Jessie Diggins is heading to the FIS Nordic Ski World Championships in Trondheim, Norway, with serious momentum after securing a hard-fought victory in the 20km Mass Start Free in Falun, Sweden. The 33-year-old World Cup leader edged Norway’s Heidi Weng by just 0.7 seconds, while Sweden’s Ebba Andersson claimed third in a tight contest on the demanding course.
It was a banner day for the U.S. team, fueled by an earlier success in the men’s race. Hours before Diggins’ victory, Gus Schumacher finished second in the men’s 20km, falling just 0.3 seconds short of his first World Cup win. The electrifying result had Diggins and teammate Julia Kern, who finished sixth in the women’s race, fired up and ready to perform. “That was so awesome,” Diggins said of Schumacher’s performance. “Julia and I were jumping up and down on the beds, screaming at the TV. I was like, ‘I’m warmed up, let’s go!’”
Schumacher’s podium finish in Falun marked another historic moment for U.S. cross-country skiing. The 23-year-old from Alaska became the first American man to ever podium in a 20km World Cup race. It was his second career podium and first since his groundbreaking victory in the 10km skate at the Stifel Loppet Cup in Minneapolis earlier this season. That win had made him the first U.S. male skier to claim a distance World Cup victory since Bill Koch in 1983.
Schumacher executed a tactically smart race, staying near the front of the pack on Falun’s fast course and conserving energy on the climbs. On the final lap, he positioned himself in fourth before surging into second place down the finishing stretch, narrowly missing out on the win to Norway’s Pål Golberg. With this result, Schumacher now sits 16th in the overall World Cup standings, gaining key momentum heading into the World Championships.
Meanwhile, the women’s battle in Falun was also a test of endurance and tactics. On the punishing five-lap course, which features the infamous ‘Murder Hill,’ Sweden’s Andersson initially dictated the pace, determined to add a second victory after winning Saturday’s 10km Interval Start Classic. By the final lap, the lead pack had narrowed to five skiers—Andersson, Weng, Diggins, Norway’s Nora Sanness, and Germany’s Victoria Carl. However, Carl’s bid for the podium ended when she fell on the stadium flats, breaking a pole and dropping out of contention.
With 200 meters to go, Diggins made her move, surging to the front and holding off Weng and Andersson in the final stretch. “Huge congrats to the wax technicians,” Diggins said. “I had amazing skis all weekend, and that’s a huge part of this. This was a win for the whole truck and the whole team, and it’s an awesome momentum going into Trondheim.” Weng, 33, finished second for her seventh podium of the season, while Andersson settled for third in front of an onlooking King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. Sanness placed fourth, 5.9 seconds behind Diggins, with Carl crossing in fifth, 27.2 seconds back. Kern, long known for her sprinting ability, delivered a career-best World Cup distance finish, placing sixth, 45.1 seconds behind Diggins. “It’s really exciting to see Julia break through in distance racing,” Diggins said. “She’s worked so hard for this.”
The U.S. squad continued to show depth, placing five athletes in the top 30. Sophia Laukli finished 16th, Alayna Sonnesyn 25th, and Sydney Palmer-Leger 26th, reinforcing the team’s strength ahead of the season’s biggest event.
Diggins, now with six World Cup wins this season and 28 in her career, further extended her lead in the overall standings. With five races remaining, she sits 472 points ahead of Carl, who remains second overall. Norway’s Astrid Øyre Slind, absent from Falun, holds third place, just eight points ahead of Finland’s Kerttu Niskanen.
With the FIS Nordic World Championships in Trondheim beginning on February 26, Diggins is ready to reset. “I’m excited to taper,” she said. “I’ve been pushing a massive training load, so I’m ready to rest a bit and then come into Trondheim fresh.”
The American team heads into the World Championships with high expectations across sprint, distance, and relay events. With Diggins leading the charge and a rising squad around her, the U.S. contingent is poised to make an impact on the world stage once again.
Cambell Wright´s Silver in Biathalon makes this a hat trick!