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Going into today’s 20 kilometer mass start Freestyle race, the American team was a little back on its heels. This early in the season, it’s way too soon to talk about redemption. But after a difficult day yesterday across the board for team USA, it was time for some introspection and time to figure out some lessons learned. After a disappointing day, USA head coach Matt Whitcomb was very candid when he told FasterSkier that, “Our staff had a long debrief after the races (yesterday) were completed, where we took a hard look at our ski preparation process, and some potential areas where mistakes in ski speed may have been made.” Yesterday’s races created an opportunity to learn. Today would hopefully create an opportunity to shine.
And shine they did. After today’s performance, the American team may decide to have those debriefings every day. In yet another thrilling performance Jessie Diggins (USA) battled with Therese Johaug (NOR), Heidi Weng (NOR), and Jonna Sundling (SWE) to win an incredibly exciting race. It was another epic day in Ruka for Diggins who sprinted past her competition in an all-out drag race at the finish to claim a thrilling victory. Sundling took second, with Weng finishing third.
Today marked the first Distance Freestyle race for Johaug since her return to the World Cup. Prior to her retirement she dominated Distance racing in a way like no one ever had. She tried several times to impose her will on the field today, along with her teammate Heidi Weng. But every time she would try to make a move off the front another skier—most often Diggins or Sophia Laukli (USA)— was able to keep the gap just short enough to stay in contact. Of course, the Swedish women were in the mix as well with Sundling eventually working with Diggins to create a four person lead pack rocketing into the stadium. Sweden was missing its star Frida Karlsson, who didn’t start the race, but it probably wouldn’t have made a difference in a Freestyle sprint to the finish as Diggins answered every move by every competitor. It was yet another smart, strong, and gutsy performance by the American star.
Immediately after the race, Diggins commented that, “It was so fun out there.” She continued, “I might have frozen my eyes a little.” She also commented about how things felt a lot better than last year when she had her pole stepped on, lost her glove, froze her hand, and received a bloody nose in the process. “I’ve been so happy this year and feeling like I’m in a really good place.” She commented upon the final kilometer of the race when the lead group of four racers were together, “I tried to be too cute with the draft and I thought I might have messed this up. In the last k I was thinking save it up and try to find the line. I had amazing skis, the techs nailed it.”
Sophia Laukli also had a great day finishing 10th. Other American finishers were Rosie Brennan in 20th, Julia Kern 30th, Alayna Sonnesyn 31st, Sydney Palmer-Leger 35th, and Haley Brewster 42nd.
The top Canadian skier was Liliane Gagnon in 28th. She was followed by Katherine Stewart-Jones in 33rd.
The 20 Kilometer Freestyle
Not surprisingly at the start of the race Johaug went out to the front right from the gun. She was joined there by Diggins, and long distance specialist Astrid Oeyre Slind (NOR). But the race looked quite different for the first 4k than any other distance race with Johaug in it before her retirement. Before retirement, Johaug would go out faster than anyone and then hold the gap she had created. Today, Johaug went to the front, but the pack was still with her. Diggins and Heidi Weng were right at her side and there wasn’t the initial large gap which Johaug was known for creating earlier in her career.
Just before the 5.1 kilometer mark was the biggest hill on the course which the skiers would have to traverse four times. After cresting the hill for the first time, the skiers were still pretty much all together. But shortly after the hill a defined lead group of around 20 racers broke out. The most noticeable thing at this point was that Johaug was still not able to break from the field. In her pre-retirement competitions in a race of this distance she would have clearly asserted herself by now, not so this time around. It was a theme which would occur throughout the race.
Hanging with the front group was Sophia Laukli who was in ninth place. Rosie Brennan was a little off the front, ten seconds back in 21st.
At about eight kilometers Weng went to the front to set the tempo with Johaug, Slind, Ebba Andersson (NOR) and Diggins with her. While Weng’s surge did separate the lead group from the rest of the racers, it didn’t sever the lead pack which was still a group of about 15 skiers.
Interestingly at the 8.8 kilometer mark where 15 bonus points were available Diggins rather casually went to the front to claim the full bonus points. It was a reminder of her strategy from last year when she was in the hunt for the Overall Championship and was working for bonus points in every race. Diggins calmly surged to the front, claimed her points, and then melted back into the middle of the lead group.
At the 10.8 kilometer mark it was still Johaug out front with Weng right behind her setting the tempo. But Diggins was hanging right with them with Laukli impressively keeping pace in fifth place. Brennan was still in contact, only 9.3 seconds back.
But every time Johaug and Weng climbed up the hills they put in a little extra effort, and it started to have an effect on the pack as they would be able to create a little space between them and the field. But on the flats, the gaps would close down, and there would again still be about 15 skiers in contention.
At 13.1 kilometers Johaug and Weng put in a quick surge and finally began to find the gap which they had been working so hard to create. In seemingly the blink of an eye, they established a ten second lead on the field. The skier in front of the chase group trying to close the gap was now Laukli who was working furiously to chase down Johaug and Weng. Diggins was at the back of the chase group, and Brennan had dropped to 27 seconds back. It was a big effort by Laukli and she may have paid a price for it. She told FasterSkier that, “I found that I was skiing quite controlled so I really wanted to make a move and try to catch back up with the leaders. When it’s a mass start my best chance is being part of a small break away so that it’s not a big group of girls at the finish, so I wanted to see if that could happen. I didn’t feel like it really cost me but I did realize pretty quick that the way the course was laid out that the move wasn’t really going to pay off when the downhills brought everyone back together again. But I’m glad I tried because I know it will work when there are longer uphills or it’s a longer race next time.”
At this point Brennan was clearly having troubles. “I was doing my best to stay as close to the front as I could, and unfortunately I just got blocked when that gap was made. I was actually feeling pretty good at that moment, so I was a bit frustrated that I couldn’t bridge that gap. I don’t think I had the top end speed I needed to be competitive, but I think I definitely had the pace to stay with that front group, but tactically, didn’t play it well.”
Johaug and Weng kept on hammering away at the front and relentlessly began to assert their will. It looked like history was going to reestablish itself with Johaug being able to wear down the entire field of World Cup skiers with everyone else just trying to hang on. But Diggins had worked her way back to the front of the chase group and was now in charge of trying to close the gap. The pack was on the ropes but hadn’t been knocked out yet. Diggins tenaciously clung to the front and was now working with Sundling. The pair separated themselves from the rest of the chase group and brought themselves to within striking distance of Weng and Johaug.
Methodically, Diggins and Sundling chipped away at the Norwegians’ lead. Just past the 17.5 kilometer mark Diggins and Sundling had finally closed the gap with a tremendous effort. Diggins later revealed to FasterSkier that the gap she had to overcome was partly due to her getting a little too “cute” with strategy. “During the whole race I was kind of playing around figuring out how much of a sling shot (there was) and essentially timing the distance, how far back could I be and still come back into contact on the flats. I think knowing it was likely to come down to a sprint finish, it was important for me to figure out how I could get away with as little work on the steep climbs as possible while still keeping contact. At one point I mis-timed it and go too far off the back, which is when I had to work pretty hard to get back up there. That’s when Sundling and I were working together to make contact with Heidi and Theresa. I got a little too cute.”
It was now a group of four skiers. Diggins, Sundling, Weng, and Johaug were together in their own lead pack. It was now time to start thinking about the finish and who could win the final sprint. But Diggins had been thinking about a sprint finish way earlier in the race. She told FasterSkier that she starts thinking about the sprint finish, “probably in the first k. I start looking around and seeing who’s skiing aggressively where is the fast snow, where is the deep snow, what lines are working, if the pack is strung out will it stay strung out. So, there’s a lot of note taking going on in my brain during the race.”
Diggins looked like she was paying the price for having spent so much energy catching the two Norwegians. In a sprint finish she could probably handle Weng and Johaug even if she was tired. But Sundling is a strong sprinter, and she was showing no signs of letting up.
With less than a kilometer to go Diggins appeared to struggle to maintain contact with the first three leaders. There was now only one last climb before the stadium finish and that’s when the sprint began. The four skiers all went into overdrive up the hill with none of them able to initially break the others. But that is when Diggins amazingly found another gear. Suddenly, Johaug was dropped, and Diggins surged to the front. She shot by Weng and Sundling exploding to the finish line letting out a scream in exaltation, not distress, as she stormed across the finish. In an amazing display combing tactics, speed, strength, and sheer will, Diggins was able to blow past the other best skiers in the world and take the win. Sundling held on for second, with Weng taking third. It was another great day for Diggins in Ruka.
Ruka 20 Kilometer Freestyle Results
