Jessie Diggins didn't have to wait long to regain the yellow leader's bib at the Tour de Ski. The cross-country skier from Afton won Friday's Stage 3, a 10-kilometer freestyle mass start in Oberstdorf, Germany, to move back into the overall lead in the six-stage event.
Afton's Jessie Diggins reclaims Tour de Ski lead with Stage 3 victory
Friday's victory was the second of the Tour for Jessie Diggins, the defending champion. There are six stages.
January 1, 2022 at 12:51AM
Friday's victory was the second of the Tour for Diggins, the defending champion. Racing on a pair of perfectly prepared skis, she trailed leader Frida Karlsson of Sweden by about five meters on the last climb. On the final straightaway, Diggins put her head down, surged past Karlsson and skated to the finish line, clocking a time of 21 minutes, 30.8 seconds to edge Karlsson by 0.5 of a second.
The victory lifted Diggins back to the top of the overall standings, 13 seconds ahead of Kerttu Niskanen of Finland. Niskanen won Stage 2 on Wednesday to slip past Diggins for the overall lead.
"I had the best skis in the whole world today,'' Diggins told US Ski & Snowboard after the race. "Our team gave me some absolute rockets. Being able to trust the draft and trust my skis, that was the difference-maker.''
Diggins won a freestyle sprint in Tuesday's Stage 1 before a 16th-place finish in Wednesday's 10k classic interval start. The Tour de Ski continues Saturday with a classic sprint in Oberstdorf.
The Afton, Minnesota native talks success, pressure, focus, and fun in this Q & A.
