Jessie Diggins
Jessie Diggins | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Country | United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States | August 26, 1991|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 5 ft 4 in (163 cm)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ski club | Stratton Mountain School | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
World Cup career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Seasons | 12 – (2011–present) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Starts | 251 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Podiums | 40 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wins | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Overall titles | 1 – (2021) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Discipline titles | 1 – (DI in 2021) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Updated on 27 November 2022. |
Jessica Diggins (born August 26, 1991) is an American cross-country skier. She and teammate Kikkan Randall won the United States' first ever cross-country skiing gold medal at the Winter Olympics in the team sprint in 2018.[2][3] At the 2022 Winter Olympics, Diggins won the silver medal in the 30 kilometer freestyle and the bronze medal in the individual sprint, making her the most decorated American cross-country skier of all time. She also won four medals at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships from 2013 to 2017. In 2021, Diggins clinched the top spot in the women's overall standings for the 2020–21 FIS Cross-Country World Cup, becoming the first American to do so.[4]
Early life
Diggins was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and grew up in Afton, Minnesota.[5] She has one sister, Mackenzie.[6] Diggins began skiing at age 4.[7] She showed prowess for skiing at age 11 when she started competing against older children.[7] Diggins graduated from Stillwater Area High School in 2010.[5]
Athletic career
High school and juniors
Diggins competed for the Stillwater Area High School cross-country ski team. In 2008, Diggins was the top-ranked girls individual cross-country skier in the Minnesota high school rankings.[8] She fell out of the state rankings in 2009 when she competed and won the United States Junior National Sprint title on March 9 of that year.[9] She was added to the United States' World Junior Cross-Country Ski Team in 2010.[10]
Professional
Diggins earned an academic scholarship to Northern Michigan University, but deferred enrollment to race with the Central Cross-Country Elite team for one year. She decided to race professionally rather than attend college. She was named to the United States Ski Team in 2011[11] and competed at her first World Championships that year. Diggins won a gold medal with Kikkan Randall in the team sprint in the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2013 in Val di Fiemme.[3] At the 2014 U23 World Championships, Diggins won silver in the individual sprint.
Diggins was named to the U.S. team for the 2014 Winter Olympics. In her first event, the 15 kilometer skiathlon, she placed 8th (out of 61 competitors) with a time of 40:05.5.[12]
Diggins won the silver medal in the 10 kilometer freestyle race in the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2015 in Falun.[3] In the 2015–2016 World Cup, she placed 8th in the overall and sprint rankings and 9th in the distance ranking.[13]
At the 2017 Nordic World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland, Diggins took two medals: in the freestyle sprint, she won her quarterfinal and semifinal heats on her way to taking the silver, ahead of teammate Randall in third.[14] Subsequently, in the classic team sprint, Diggins and Sadie Bjornsen finished third, catching and passing the Swedish team in the closing stages of the race to take the bronze by 0.19 seconds. This made Diggins the first American to win four World Championship medals in cross-country skiing.[15]
Diggins finished third overall in the 2017–18 Tour de Ski, becoming the first American to finish on the podium in the overall classification, and beating her previous best of fifth overall in the previous edition. Her teammate Sadie Bjornsen finished ninth overall, also making it the first time that two Americans finished in the overall top ten.[16] Diggins finished second overall in the World Cup 2017–2018 season standings.[4]
At the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Diggins and Randall became the first American cross-country skiers to capture a gold medal by winning the women's team sprint at the Alpensia Cross-Country Centre. In the final sprint, Diggins passed the last two individual sprint classical gold medalists – Sochi gold medalist Maiken Caspersen Falla of Norway before the last turn and then Pyeongchang gold medalist Stina Nilsson of Sweden on the last straightaway. Theirs was not only the United States' first ever cross-country skiing gold medal but also the first American cross-country skiing medal since Bill Koch won silver in the men's 30 km in 1976.[17] Steve Schlanger and Chad Salmela called the end of the race for NBC:[18][19]
Salmela: As they come into the stadium, Diggins trying to get in on the outside!
Schlanger: Jessie Diggins with two fifth-place finishes, one sixth, so close for the U.S. on so many occasions, now moving up on the outside into second place!
Salmela: They're all completely gassed! They've given it everything on the Klaebo-bakken! Stina Nilsson leading Jessie Diggins into the final turn – can Diggins answer?!
Schlanger: As the roars rattle around the cross-country stadium in Pyeongchang, Sweden, the U.S., and Norway coming to the line!
Salmela: Here comes Diggins! Here comes Diggins!
Schlanger: On the outside! Diggins making the play around Sweden!
Salmela: Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Gold!
Schlanger: Jessie Diggins to the line! And it is Jessie Diggins delivering a landmark moment that will be etched in U.S. Olympic history! The first ever cross-country gold medal for the U.S.!
Salmela: It's a gold medal for the United States! It's not just a medal, it's the gold!
Diggins competed in all six women's cross-country skiing events at the Olympics and finished in the top 10 in all of them. At the end of the games, she was the flag bearer for the United States in the closing ceremony.[20]
Diggins won the 2021 Tour de Ski, a first for an American. She placed atop the overall World Cup 2020–2021 season standings, claiming the biggest annual prize in cross-country skiing. Diggins' victory put her with Koch, who won the men's title in 1982, to be the only Americans to win overall season titles for a World Cup cross-country ski circuit.[4]
At the 2022 Winter Olympics, Diggins won bronze in the women's sprint to become the first American to win an individual Olympic medal in a cross-country sprint.[21] She went on to win silver in the women's 30 kilometer freestyle, earning the U.S.'s last medal on the last day of the Olympics.[22] She was the first non-European to win a medal in the event.[23] Diggins left Beijing as the most decorated American cross-country skier of all time.[24] For the second straight Olympics, she finished in the top 10 in all six women's cross-country skiing events.
Social activism
Diggins is an ambassador for the non-profit organization Fast and Female, which works to inspire girls from ages 8–18 to be active and empowered in sports.[25][26] Diggins is also an ambassador for the non-profit organization Protect Our Winters (POW), whose aim is to effect systemic solutions to climate change through the outdoor sports community. Diggins travelled with POW to Capitol Hill in April 2018 to raise concerns over climate change.[27]
In 2019, Diggins became a spokesperson for the Emily Program, an organization in the United States that provides treatment for eating disorders. In several interviews and essays, she revealed her experience of seeking treatment for bulimia at the organization in 2010, with the aim of her story to improve self-acceptance and reduce stigma and secrecy around eating disorders.[28][29] In 2020, Diggins wrote an autobiography, Brave Enough, about her athletic accomplishments and personal struggles with bulimia as a teenager.[30]
Cross-country skiing results
Olympic Games
- 3 medals – (1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze)
Year | Age | 10 km individual |
15 km skiathlon |
30 km mass start |
Sprint | 4 × 5 km relay |
Team sprint |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | 22 | — | 8 | 40 | 12 | 9 | — |
2018 | 26 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 5 | Gold |
2022 | 30 | 8 | 6 | Silver | Bronze | 6 | 5 |
World Championships
- 4 medals – (1 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze)
Year | Age | 10 km individual |
15 km skiathlon |
30 km mass start |
Sprint | 4 × 5 km relay |
Team sprint |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | 19 | — | 28 | — | 29 | 9 | — |
2013 | 21 | 23 | — | DNF | — | 4 | Gold |
2015 | 23 | Silver | — | DNF | — | 4 | 8 |
2017 | 25 | — | DNF | 5 | Silver | 4 | Bronze |
2019 | 27 | 25 | — | 4 | 8 | 5 | 5 |
2021 | 29 | 4 | 15 | — | 24 | 4 | — |
World Cup
Season titles
- 2 titles – (1 overall, 1 distance)
Season | |
Discipline | |
2021 | Overall |
Distance |
Season standings
Season | Age | Discipline standings | Ski Tour standings | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | Distance | Sprint | Nordic Opening |
Tour de Ski |
Ski Tour 2020 | World Cup Final |
Ski Tour Canada | ||
2011 | 19 | NC | — | NC | — | — | — | — | — |
2012 | 20 | 34 | 26 | 35 | — | — | — | 15 | — |
2013 | 21 | 36 | 34 | 44 | 24 | 21 | — | 26 | — |
2014 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 13 | — | 36 | — |
2015 | 23 | 22 | 17 | 23 | 44 | DNF | — | — | — |
2016 | 24 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 38 | 10 | — | — | 5 |
2017 | 25 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 5 | — | 16 | — |
2018 | 26 | 6 | 12 | — | — | ||||
2019 | 27 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 6 | — | 14 | — |
2020 | 28 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 5 | 9 | 6 | — | — |
2021 | 29 | 4 | 15 | — | — | — | |||
2022 | 30 | 9 | 4 | — | 8 | — | — | — |
Individual podiums
- 12 victories – (4 WC, 8 SWC)
- 40 podiums – (18 WC, 22 SWC)
No. | Season | Date | Location | Race | Level | Place |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2015–16 | 8 January 2016 | Toblach, Italy | 5 km Individual F | Stage World Cup | 1st |
2 | 23 January 2016 | Nové Město, Czech Republic | 10 km Individual F | World Cup | 3rd | |
3 | 20 February 2016 | Lahti, Finland | 1.6 km Sprint F | World Cup | 2nd | |
4 | 1 March 2016 | Gatineau, Canada | 1.7 km Sprint F | Stage World Cup | 3rd | |
5 | 12 March 2016 | Canmore, Canada | 10 km Pursuit C | Stage World Cup | 3rd | |
6 | 2016–17 | 3 December 2016 | Lillehammer, Norway | 5 km Individual F | Stage World Cup | 1st |
7 | 3 January 2017 | Oberstdorf, Germany | 5 km + 5 km Skiathlon C/F | Stage World Cup | 2nd | |
8 | 6 January 2017 | Toblach, Italy | 5 km Individual F | Stage World Cup | 1st | |
9 | 2017–18 | 1 January 2018 | Lenzerheide, Switzerland | 10 km Pursuit F | Stage World Cup | 3rd |
10 | 7 January 2018 | Val di Fiemme, Italy | 9 km Pursuit F | Stage World Cup | 3rd | |
11 | 30 December 2017 – 7 January 2018 |
Tour de Ski | Overall Standings | World Cup | 3rd | |
12 | 28 January 2018 | Seefeld, Austria | 10 km Mass Start F | World Cup | 1st | |
13 | 7 March 2018 | Drammen, Norway | 1.2 km Sprint C | World Cup | 3rd | |
14 | 11 March 2018 | Oslo, Norway | 30 km Mass Start F | World Cup | 2nd | |
15 | 18 March 2018 | Falun, Sweden | 10 km Pursuit F | Stage World Cup | 1st | |
16 | 16–18 March 2018 | World Cup Final | Overall Standings | World Cup | 2nd | |
17 | 2018–19 | 29 December 2018 | Toblach, Italy | 1.3 km Sprint F | Stage World Cup | 3rd |
18 | 1 January 2019 | Val Müstair, Switzerland | 1.4 km Sprint F | Stage World Cup | 3rd | |
19 | 3 January 2019 | Oberstdorf, Germany | 10 km Pursuit F | Stage World Cup | 3rd | |
20 | 16 February 2019 | Cogne, Italy | 1.6 km Sprint F | World Cup | 1st | |
21 | 17 March 2019 | Falun, Sweden | 10 km Individual F | World Cup | 3rd | |
22 | 2019–20 | 1 December 2019 | Rukatunturi, Finland | 10 km Pursuit F | Stage World Cup | 3rd |
23 | 7 December 2019 | Lillehammer, Norway | 7.5 km + 7.5 km Skiathlon C/F | World Cup | 2nd | |
24 | 15 December 2019 | Davos, Switzerland | 10 km Individual F | World Cup | 3rd | |
25 | 4 January 2020 | Val di Fiemme, Italy | 1.3 km Sprint C | Stage World Cup | 3rd | |
26 | 26 January 2020 | Oberstdorf, Germany | 1.5 km Sprint C | World Cup | 3rd | |
27 | 2020–21 | 1 January 2021 | Val Müstair, Switzerland | 1.4 km Sprint F | Stage World Cup | 3rd |
28 | 2 January 2021 | 10 km Mass Start C | Stage World Cup | 3rd | ||
29 | 3 January 2021 | 10 km Pursuit F | Stage World Cup | 1st | ||
30 | 5 January 2021 | Toblach, Italy | 10 km Individual F | Stage World Cup | 1st | |
31 | 6 January 2021 | 10 km Pursuit C | Stage World Cup | 3rd | ||
32 | 9 January 2021 | Val di Fiemme, Italy | 10 km Mass Start F | Stage World Cup | 2nd | |
33 | 1–10 January 2021 | Tour de Ski | Overall Standings | World Cup | 1st | |
34 | 29 January 2021 | Falun, Sweden | 10 km Individual F | World Cup | 1st | |
35 | 6 February 2021 | Ulricehamn, Sweden | 1.3 km Sprint F | World Cup | 3rd | |
36 | 2021–22 | 3 December 2021 | Lillehammer, Norway | 1.6 km Sprint F | World Cup | 2nd |
37 | 12 December 2021 | Davos, Switzerland | 10 km Individual F | World Cup | 2nd | |
38 | 28 December 2021 | Lenzerheide, Switzerland | 1.5 km Sprint F | Stage World Cup | 1st | |
39 | 31 December 2021 | Oberstdorf, Germany | 10 km Mass Start F | Stage World Cup | 1st | |
40 | 12 March 2022 | Falun, Sweden | 10 km Individual F | World Cup | 3rd |
Team podiums
- 2 victories – (1 RL, 1 TS)
- 9 podiums – (6 RL, 3 TS)
No. | Season | Date | Location | Race | Level | Place | Teammate(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2011–12 | 15 January 2012 | Milan, Italy | 6 × 1.4 km Team Sprint F | World Cup | 2nd | Randall |
2 | 2012–13 | 25 November 2012 | Gällivare, Sweden | 4 × 5 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 3rd | Brooks / Randall / Stephen |
3 | 7 December 2012 | Quebec City, Canada | 6 × 1.6 km Team Sprint F | World Cup | 1st | Randall | |
4 | 2013–14 | 8 December 2013 | Lillehammer, Norway | 4 × 5 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 3rd | Randall / Bjornsen / Stephen |
5 | 2015–16 | 6 December 2015 | Lillehammer, Norway | 4 × 5 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 3rd | Brennan / Bjornsen / Stephen |
6 | 24 January 2016 | Nové Město, Czech Republic | 4 × 5 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 2nd | Caldwell / Bjornsen / Stephen | |
7 | 2019–20 | 8 December 2019 | Lillehammer, Norway | 4 × 5 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 2nd | Caldwell / Bjornsen / Brennan |
8 | 2021–22 | 19 December 2021 | Dresden, Germany | 12 × 0.65 km Team Sprint F | World Cup | 2nd | Kern |
9 | 13 March 2022 | Falun, Sweden | 4 × 5 km Mixed Relay F | World Cup | 1st | Brennan / Ketterson / Patterson |
US National Championships medals
- 2011 – Rumford, Maine 1st, sprint freestyle
- 2011 – Sun Valley, Idaho 3rd, 30 km classic mass start
- 2012 – Rumford, Maine 1st, sprint freestyle
- 2012 – Rumford, Maine 1st, 10 km freestyle
- 2012 – Rumford, Maine 1st, 20 km classic mass start
- 2012 – Rumford, Maine 2nd, sprint classic
- 2012 – Craftsbury, Vermont 2nd, 30 km freestyle mass start
- 2016 – Craftsbury, Vermont 1st, 30 km freestyle mass start
- 2018 – Craftsbury, Vermont 1st, 30 km freestyle mass start
Bibliography
- Diggins, Jessie and Smith, Todd (2020). Brave Enough. ISBN 978-1517908195
References
- ^ "Jessie Diggins". usskiandsnowboard.org. United States Ski and Snowboard Association. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
- ^ "Jessie Diggins". U.S. Ski & Snowboard. Retrieved 2019-03-08.
- ^ a b c Jessie Diggins at the International Ski and Snowboard Federation
- ^ a b c OlympicTalk (2021-03-09). "Jessie Diggins clinches historic World Cup overall title". OlympicTalk | NBC Sports. Retrieved 2021-03-10.
- ^ a b "Jessie Diggins". Team USA. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
- ^ "Jessie Diggins". U.S. Ski & Snowboard. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
- ^ a b Emerson, Dan (January 2017). "Afton's Jessie Diggins is a star on the U.S. Nordic Ski Team". Community Life Magazine. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
- ^ "Minnesota High School Rankings". Skinnyski.com. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
- ^ "High School 2008". Skinnyski.com. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
- ^ "High School 2009". Skinnyski.com. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
- ^ "About – Jessie Diggins: Making the Choice to Ski". 2019. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
- ^ "Ladies' Skiathlon 7.5 km Classic + 7.5 km Free Results". SOOC. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
- ^ "FIS Ski World Cup Leader Board". International Ski Federation. Archived from the original on 2016-03-16. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
- ^ Axon, Rachel (24 February 2017). "U.S. women make history at cross-country skiing world championships". USAToday.com. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
- ^ Shinn, Peggy (26 February 2017). "Jessie Diggins, Sadie Bjornsen Win Bronze In Team Sprint; Diggins Is First American To Win 4 World Medals". United States Olympic Committee. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
- ^ "Jessie Diggins takes third in Tour de Ski, makes history for U.S. team". USAToday.com. 7 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
- ^ Dougherty, Tom (February 21, 2018). "U.S. ends 42-year Olympic cross-country medal drought with historic gold". NBC Universal. Archived from the original on 2018-03-07. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
- ^ "Women's Team Sprint Ending". Twitter. National Broadcasting Company. 21 February 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
- ^ "Team USA 2018 Playlist: Jessie Diggins And Kikkan Randall Win Gold". YouTube. United States Olympic Team. 7 December 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
- ^ Nancy Armour (23 February 2018). "Gold medalist Jessie Diggins will carry U.S. flag in 2018 Winter Olympics closing ceremony". USA Today. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
- ^ Chappell, Bill. "Jessie Diggins wins first-ever U.S. Olympic medal in cross-country sprint". npr.org. February 8, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
- ^ Scott, Roxanna. American Jessie Diggins wins silver in 30K, Team USA's final medal in Beijing. USA Today. February 20, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
- ^ Schrader, Adam (February 20, 2022). "Jessie Diggins wins silver medal for U.S. in 30-km. cross-country skiing". UPI. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
- ^ Gastelum, Andrew (February 20, 2022). "Jessie Diggins Reveals Food Poisoning Bout Before Winning Historic Silver in 30-Km Race". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
- ^ Coleman, Alyson. "About". Fast and Female. Retrieved 2019-03-08.
- ^ Coleman, Alyson. "Ambassadors - USA". Fast and Female. Archived from the original on 2019-05-24. Retrieved 2019-03-08.
- ^ "Jessie Diggins talks climate change & Olympic gold | Cross-country skiing". Retrieved 2019-11-07.
- ^ "Jessie Diggins: Facing my Fears and Finding Recovery". The Emily Program. 2019-02-25. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
- ^ "How Olympic gold medalist Jessie Diggins works to be her own best cheerleader". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
- ^ "'Brave Enough' Book Review: Here Comes Diggins's Memoir – FasterSkier.com". Retrieved 2020-10-21.
External links
- Jessie Diggins at the International Ski and Snowboard Federation
- Jessie Diggins at Olympics.com
- Jessie Diggins at Olympics at Sports-Reference.com (archived)
- NBC Sports, 2018 Winter Olympics: Diggins and Randall win women's cross-country team sprint
- Interview with Jessie Diggins. International Ski Federation, retrieved October 4, 2018
- 1991 births
- Living people
- American female cross-country skiers
- Cross-country skiers at the 2014 Winter Olympics
- Cross-country skiers at the 2018 Winter Olympics
- Cross-country skiers at the 2022 Winter Olympics
- Olympic gold medalists for the United States in cross-country skiing
- Olympic silver medalists for the United States in cross-country skiing
- Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in cross-country skiing
- Medalists at the 2018 Winter Olympics
- Medalists at the 2022 Winter Olympics
- FIS Nordic World Ski Championships medalists in cross-country skiing
- Tour de Ski winners
- People from Washington County, Minnesota
- Sportspeople from Saint Paul, Minnesota
- Writers from Saint Paul, Minnesota
- 21st-century American women