was beaten in a top-level race longer than 10km for the first time since March 2020 (ending a string of six consecutive wins). She missed the podium in a top-level race longer than a sprint for the first time since January 2020.
“There was quite a draft, so I was trying to be smart, be a little sneaky maybe in the back and just see what I could do,” Diggins said. “In the last (kilometer), I was just thinking save it up, save it up, and then try to find a line.”
Jessie’s 🇺🇸 is in tha place, owning it like a queen ⚡️#fiscrosscountry #wintersports #fisworldcup #rukanordic #diggins pic.twitter.com/nOfvHPkLPa
— FIS Cross-Country (@FISCrossCountry) December 1, 2024
Diggins earned her American record-extending 24th World Cup victory (22nd individual).
She had placed seventh and 29th in the first two races of the season on Friday and Saturday in Ruka. Those two races were held in the classic technique. All of Diggins’ individual World Cup wins have come in freestyle.
In last year’s 20km freestyle in Ruka, Diggins placed second after losing her right ski pole and glove with about one mile left. In being handed a new pole, it initially struck her in the face, causing a bleeding cut.
“A lot better than last year,” Diggins said Sunday. “Last year I froze my hand and got punched in the face.”
The cross-country skiing World Cup continues next weekend in Lillehammer, Norway.
