Diggins Sixth in Engadin; Eight Americans in the Top 30

On a technical course with relentless turns and top speeds, the American team delivered an impressive performance in today’s skate sprint in Engadin, Switzerland, with eight athletes landing in the top 30. Among them were five women, including first-time World Cup racer Kate Oldham and Luci Anderson. Jessie Diggins led the team, finishing in sixth, with Ben Ogden and Julia Kern in 12th. 

Diggins led the charge and showcased her signature grit and speed. In winning her quarterfinal heat, Diggins advanced from the semifinals to the finals and battled her way to a sixth place finish. Despite breaking a pole after a tangle with Sweden’s Maja Dahlqvist, Diggins powered through to close out an impressive day for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team. Impressive meaning that over half of the team was in the top 30, a huge feat on the World Cup and a way to showcase the depth of the American skiers. 

"Today, the thorn was getting my ski stepped on and leading me to fall. But consequently, my rose was how I handled it. I think the thing about sportsmanship is that you only ever get your sense of sportsmanship tested when things go wrong. And i'm really proud i kept my head high, smiled and thanked the volunteers and fans, and took time to high-five cute little kids and wax techs! I'm proud of how I handled a situation that was obviously a bummer. Also, this is sport, and sometimes things like that happen."

Joining Diggins in the women’s sprint heats were Kern, Anderson, Oldham and Lauren Jortberg. This marked a special milestone for Oldham and Anderson as they each advanced to the sprint heats for the first time in their World Cup careers. Oldham's achievement was even more remarkable as it came in her World Cup debut—an unforgettable day for the Montana State University skier.

On the men’s side, Ogden, JC Schoonmaker and Jack Young advanced for the U.S. in the sprint heats and put together strong races. Ogden was the sole athlete to move out of the quarterfinals, and had his day cut short in the first semifinal heat. The men's race was won by Norway's Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, Sweden's young stand-out Edvin Anger in second and France's Lucas Chanavat in third. For the women, it was Sweden's Jonna Sundling in first, Norway's Kristine Stavaas Skistad in second and Dahlqvist in third. 

The Engadin World Cup wraps up Sunday with a 20k skate, promising another day of thrilling racing in this picturesque setting. Stay tuned as the American team looks to cap off a strong weekend.

RESULTS
Women
Men