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The long road that is the World Cup cross-country season came to an end today. And, like all good road trips, something special should be waiting at the end of that road. Today in Falun, that something special for Jessie Diggins (USA) was the chance to take home her second Overall Crystal Globe. Diggins had already wrapped up the Distance Globe, but the Overall trophy is the icing on the cake; the dream of every professional cross-country skier.
While Diggins had not mathematically clinched the Globe before the race, her 75 point lead over Linn Svahn (SWE) was healthy enough that all she really needed to do today was keep Svahn in sight as she progressed across the 20-kilometer Mass Start Freestyle race.
There were potentially 130 points available to the winner. If Svahn took all of them—including all of the 30 bonus points—and Diggins didn’t take any bonus points, Diggins could finish 13th and still win the Crystal globe. But the odds of Svahn taking home every point were very long.
For Diggins, today would mark the conclusion of a season that began without expectations. Over the summer, Diggins was very candid regarding her struggles and expressed that she didn’t know what to expect coming into the new ski year. But, from early domination in Finland and Sweden to winning the Tour de Ski, she demonstrated the needed consistency to win the big prize. The Overall victory would add another impressive line to her already lengthy resume.
Diggins was not content to mathematically eliminate Svahn. It was clear from the start of the race that Diggins was going all out, intent on winning. She pushed the entire race to take the Crystal Globe in emphatic fashion by winning today’s race. It was an exclamation point marking the end of a season filled with highlights. Heidi Weng (NOR) finished second, and Anne Kjersti Kalvaa (NOR) was third.
“It was really emotional as I was out putting glitter on,” said Diggins. “Today my only goal was to have the most fun, and I really did. I wanted to finish with nothing left . . . when I do that, I can walk away proud. I wanted to make the techs proud so they could see I was skiing a gutsy race. Now I’m ready to go home.” She later added that, “I’m really proud of how this season ended, but I’m more proud of my team for being there for me. It’s been a lot of ups and downs … It’s been a hard year, and that’s why it’s so special that we got through it together.”
Diggins acknowledged that this has been the hardest part of the season. “I’ve felt a lot of pressure to show that I’m ok,” she said. “I have put pressure on myself to keep working hard to be ok. It’s not easy when your brain is kind of a messy place sometimes and you feel that the whole world is watching you figure it out.”
As for today’s race: “I just wanted to make it hard,” she said. “I wanted to push hard and leave it all out there, and know that I crossed the finish line having skied with a lot of guts; and I had great skis, the wax techs nailed it today.” But there was more to her season than securing the Crystal Globe. “Minneapolis was the highlight of my career,” Diggins said. “It was the coolest World Cup I’ve ever been a part of. It was so cool hearing from all of the athletes how much they loved it, and how special it was for our country.”
For Svahn—even though the improbable didn’t happen, and she finished second in the Crystal Globe hunt—it was still a season worth celebrating. After a breakout year in 2021, injury sidelined her from World Cup racing for almost two years, a stressful and challenging period. Now she had pressed Diggins to the limit, and this season she emphatically declared that she is back; that, alone, is worth celebrating.
Diggins’ victory wasn’t the only result making it a glorious day for American cross-country: Rosie Brennan delivered a solid performance, finishing 10th. Novie McCabe was 11th, Sophia Laukli finished 17th, Sydney Palmer-Leger was 23rd, and Haley Brewster was 32nd. Julia Kern did not finish.
The top Canadian skier was Liliane Gagnon who finished 53rd. Sonjaa Schmidt did not finish.
Women’s 20 k Freestyle Mass Start
Diggins led the pack of 63 women out of the stadium on a perfect bluebird day in Falun, a stark contrast to yesterday’s setting of mixed precipitation and horrible conditions. Today was beautiful, and the conditions were lightning fast. The Falun course presents a unique set of challenges as it has a very difficult climb that skiers would navigate four times today.
Diggins pressed the pace from the start, followed closely by Heidi Weng (NOR). By the time the pack reached the 2.5-kilometer mark, Diggins had backed off slightly and Frida Karlsson (SWE) went to the front. Svahn was still with the front group, only 6.4 seconds off the lead.
The first time bonus was coming at 5.8-kilometers; the first test in the Diggins-Svahn duel. As the pack approached the bonus line, Diggins reasserted herself and went back into the lead. Diggins easily crossed the bonus line first and took 15 bonus points; Svahn did not receive any. Diggins’ lead now surged to 90 points. Any slim hope that Svahn might have held out just evaporated.
Even though she now had firm control of the Crystal Globe, Diggins did not back off, continuing to lead the pack through the 6.8-kilometer mark. Half a kilometer later the lead pack had reconsolidated and Victoria Carl (GER) was now out front. Carl’s lead was short lived as Sophia Laukli (USA) surged to the front. The Falun course is perfectly suited for Laukli: not only is it a distance that suits her but, with four large climbs, it matches her climbing abilities, as well. During Laukli’s surge, Diggins dropped back to 10th, but was still in the middle of the lead pack. More importantly, Svahn sat behind her in 13th.
Halfway through, it was Karlsson’s turn to go back to the front where she joined Laukli and Weng. Ebba Andersson (SWE) also joined the leaders. Jockeying for the lead in the front row of racers continued, while Diggins sat smartly in ninth place with Svahn skiing right beside her. But Diggins was not content to sit in the middle of the pack, and at 12.5-kilometers shot back into the lead with the next bonus mark coming up at 15.8-kilometers. If Diggins scored more bonus points at the next line, it would put an end to any chance which Svahn might have had.
Diggins quickly surged to the front and positioned herself perfectly for the next bonus section. While Diggins was shooting toward the front, there was bad news for Karlsson, who fell during a collision and broke a pole. The delay cost her significantly. She ultimately had to exchange poles twice and it put her off the back of the lead group.
Diggins was clearly on mission and skiing well as the pack approached the bonus point line. Once again, Diggins took the maximum15 points. Svahn did not get any points, and that sealed the deal as Diggins’ Overall lead was now 105 points. Diggins now only had to finish the race to take the Crystal Globe. But Diggins did not appear content to simply win the Globe, she was fighting hard to win the race and take the Crystal Globe in style. She continued to press from the front and broke the race wide open as only Weng and Kalvaa could hang with Diggins. She had established a four second lead over the chase group and was looking to press her advantage.
With one-kilometer to go, Jonna Sundling (SWE) managed to close the gap and join the lead group to make it four racers out front. Then Diggins put in a ferocious turn of pace and ramped up to full sprint speed, using the downhills to stretch her advantage. She had dropped Sundling and only Weng and Kalvaa were still with her.
Diggins continued to pull away on the downhills, like she has her entire career. Weng and Kalvaa gamely hung with her, but Diggins was determined to take the victory. As they entered the stadium, it was a three-way sprint to the finish, but Diggins was able to pull away and take the victory. Weng followed across the finish line second and Kalvaa was third.
Diggins answered all doubters as Svahn finished 26th, over a minute back. Diggins clearly demonstrated that she is the best in the world and is able to rise to the occasion unlike anyone else. It was a dramatic victory which emphatically answered any questions about who was the best.
Women’s 20 k Freestyle Mass Start RESULTS
