[ad_1]
Anders Wiklund/TT Information Company/AFP by way of Getty Pictures
Probably the most dominant cross-country ski racer in U.S. historical past, male or feminine, has completed it once more.
Competing on Sunday in Falun, Sweden, Jessie Diggins, age 32, gained her second World Cup title in a sport lengthy dominated by Europeans.
“My solely purpose was to have probably the most enjoyable,” mentioned Diggins after her win, in an announcement launched by the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Crew. “I wished to ski a courageous race and put my entire coronary heart on the market and that is what I did.”
Diggins, whose hometown is Afton, Minn., and who typically trains in Vermont, first gained an Olympic gold medal in South Korea in 2018.
She’s been a powerhouse ever since. She made historical past as the primary American lady to win an general World Cup title, often known as the Crystal Globe, in 2021.
Then she captured silver and bronze medals on the Beijing Olympics in 2022.
Now she’s gained a second World Cup title, competing in a sequence of races that started in November 2023. She capped a dominant season with Sunday’s win within the 20 km freestyle race.
Cross-country snowboarding combines explosive power, method and endurance.
Lately, Diggins — like different athletes — has spoken publicly in regards to the emotional challenges of competitors, together with her personal wrestle with an consuming dysfunction.
Diggins mentioned earlier than this yr’s season that she had suffered a relapse of the situation, after 12 years in restoration.
“It has been a number of ups and downs and it hasn’t been simple,” Diggins mentioned in her assertion on Sunday. “It has been a tough yr and that is why it is so particular that we did it collectively,” she mentioned of her group.
Diggins is probably the most profitable U.S. athlete to aim to compete in a sport the place European athletes maintain huge benefits. Cross-country snowboarding is much extra well-liked and professionally profitable in Europe, particularly in Nordic international locations.
Not like most different top-tier American cross-country ski racers, Diggins has managed to maintain successful. After her newest victory she credited her coaches and teammates.
“I am actually pleased with how the season ended, however I am much more pleased with my group for being there for me,” she mentioned.
[ad_2]
Source link