Jessie Diggins made history at World Championships with a gold medal in the women's 10km skate - the first individual World Championships gold medal in history for the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team. "This was one of the best races of my life," Diggins said. "I didn't want to believe it until the race was finished, but I when i finally got up off the snow I realized this was the best race of my life - it was really special."

Diggins is now the first U.S. woman with an individual World Championships gold medal. "I hope that this inspires the next generation to know that you can do it and work hard with a great team," she said. "I hope it inspires some little kids with glitter back home!"

It was the sixth day of racing in Planica, the stakes were high in the 10km skate race. With the Swedish team standing atop the podium in every race of the championships so far for the women, there was pressure to shake it up. Coming fresh off a bronze medal in the team sprint with teammate Julia Kern, Diggins was well prepared for the 10km along with teammates Rosie Brennan, Sophia Laukli and Kern. All started within a few minutes of each other in the strong 81-woman field and right out of the starting pen, racers were giving it their all. 

Through the first split zone at .9km, Diggins was 1.1 seconds back from the leader, Jonna Sundling of Sweden. Right in the mix was Brennan, who clocked in at fourth place - only two seconds back. With the pace progressing faster and faster, Diggins held it together, taking over the lead position starting at the 2.2km marker and never letting it up until she crossed the finish line. Laukli, Kern and Brennan kept a consistent pace through the twists and turns of the two lap course and as the splits showed, continually picked racers off. At the last time check marker at 7.7km, Diggins was first, Brennan was 11th, Laukli 25th and Kern 36th. 

"I was really excited for the race today. I’m a big fan of these courses so I was psyched to see what I could do," said Laukli. "The race itself went well and I felt great which I was happy about. I also had a lot of fun throughout the race and moving up bit by bit. Results-wise, I was maybe a little bummed and wanted a bit more, but that’s just how it goes sometimes. So overall I was happy to feel good and have some fun out there, which is all I could really ask for."

For Kern, after her race she focused on how big this day was for the entire team - merely hours after she brought home a World Championship medal with Diggins in the team sprint. 

"Although today was personally not the day I dreamed of, it was a huge day for our team," said Kern. "I am so incredibly proud of how our team reached a big milestone today, and how Jessie skied her heart out! I’m proud that I went out hard with the intention of being in the fight from the beginning. It is hard to post a top result by racing conservatively, so I went for it and unfortunately today was one of those days that things didn’t come together, and I am not sure why."

Diggins win today was also the first time a non-European won a gold medal at the World Championships since 2017. 

Behind Diggins in the silver medal position was Sweden's Frida Karlsson and bronze was Ebba Andersson. As for her teammates, Brennan finished 15th, Laukli 25th and Kern 34th. 

Now, the team focuses on the men's 15km tomorrow, March 1. 

RESULTS
Women's 10k

Jessie Diggins and Julia Kern teamed up for the freestyle team sprint at World Championships and took home the bronze medal. With new snow coating the Julian Alps, both men and women put forward their fastest sprinters for the team sprint. On the same 1.4km course from the classic sprint two days prior, today’s race featured a qualification round and 3x1.4km final round. With over 34 teams in the qualification for the men and 26 for the women, both athletes' qualifying times combined together decided the 15 teams that would move onto the final.

Thorough the qualification round, the women representing the red, white and blue came out on top, qualifying first with their combined time. Diggins and Kern, both feeling strong and ready, put the pieces together and had forward momentum with their number one spot for the afternoon race. For the men, Ben Ogden and JC Schoonmaker teamed up. Earlier in the week, Schoonmaker was top ten in the 1.4km classic sprint, finishing the day in ninth place - teamed up, the young but strong duo skied a fast and technically sound sprint race and ended the qualifications within the top three.

With thousands of fans once again filling the grand stands on all sides of the stadium, the atmosphere was filled with cheers that could be heard miles away. The course was slow at the start but the more athletes skied over the track, the faster it became. When it came to race time, everyone was ready. With qualifications deciding the 15 teams moving onto the final, the U.S. teams were a definite threat. 

Diggins and Kern led the final race until the last lap. With both women skiing three laps of the 1.4km lap, the strategy was to stay out of trouble, ski smart and fast and compete for your team and your relay-mate. “I really truly feel like we earned a medal,” said Diggins. “It’s not like we lost a gold, rather we earned a bronze! We earned the right to be proud of a really hard race and even if there was no medal we went out there and prepared and supported each other and believed and skied a good, hard, honest race and that is what makes me proud!”

For Kern, this was her first-ever World Championships podium.

“It’s really exciting (bringing home a medal to the United States),” said Kern. “I think it is really exciting. I think we are growing the sport the best we can in the U.S. and we hope that this inspires people back home and keeps developing our sport in the U.S. to become bigger and bigger!”

On the 10 year anniversary of the team sprint medal in Val di Fiemme, the U.S. women put the pieces together to bring home another team sprint medal and this time, with Kern and Diggins. 

“I love team sprinting,” said Diggins. “Any time you race for the team as a whole, you really bring your best and that is what we did today. It was really special.”

RESULTS

Women's 

Men's

Four U.S. women were in the top 30 for the 15kmsSkiathlon at the 2023 World Championships. With 7.5km of classic to start the race and 7.5km of skate to bring it home, the field of 50 women skied a fast-paced race on the third race of the championships. 

The forecasted rain and wind held off for race day and instead the glaring sun came out to play, creating a spring skiing-esque feel. Instead of dealing with the rain, athletes and support staff were seen cutting their race suits to t-shirts and shorts to deal with the heat. 

With a mass start, the strong field of women descended onto the first half of the course, which features a long downhill into a technical 180-degree turn at the lowest part of the track. Three classic tracks span the narrow course and, as it goes in mass starts, there was carnage. Unfortunately, on the second lap of the classic course, Rosie Brennan who was leading the entire field of skiers got caught up in the deep, powdery snow and lost a ski, sending her back nearly a minute from the leader. 

"I have never had that happen before," Brennan said. "I had a moment of not knowing what to do. At first I thought maybe my boot just came off the binding, but then I went to pick up my ski and I realized it was the binding. Luckily one of my coaches was there with one of my skis." 

Brennan pushed on with a spare ski. Throughout the next several kilometers and through the transition zone she continued to pick athletes off and move up the ranks to 19th place. 

"I feel like... I am at the World Championships representing my country and I have to give it my best until the very end," said Brennan. 

A highlight of the day was young athlete Sydney Palmer-Leger skiing to a top 20 in her first ever World Championships race. Palmer-Leger has a few World Cup starts to her resume but this was her first time on the World Championships stage. Nerves aside, Palmer Leger led the pack of four U.S. women throughout the entire race and ended the day in 20th place. Aside from a top 20 in her first World Champs, this was her first ever skiathlon for the 21 year old, making her result even more impressive.

“Getting top 20 at my first World Championships was pretty amazing," she said. "I didn’t have any expectations how it was going to go and I just went out there to have some fun and I definitely succeeded!”

Hailey Swirbul skied a consistent race and crossed the finish line in 26th and Sophia Laukli was in the top 30 in 29th. Among the crashes in the first few kilometers, Laukli broke a pole and skied with a reserve pole until lapping through the stadium where a staff member was there with a new one. Despite the broken pole, Laukli skied strong and added another top 30 to her resume. 

Winning the day was Ebba Andersson of Sweden and in second was teammate Frida Karlsson. Astrid Oeyre Slind of Norway was third. 

Now, the women will reset and look forward to the next races. Tomorrow, the men and women will race the team sprint. Watch LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live.

RESULTS
Women's skiathlon

HOW TO WATCH

Sunday, Feb. 26 - skiandsnowboard.live

5:30 a.m. ET - Team Sprint, Skate, Men’s and Women’s 

Tuesday, Feb. 28 - skiandsnowboard.live

6:30 a.m. ET - 10k, Skate, Women’s 

Wednesday, March 1  - skiandsnowboard.live

6:30 a.m. ET - 15k, Skate, Men’s 

Thursday, March 2 - skiandsnowboard.live

6:30 a.m. ET - 4x5k Relay, Classic/Skate, Women’s

Friday, March 3 - skiandsnowboard.live

6:30 a.m. ET - 4x10k Relay, Classic/Skate, Men’s

Saturday, March 4 - skiandsnowboard.live

6:00 a.m. ET - 30k, Classic, Women’s

Sunday, March 5 -  skiandsnowboard.live

6:00 a.m. ET - 50k, Classic, Men’s 

Not every day of cross country ski racing can include firm snow with perfect tracks, and today was no exception. Despite the challenging conditions, the U.S. men posted solid results among the strong field in the men's 30k skiathlon, highlighted by a top-20 result from Scott Patterson, who was 19th overall.

The skiathlon race features both techniques - skate and classic. Throughout the 30km of distance, athletes started the first 15km with the classic technique, then transitioned straight to the skate technique for the second 15km. 

For the classic portion of the race, the course led the skiers downhill for the first 1-1.5km. With technical turns at high speeds in a pack of 64 skiers, it was hard not to get tangled up; there were a few significant crashes that led to several broken poles and broken skis. Moving forward, the U.S. men consistently skied within the same pack. Within seconds of each other, Patterson was 18th going into the stadium for the first lap. Wonders and Gus were right behind him in the top 30. At the 6km marker, Patterson dropped back by only a few skiers, again in a large pack and was positioned in 26th, Hunters 30th and Schumacher 35th. 

After the first 15km of classic skiing, all athletes skied through the exchange zone to switch to their skate skis and poles, and began the second half of the race, this time on a new course.

With Simon Hegstad Krueger of Norway leading the way, he eventually put some space between him and his teammate Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, the winner of yesterday's 1.4km individual classic sprint. With the snow getting choppier each lap, the athletes pushed through. 

"This course has some really long working sections and with the snow, it made them even longer," said Schumacher. "I just tried to ski as well as I could, and I finished the race to prove that I can and to keep practicing fighting through." 

At the end of the day, Norway swept the podium. Krueger won, Klaebo was 4.09 seconds behind in second and Roethe was third. For the U.S. Patterson scored a World Championships top-20 result, Wonders was 24th and Schumacher 38th. 

"It was a good race! I skied a very consistent race which I am happy with, with good transitions into skate." said Wonders. "Overall I am happy with the performance!" Teammate Patterson was similar in his post-race response. "Today was fine!" he said. "I never really feel like I could find the top gear but it was a fine start to World Championships but I am definitely looking forward to more racing!" 

Now, the men will have a rest day and the women will race the 15k Skiathlon tomorrow, Feb. 25. 

RESULTS 

Men

HOW TO WATCH

Saturday, Feb. 25 - skiandsnowboard.live

8:00 a.m. ET - 15k Skiathlon, Classic/Skate, Women’s

Sunday, Feb. 26 - skiandsnowboard.live

5:30 a.m. ET - Team Sprint, Skate, Men’s and Women’s 

Tuesday, Feb. 28 - skiandsnowboard.live

6:30 a.m. ET - 10k, Skate, Women’s 

Wednesday, March 1  - skiandsnowboard.live

6:30 a.m. ET - 15k, Skate, Men’s 

Thursday, March 2 - skiandsnowboard.live

6:30 a.m. ET - 4x5k Relay, Classic/Skate, Women’s

Friday, March 3 - skiandsnowboard.live

6:30 a.m. ET - 4x10k Relay, Classic/Skate, Men’s

Saturday, March 4 - skiandsnowboard.live

6:00 a.m. ET - 30k, Classic, Women’s

Sunday, March 5 -  skiandsnowboard.live

6:00 a.m. ET - 50k, Classic, Men’s 

On the first day of competition at the 2023 Nordic World Championships in Planica, Slovenia the U.S. Cross Country Team not only sent three women to the classic sprint heats and two men, but three athletes had their best-ever results at the World Championships. 

On a cool and partly cloudy afternoon, over 200 skiers, representing 60 nations descended onto the classic sprint 1.4km course for the first race of the World Championships.

In the qualifications round, it took skiers just over three minutes to ski the 1.4km course. With thousands of fans, donning their countries’ flags surrounding the course, the sights and sounds of Planica filled the stadium with loud cheers for the athletes. 

For qualifications, Rosie Brennan qualified the highest for the women, securing her position in the rounds in sixth overall. Right behind Brennan was teammate Julia Kern. Kern qualified 12th, breaking the top-30 to move onto the next race. Next, was Jessie Diggins. Diggins was merely seconds behind Kern and landed 14th. Hailey Swirlbul did not qualify for the rounds, but in a post-race reflection, Swirbul found several other highlights of the day. ““Everything was great. even though I didn’t have the race that I wanted, I ended up having one of the most fun days of my winter,” said Swirlbul. “I felt like the energy was really positive from everyone today. I also got the chance to go out on course for the heats and be there for support and that was really fun to support my teammates in a different way.”

For the men, two qualified for the heats. Ben Ogden led the way by qualifying in sixth overall among the strong field of over 100 racers. Teammate JC Schoonmaker was close behind and qualified in 15th; Kevin Bolger did not advance to the heats, but stayed through the entire race to support the team.

Onto the Heats

With the men’s and women’s heats going one after the other, the top 30 racers each fought to make it to the semifinals, with only the top two securing a spot and the third fastest “lucky loser” time moving on.

With the course breaking down before our eyes due to warm temperatures, impact of all of the racers and snow quality, the snow became choppy. Yet, the U.S. skiers charged on.

Kern was ultimately second in her heat and Brennan made it through to the next by having the fastest third-place time. Diggins did not advance. 

“In the semis, Rosie and I were battling in the race but we both had really good energy,” said Kern. “Overall, I gave it my all and it’s all looking good for the races ahead. It was awesome to see Rosie get her best ever classic sprint result and World Champs result and to also get my best ever World Champs result, along with JC skiing so well!”

“The course was pretty crazy. It was salted the night before and once it broke, it got really mushy,” said Diggins. “For me, this is my most challenging conditions to race in, but I was really proud of how I skied. That was some of my best slushy striding that I have ever done! But, I learned some things for the next time I race this course and it was very valuable - and it was so cool seeing JC, Julia and Rosie skiing into the finals!”

For the men, Ogden skied fast in his technical heat, but did not advance. For Schoonmaker, after a crash in his heat that he nearly missed, he advanced on to the semifinals.

At the end a long sprint day there were many moments to highlight but the best-ever results from three athletes were top of mind. Schoonmaker finished the World Championships classic sprint in ninth overall, securing his best-ever individual World Championships result. Rosie Brennan not only skied to her best ever individual World Championships result but also snagged her best-ever classic sprint result with her seventh place finish. In eighth place overall, Kern now adds the Planica classic sprint to her best ever World Championships result.

Next on the World Championships agenda is the skiathlon race. The men will race tomorrow, Feb. 24 and the women on the 25th. The skiathlon is a unique race that features both classic and skate techniques. The men will race two 15k’s and the women will race two 7.5k’s. Watch the action LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live.

RESULTS

Women's

Men's

HOW TO WATCH

Friday, Feb. 24 - skiandsnowboard.live

9:30 a.m. ET - 30k Skiathlon, Classic/Skate, Men’s

Saturday, Feb. 25 - skiandsnowboard.live

8:00 a.m. ET - 15k Skiathlon, Classic/Skate, Women’s

Sunday, Feb. 26 - skiandsnowboard.live

5:30 a.m. ET - Team Sprint, Skate, Men’s and Women’s 

Tuesday, Feb. 28 - skiandsnowboard.live

6:30 a.m. ET - 10k, Skate, Women’s 

Wednesday, March 1  - skiandsnowboard.live

6:30 a.m. ET - 15k, Skate, Men’s 

Thursday, March 2 - skiandsnowboard.live

6:30 a.m. ET - 4x5k Relay, Classic/Skate, Women’s

Friday, March 3 - skiandsnowboard.live

6:30 a.m. ET - 4x10k Relay, Classic/Skate, Men’s

Saturday, March 4 - skiandsnowboard.live

6:00 a.m. ET - 30k, Classic, Women’s

Sunday, March 5 -  skiandsnowboard.live

6:00 a.m. ET - 50k, Classic, Men’s 

USA U18's Win First Ever Relay at Nations Cup

The best U18 skiers traveled to Jyvaskyla, FIN, and ended the weekend on top of the World. At the 2023 Nordic Nation's Championships, the future of the U.S. Cross Country skiing shined bright with two overall wins - one of them being the first-ever win in the men's relay - and eight top-10 results. 

For the first international racing experience for many of the young athletes of the U.S. made possible by the support of the National Nordic Foundation (NNF), the men's team relay came out on top for the first time in history. The last time that the U.S. was on the podium was in the women's relay, with now U.S. Cross Country Team athlete Julia Kern and former U.S. athletes, Heidi Halvorsen and Katherine Ogden. 

For the first time since 2020, the U.S. sent the best U18 skiers to race in the Nation's Cup, a competition designed to give the young athletes exposure to international travel and begin building positive team bonds on the competitive circuit. Along with the U.S., many other nations sent athletes, including Norway, Sweden, Finland and more. 

"A huge thanks goes as the club coaches that led the U18 Nordic Nations Cup trip," said Bryan Fish, Cross Country Development Director. "These development trips would not be possible without the financial support of the National Nordic Foundation. The USA Cross Country system is built on teamwork and this community collaboration is impressive for our short and long-term success."

For the individual podiums, Stratton Mountain School's Finegan Bailey and Green Mountain Valley School's Tabor Greenberg skied to the top in the men's 10km skate, and Sydney Drevlow (Loppet Nordic Racing), Neve Gerard (Mt. Bachelor), Fin Bailey (Stratton Mountain School), Rose Horning (Ski & Snowboard Club Vail), and David Isom (Minneapolis Ski Club) found the top-10. 

RESULTS 

Men's CLASSIC SPRINT:

4th – Fin Bailey

Women's 5km FREESTYLE:

8th – Sydney Drevlow

9th – Neve Gerard

10th – Rose Horning

11th – Lena Poduska

Men's 10km FREESTLYE:

1st – Tabor Greenberg

6th – Fin Bailey

10th – Davis Isom

RELAY:

USA Boys – 1st

USA Girls – 4th

Spanning 11 days, our U.S. Cross Country athletes will compete in 10 races and you can watch them all live, with commentary, on skiandsnowboard.live. 

Bonus, the commentary for every single race will be called by Olympic gold medalist and World Champion Kikkan Randall, as well as NBC’s Chad Salmela – Salmela is known for the infamous “HERE COMES DIGGINS” call at the 2018 Winter Olympics. You will not want to miss this years’ World Champs.

How to Watch Cross Country World Championships - Skiandsnowboard.live

Cross Country World Championships Schedule

All times EST
Check local listings, subject to change

Thursday, Feb. 23 – skiandsnowboard.live

6:00 a.m. ET - Sprint Qualification, Classic, Men’s and Women’s

8:30 a.m. ET - Sprint Finals, Classic, Men’s and Women’s

Friday, Feb. 24 - skiandsnowboard.live

9:30 a.m. ET - 30k Skiathlon, Classic/Skate, Men’s

Saturday, Feb. 25 - skiandsnowboard.live

8:00 a.m. ET - 15k Skiathlon, Classic/Skate, Women’s

Sunday, Feb. 26 - skiandsnowboard.live

5:30 a.m. ET - Team Sprint, Skate, Men’s and Women’s 

Tuesday, Feb. 28 - skiandsnowboard.live

6:30 a.m. ET - 10k, Skate, Women’s 

Wednesday, March 1  - skiandsnowboard.live

6:30 a.m. ET - 15k, Skate, Men’s 

Thursday, March 2 - skiandsnowboard.live

6:30 a.m. ET - 4x5k Relay, Classic/Skate, Women’s

Friday, March 3 - skiandsnowboard.live

6:30 a.m. ET - 4x10k Relay, Classic/Skate, Men’s

Saturday, March 4 - skiandsnowboard.live

6:00 a.m. ET - 30k, Classic, Women’s

Sunday, March 5 -  skiandsnowboard.live

6:00 a.m. ET - 50k, Classic, Men’s 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced the 18 athletes of the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team that will compete at the 2023 FIS Cross Country World Ski Championships in Planica, Slovenia, Feb. 22 - March 6, 2023.

The 2023 World Championships will take place in the Julian Alps at the Planica Festival Arena, a venue that features both cross country and ski jumping venues. Throughout the 12 days of competition, more than 2,500 athletes and staff members from more than 60 countries will be present.

“We are very excited to bring this group of talented athletes to the World Championships in Planica,” said U.S. Cross Country Program Director, Chris Grover. “We will be arriving at the World Championships with a lot of momentum after finishing the previous period of World Cup with multiple podiums and a ranking of third overall in the World Cup Nation’s Cup. We also will be bringing a very experienced and knowledgeable staff that is dedicated to helping these athletes achieve peak performances at the Championships. Planica has been one of our favorite venues over the years and we are really looking forward to coming back to the Julian Alps.”

For the women, three-time Olympic medalist and four-time World Championship medalist Jessie Diggins, who has landed on the podium seven times in the 2022-23 season alone, leads the women’s team. Along with Diggins are veteran Rosie Brennan, who had a career-best Tour de Ski finish in fourth place overall and several top-10 results; Julia Kern who has nine top-10 finishes this season alone; and Olympians Hailey Swirbul, Novie McCabe, and Sophia Laukli. New to the World Championship roster is young but talented athletes Alayna Sonnesyn and Sydney Palmer-Leger. 

On the men’s side, Ben Ogden leads the charge. Ogden has found abundant success in the 2022-23 season, highlighted by a 13th-place finish at the Tour de Ski - the best-ever finish by a U.S. male. 2022 Winter Olympians Scott Patterson, JC Schoonmaker, Kevin Bolger, Luke Jager, and Gus Schumacher made the roster after finding their speed among the strong World Cup field. Zak Ketterson, Hunter Wonders, Johnny Hagenbuch, and David Norris will also travel to Slovenia; Patterson, Schumacher, and Wonders have consistently scored World Cup points throughout the 2022-23 season.

Planica will host six races, each playing to the various individual strengths of the U.S. team. The classic sprint on Feb. 23 will kick it off, followed by the men’s and women’s skiathlon on the 24th and 25th, the team sprint on Feb. 26, women’s 10k freestyle on Feb 28, men’s 15k on March 1, women’s 4x5k team relay on March 2, and the men’s 4x10k relay March 3. The World Champs will culminate with the 30k and 50k classic mass start on March 4 and 5. 

All events will stream LIVE on the skiandsnowboard.live platform, with live commentary from five-time Winter Olympian Kikkan Randall and Chad Samela, who is known for his “HERE COMES DIGGINS” call at the 2018 Winter Olympics. 

2023 FIS CROSS COUNTRY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM

(Name, hometown, ski club/school, birthday, past World Championship teams)

*Denotes first World Championships team

Women

• Rosie Brennan (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Pacific University Ski Nordic Center; 12/21/88; 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021)
• Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.; Stratton Mountain School Elite Team; 8/26/91; 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021)
• Julia Kern (Waltham, Mass.; Stratton Mountain School Elite Team; 9/12/97; 2019, 2021)
• Sophia Laukli (Yarmouth, Maine; University of Utah; 6/8/00; 2021)
• Hailey Swirbul (Aspen, Colo.; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center; 7/10/98; 2021)
• *Novie McCabe (Winthrop, Wash.; Methow Valley Nordic Team/University of Utah; 12/15/01)
• *Alayna Sonnesyn (Stratton, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School, 6/22/96)
• *Sydney Palmer-Leger (Park City, Utah; Stratton Mountain School/University of Utah; 2/4/2002)

Men

• Ben Ogden (Landgrove, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School Elite Team/University of Vermont; 2/13/00; 2021)
• Scott Patterson (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center; 1/28/92; 2019, 2021)
• JC Schoonmaker (Tahoe City, Calif; Sugar Bowl Ski Team and Academy; 8/12/00; 2021)

• Kevin Bolger (Minocqua, Wisc.; Sun Valley Gold Team; 4/11/93; 2019, 2021)
• Hunter Wonders (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center; 8/7/98; 2021)
• David Norris (Fairbanks, Alaska; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; 12/12/90; 2019, 2021)
• Gus Schumacher (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Winter Stars; 7/25/00; 2021)
• *Luke Jager (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center/University of Utah; 1/17/00)
• *Zak Ketterson (Bloomington, Minn; Team Birkie 4/2/97)
• *Johnny Hagenbuch (Ketchum, ID.; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation, 10/1/01)

COMPETITION SCHEDULE

2023 FIS Cross Country Ski World Championships

Planica, Slovenia
 

Thursday, Feb. 23

6:00 a.m. ET - Sprint Qualification, Classic, Men’s and Women’s

8:30 a.m. ET - Sprint Finals, Classic, Men’s and Women’s

Friday, Feb. 24

9:30 a.m. ET - 30k Skiathlon, Classic/Skate, Men’s

Saturday, Feb. 25

8:00 a.m. ET - 15k Skiathlon, Classic/Skate, Women’s

Sunday, Feb. 26

5:30 a.m. ET - Team Sprint, Skate, Men’s and Women’s 

Tuesday, Feb. 28

6:30 a.m. ET - 10k, Skate, Women’s 

Wednesday, March 1 

6:30 a.m. ET - 15k, Skate, Men’s 

Thursday, March 2

6:30 a.m. ET - 4x5k Relay, Classic/Skate, Women’s

Friday, March 3

6:30 a.m. ET - 4x10k Relay, Classic/Skate, Men’s

Saturday, March 4

6:00 a.m. ET - 30k, Classic, Women’s

Sunday, March 5 

6:00 a.m. ET - 50k, Classic, Men’s 

Another race weekend wraps up for the U.S. Cross Country team with the ever-so-exciting team relay. In the 4x7.5k relay format, both the men and women landed their teams in the top ten with the women leading the team on the podium in third.

It was another sunny day in Toblach, with fans lining the entire course, the vibes were high as they always are on team relay days. “We love relay days, we really do," said Diggins.

The U.S. Cross Country athletes Jessie Diggins, Julia Kern, Hailey Swirbul and Rosie Brennan skied a smart and fast race to end the day in third, while Alayna Sonnesyn, Lauren Jortberg, Sarah Goble and Alex Lawson were seventh. For the men, Finn O’Connell, Kevin Bolger, Hunter Wonders and Scott Patterson put the pieces together to land within the top ten in ninth place.

It was a challenging 7.5k course that allows little rest. With fourteen teams for the men and nine for the women, all athletes were quick out of the start with no signs of slowing down before tagging off their teammate. As the team relay format goes, there were two legs of freestyle and two of classic.

With little room for error, the U.S. teams capitalized on their fast transitions between each racer to post solid results to close out the three day race weekend. “I am so so proud of all of our teams,” said Diggins. “Everyone skied their heart out. It was a really challenging course, especially if you were skiing alone. It was just so much working. Overall, I was really proud of the team today because everyone just pushed the limits.”

Now, everyone will rest before they gear up for the FIS Nordic World Championships in Plancia, Slovenia at the end of February.

RESULTS

Women

Men

Despite taking a fall, Jessie Diggins skied to her second-straight podium, finishing second in the 10k freestyle individual start FIS Cross Country World Cup in Toblach, Italy, on a sun-baked Saturday.

Racing in alternating slushy, and icy conditions due to the warm-spring-like weather, Rosie Brennen just missed the podium by less than five seconds, finishing fifth. Julia Kern was 10th and Hailey Swirbul was 26th. In the men’s 10k race, Scott Patterson was 14th.

Diggins was pacing herself onto the podium throughout the first of two 5k laps. However, at the start of the second lap, while she was skating down an icy shaded section, she caught her left ski tip on snow just off the side of the track and fell.

“I hit my left knee, honestly really hard, spun around and got back up, and kept going as hard as I could,” Diggins said, racing through the pain and numbness, she was able to maintain her podium pace. “I kind of put it behind me, and I was really proud of how I skied the rest of the course.”

Brennen too was pleased with her effort on the fast, challenging course. “The skiing was mostly very fast with a few wet sections and I wanted to do my best to hold an even pace and push a bit on every section,” Brenna said. “I did this to the best of my ability but ended up on the wrong side of a tight battle for third. I am happy with my focus today and felt that I was able to push hard the whole time so with that I am satisfied with the result.”

Up next, Sunday features a 4x7.5k classic/freestyle team relay. “I hope we see some cooler temps and can get back to winter. But most importantly, it's relay day tomorrow!” Brennen said. 

RESULTS
Women’s 10k freestyle individual start
Men’s 10k freestyle individual start