Jesse Diggins wins 15km World Cup event before tour reaches her home state of Minnesota
CANMORE, Alberta — Jessie Diggins won a 15-kilometer World Cup skiing event Friday, a week before the tour makes a stop in her home state of Minnesota.
Diggins' time of 40 minutes, 26 seconds gave her a 2.6-second edge over runner-up Delphine Claudel of France for her fifth victory of the season. Heidi Weng of Norway was third in 40:29.3.
Sophia Laukli finished second among Americans and eighth overall in 40:34.6.
The 32-year-old Diggins helped the U.S. team earn its first Olympic gold medal in cross-country skiing six years ago at the Pyeongchang Games in South Korea when she and Kikkan Randall won the team sprint. Diggins has since made it a mission to have a World Cup stop in Minneapolis, a goal that will become reality next weekend.
The races will be held at Theodore Wirth Park overlooking downtown Minneapolis on Feb. 17-18, marking the tour's first American stop in 23 years.
Diggins grew up in Afton, Minnesota, about 30 miles east of the course.
NOTE: Video is from Jan. 12.