"Working hard...but making hard training fun" as posted by Jessie Diggins on Instagram on Dec. 27, 2016.
Jessie Diggins earned Team USA’s first skiathlon world cup podium finish when she placed second Tuesday at the third stop of the Tour de Ski in Oberstdorf, Germany.
Diggins’ podium came exactly one month after her first podium of the season, when she won the 5-kilometer in Lillehammer, Norway.
Diggins challenged eventual winner Stina Nilsson of Sweden, finishing just 0.2 seconds behind the Swede’s time of 27:23.8. Norway’s Heidi Weng was 1.2 seconds behind Diggins in a thrilling conclusion to the skiathlon race, which combines both the classic and freestyle forms of cross-country skiing.
“I tried to stay with the group and to not fall back too much,” Diggins said at the finish line. “I had great fast skis. I had more fun in the free technique part, but it was great to be in the leading group also after the classic portion.”
A 2014 Olympian who won team sprint gold with Kikkan Randall at the 2013 world championships, Diggins earned her 13th career world cup podium. It also is her second career Tour de Ski podium, having taken a 5-kilometer victory last season in Toblach, Italy.
Currently seventh on the world cup circuit, Diggins moves into fifth place in the Tour de Ski standings, 51.4 seconds behind Nilsson’s leading total time of 43:01.3.
Sadie Bjornsen gave Team USA two finishers in the top five, crossing the line 8.1 seconds off Nilsson’s pace for a career-best fifth place in the event.
