Diggins Claims Third Overall in Tour de Ski
On the final stage of the 2023-24 Tour de Ski, Jessie Diggins took sixth place in the Final Climb to secure third overall in the Tour de Ski.
After six grueling stages featuring new Olympic-style courses prepped for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games next season, the remaining six athletes from the Stifel U.S. Ski Team lined up for the mass start of the climb. The course, new to the Tour, led athletes through a lap of the Val di Fiemme course, then down the winding Marcialonga tourist track to the base of the alpine hill. The race concluded with a brutal 4k ascent up the alpine course of Alpe Cermis, featuring a steady gradient of 12%, with the steepest section averaging 28% – the same gradient as the Champions course that moguls athletes race on at the Intermountain Health Freestyle International presented by Stifel at Deer Valley.
Diggins entered the final stage in the women's race ranked third in the overall standings and had to fight for every second to secure the overall podium position. Despite a strong push from Norway’s Therese Johaug, Diggins held on to finish sixth on the day, clinching the overall Tour de Ski podium in the process.
“Oh man, I don’t think you’ve ever seen a happier third place than what you’re seeing now,” said Diggins. “It’s so awesome to finish this tour and an overall podium kind of happened against all odds! It was a really epic tour, in ways that I didn’t ask for. I learned to be tough in new ways and it was a huge thanks to the amazing team around me. I am definitely excited for some rest now but it was so great to fight out there today! I am so lucky that our alpine girls were out there cheering today, and also my husband! I and the team had so much support, it was awesome.”
Norwegian teammates Astrid Oeyre Slind and Heidi Weng finished second and third for the day, with Johaug first and Slind second overall in the Tour de Ski standings. It is Johaug’s fourth Tour de Ski win, equaling the record—a particularly impressive feat for the skier who took off the last two seasons from professional ski racing.
Sophia Laukli was 15th in the Final Climb with Julia Kern 19th. Last year, Laukli became the youngest American to win an individual cross country World Cup, when she won the Final Climb. Julia Kern was 19th.
Kern was the next American after Diggins in the overall, finishing in 17th, while Laukli was 21st.
Ben Ogden, Zanden McMullen and Jack Young represented the remaining Stifel U.S. Ski Team Tour de Ski male athletes. Up the Alpe Cermis, Ogden and McMullen fought through the pain, skiing around the alpine gates to land in the top 20: McMullen in 19th and Ogden 20th. Young, whose finish marked his first-ever Tour de Ski – his 2024-25 season goal – crossed the finish line in 53rd.
Going into the day, Ogden was ranked 15th in the Tour de Ski overall ranking and maintained his position. This was his second best finish in the Tour de Ski, finishing 13th overall two years ago. Ogden also secured seventh in the sprint standings. McMullen was 21st overall and Young 55th.
The day's winner went to Norway’s Simen Hegstad Krueger, followed by Mika Vermeulen of Austria in second and Friedrich Moch of Germany in third.
With a remarkable 1:23.1 second lead and four victories out of seven stages, Norway’s Johannes Klaebo secured a record-equaling fourth Tour win. Vermeulen of Austria was second and Hugo Lapalus of France was third.
Cheering on the Stifel U.S. Ski Team racers were their alpine teammates Lindsey Vonn and Alison Molin. “This is a ski slope that is meant to go downhill!” said Vonn. “It’s counterintuitive to go up! But this is incredible.”
The Stifel U.S. Ski Team women and men both finished fourth overall in the nation standings of the Tour de Ski.
The cross country athletes will head to their respective recovery camp locations before the World Cup season continues in Les Rousses, France Jan. 17-19.
RESULTS
Women
Men
OVERALL RESULTS
Women
Men
