Jessie Diggins Makes History, Places 2nd In Dramatic Sprint Finish

In one of American cross-country skier Jessie Diggins' final races, she not only made history but further cemented herself as the most talented athlete the USA has ever seen in the sport.

Diggins, 34, who is set to retire at the end of the season, raced the skiathlon event at the FIS World Cup in Falun, Sweden, this past weekend.

The race marked Diggins' 357th World Cup start, which makes her the cross-country skier with the most World Cup starts in the history of the sport.

The skiathlon is particularly grueling, involving 10km of classic cross-country skiing and 10km of freestyle (skate) skiing with a mass start. Diggins crossed the finish line just .01 seconds behind Norwegian skier, Heidi Weng, for a second-place finish that marked her 89th World Cup podium.

The race was close, with several skiers vying for the top spot. Weng, who has not won a World Cup race since 2022, was clearly on a mission throughout the race. Swedish skier Freida Karlsson, who had dealt with a bout of sickness during the recent Olympic Games, had recovered and was ready to show that she was back.

In the last 5k of the race, Karlsson, Weng, and Diggins created a sizable distance between their lead pack and the rest of the field, battling for the top podium spot. The final 1k of the race saw Karlsson in first, Weng in second, and Diggins in third.

In the last moments of the race, Weng and Diggins passed Karlsson, and Weng lunged across the finish line just a moment ahead of Diggins to secure the 144th World Cup victory of her career. Tap or click below to watch.

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"Today, I set the record for most World Cups raced in history - but here’s what I am actually most proud of: It takes an amazing team and a ton of support to race this long, and I feel like the luckiest person in the world because of how my team has helped me through highs and lows! It takes a healthy body to race this hard for this long. Getting my mental health on track so my physical health could thrive was the key to not only racing for a long time, but racing with joy. Every Single Race was on @salomonnordic skis. The way they have supported my big dreams is incredible! I got to high five a ton of glittery little kids today before our race and seeing the way that joy-and glitter-is shared (no matter how old you are!) makes me proud of what I stand for," said Diggins in her own social media post about the race.

Diggins also made history at the Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina just a few weeks ago, winning bronze in the 50k race. The third-place podium spot marked her fourth Olympic medal, making her the most decorated American cross-country skier of all time.

There are four more cross-country races in the 2026 FIS World Cup season, with the final race of the season taking place on Diggins' home turf in Lake Placid, New York, from March 20-22, 2026.