Another day, another Tour de Ski podium for Jessie Diggins. The Afton native scored a third-place finish in Thursday's 20-kilometer classic pursuit in Davos, Switzerland, solidifying her lead in the overall standings of the seven-stage event.
Another podium finish has Jessie Diggins in position to win Tour de Ski
Jessie Diggins scored a third-place finish in Thursday's 20-kilometer classic pursuit in Davos, Switzerland, solidifying her lead in the overall standings of the Tour de Ski.
January 4, 2024 at 10:46PM
The race began in challenging conditions, with wax technicians struggling to figure out how to prepare skis as heavy snow covered the course. Diggins fell early, and though she got up quickly, she had dropped well behind the leaders. She fought her way back into the race and finished in 1 hour, 12 minutes, 9.4 seconds.
Finland's Kerttu Niskanen outsprinted Rosie Brennan, Diggins' U.S. teammate, for the victory in 1:12:00.7. Brennan was second, 0.8 seconds back.
Diggins' tenacity ensured she stayed on top of the Tour de Ski overall standings, putting her in good position to win the event for the second time. After five stages, she leads Niskanen by 44 seconds, with Sweden's Jonna Sundling another 8 seconds back.
Diggins, whose 2021 victory made her the first American to win the Tour de Ski, has reached the podium in each of the past four stages.
The event concludes this weekend with two races in Val di Fiemme, Italy. Saturday's stage is a 15k mass start classic, and Sunday's final stage is a 10k mass start freestyle, which has become Diggins' signature event. The 10k freestyle features one of the most grueling stretches in cross-country skiing: a 400-meter climb up the alpine slope at Alpe Cermis.
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