Diggins Claims 88th World Cup Podium; Second in Goms 20k Classic

In the final event of the three-race series, the 20k classic, Jessie Diggins was the top American finisher, bringing home her eighth podium of the 2025-26 season and 88th of her career, with a second-place result. The result wrapped up a successful Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team weekend of racing in Goms, Switzerland with three podiums, including the team sprint podium for Gus Schumacher and Ben Ogden, an individual podium for Schumacher and one for Jessie Diggins.

Nestled into the valley below the Swiss Alps, Goms is home to one of the more challenging World Cup courses on the circuit. Similar to what the athletes will race on in the Olympic Winter Games in Val di Fiemme, the course features steep, long uphills, technical descents and little rest in a mass start format. At 5k into the race, Diggins was comfortably in the lead and setting the pace for the lead pack. 5k later, Diggins continued to sit comfortably in the lead pack, surrounded by Norway and Finland. On the final lap of the course, the pace increased, with Diggins, Norway's Astrid Oeyre Sline and Finland's Johanna Matintalo fighting for position. Into the final straightaway, it was a double pole sprint to the finish. Matintalo crossed the line first, throwing her hands in the air, securing her first-ever World Cup win. Diggins was second, only .9 seconds behind, and Slind was third. 

The podium adds another tally to Diggins' illustrious career. She now heads into the Olympics with 88 World Cup podiums and leads the overall World Cup rankings by 223 points over Sweden's Moa Ilar. Diggins also leads the World Cup distance standings, 127 points ahead of Ilar. 

For the U.S. women, Julia Kern had a strong day, in 16th place. Novie McCabe and Hailey Swirbul, who fought their way from the back of the mass start pack, were both in the top 30, in 22nd and 24th. It was McCabe's season-best World Cup result, after taking the 2024-25 season off. Kendall Kramer was the final American woman in the top 30, in 27th. Rosie Brennan was 40th and Sammy Smith 41st. 

For the men, Zak Ketterson was the leading man, in 18th. Shumacher, coming off a World Cup podium 24 hours earlier, was 22nd. Outside of the top 30, Hunter Wonders was 36th, Zanden McMullen 38th, Zach Jayne 52nd, John Steel Hagenbuch 55th and Luke Jager 59th. 

For Diggins, today was all about skiing hard for her family, friends, staff and teammates. "Today, I tried really hard to bring a little joy to people back home watching the races and to leave it all out there - and do what I can here to fight for every second and honor all the people who have been working really hard to get us good skis," she said.  

Now, the athletes will head to a pre-Olympic camp to rest and reset before the Games, which begin with the women's skiathlon on Feb. 7. 

RESULTS
Women
Men