After 15 years on the World Cup circuit, three Olympic medals, seven World Championship medals, and a career that rewrote every line of the American cross-country skiing record book, Jessie Diggins has announced that the 2025–26 season will be her last. Beginning with the World Cup opener in Ruka on Nov. 28 and ending on home snow at the Stifel Lake Placid Finals in March, the most decorated U.S. cross-country skier in history will take her final start lines this winter.
Diggins, now 34, leaves the sport as its most influential American athlete — a relentless competitor whose “ability to give no less than 100 percent” propelled her to 29 World Cup victories, 79 podiums, and three overall FIS Crystal Globes, a record for any U.S. skier. Yet in announcing her retirement, Diggins made clear that the legacy she cares about most has little to do with medals or numbers.
“I hope I’m remembered not just for the pain cave and ability to suffer deeply for a team that I love and a sport I care about so much,” she said, “but for the joy, sense of fun on snow, heart-on-sleeve racing, deep vulnerability and openness that I’ve brought to everything I do.”
A Career Built on Joy, Grit, and Consistency
Long before she became the most recognizable face in American ski racing, Diggins was a kid in a backpack, riding through the Minnesota backwoods as her parents hiked on skis. Those early adventures became high-school state titles, Junior Nationals wins, and the attention of U.S. Ski Team coaches — and by 2011, she was on the national team.
Her first major breakthrough came at the 2016 Tour de Ski, where she won her first individual World Cup race. From there, the trajectory was unmistakable: Olympic gold with Kikkan Randall in 2018, individual Olympic medals in 2022, a historic World Championships title in Planica in 2023, and an unprecedented run of Crystal Globes.
Through it all, Diggins became the anchor of a rising American program — a veteran guiding what she describes as “the strongest men’s team in history” and a powerhouse women’s squad built on shared leadership.
“Firstly, I want to congratulate Jessie on such a historic career,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President & CEO Sophie Goldchmidt. “She has helped build the culture on the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team… When Jessie wins, we all win.”
A Partnership Built Over Sixteen Seasons
Few relationships in modern ski racing have been as enduring or as publicly intertwined as Diggins’ partnership with World Cup coach and wax technician Jason Cork. He has been beside her for nearly every significant moment — the breakthrough races, the historic medals, and the grind of hundreds of World Cup starts.
“It’s been really gratifying to work with Jessie for going on 16 seasons,” Cork said. “She’s had tons of success, which has made me look good, but just getting results has never been the goal.”
More than the medals, Cork said he is proud of the integrity behind them: “She has accomplished so much in the right way – through hard, smart training, constantly setting goals, taking care of herself, and doing it all cleanly.”
They will see it through together one last time, through the final lunge in Lake Placid.
More Than Results: Changing the Conversation in Sport
Diggins’ career has always been about more than skiing fast. Since making the national team at 19, she has used her platform to push for cultural change — around mental health, eating-disorder awareness, climate advocacy, youth access to snow sports, and the responsibilities of role models.
“I’m proud of how hard I’ve worked to lead a team as well as how I’ve worked to help change an entire sport’s culture around mental health,” she said. “I’ve tried to become the advocate and role model that 18-year-old Jessie needed.”
Her work with Share Winter, Protect Our Winters, and the Emily Program kept those efforts at the center of her public presence.
This willingness to share her own story — openly, vulnerably — is one of the reasons Diggins became a generational figure in skiing, transcending national borders and sporting disciplines.
Tributes From Across the Ski World
The announcement triggered an outpouring of reflection from teammates, peers, and skiing icons across disciplines — each speaking to a different facet of Diggins’ influence.
“Her joy and wholehearted presence are so uplifting and contagious,” said Mikaela Shiffrin. “She has built a beautiful legacy.”
Lindsey Vonn echoed that sentiment: “As a fan, I will miss watching her dominate with that heart-warming smile and sparkles on her face… With her honest and open approach to her struggles, she has helped so many people in ways that reach far beyond sport.”
From cross-country to alpine to freestyle to freeski, US Ski and Snowboard teammates spoke of Diggins’ impact:
- “Her work ethic, positivity and relentless belief in what’s possible have inspired me and so many others.” — Paula Moltzan (Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team)
- “I truly feel like I’ve won the lottery having her by my side over the past decade.” — Julia Kern (Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team)
- “Her ability to dominate the world stage while remaining humble, thoughtful, and kind is something I will always aspire to.” — Ben Ogden (Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team)
- “Jessie Diggins is skiing… a profound inspiration.” — Nick Goepper (Stifel U.S. Freeski Team)
- “Enjoy retirement — and please don’t pick up halfpipe skiing… I’m genuinely worried you’d take my job.” — Hunter Hess (Stifel U.S. Freeski Team, Halfpipe Team)
- “She’s shown that success… is about resilience, passion and the belief that you can push boundaries.” — Jaelin Kauf (Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team, Moguls Team)
- “Her infectious smile and positive attitude… is genuinely inspirational.” — Bea Kim (Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team)
Collectively, their words underline something simple: Diggins’ reach has stretched far beyond the narrow lane of cross-country skiing.
A Final Season, and a Final Finish at Home
Though retirement now sits on the horizon, Diggins begins this season the same way she has approached every start — fully invested, fully committed, fully joyful.
“With glitter on your face and a commitment to leaving everything on the snow,” the release reads, “you can be the best in the world and still find joy in the process.”
Her story will end where so much American skiing history has been made: Lake Placid, March 19–22, 2026. Three final races — a skate sprint, a 10k classic, and a 20k skate — will mark the conclusion of a career unlike any the U.S. has seen.
A Legacy That Will Shape Generations
For all the numbers — the three Olympic medals, the seven World Championships medals, the Crystal Globes, the Tour de Ski titles, the Holmenkollen Medal — Diggins’ defining legacy may be cultural, not statistical. She changed what American skiing believes is possible. She changed how athletes talk about struggle. She invited the world in.
Her last season begins now. The impact will last far longer.
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