Diggins Surges in Final Kilometers to Finish Fourth in Oberhof 10k Classic
Jessie Diggins delivered a strong late-race charge to finish fourth in Sunday’s 10k classic at the World Cup in Oberhof, Germany, closing to within 10 seconds of the podium, finishing the day in fourth place. Five Americans rounded out the 10k classic points.
On a course with steep descents, tricky climbs and little rest, and with variable snow conditions that deteriorated throughout the day, it was Diggins who led the Americans. Through the course's checkpoints, Diggins' result hovered in the low to mid-teens, before significantly increasing her pace over the final kilometers, climbing the leaderboard and narrowly missing a top-three result. With her fourth place, Diggins continues to lead the overall World Cup standings following the weekend of racing.
Moa Ilar of Sweden claimed the victory, with Austria’s Teresa Stadlober finishing second and Sweden’s Jonna Sundling rounding out the podium.
The Stifel U.S. Ski Team placed five athletes inside the top 30 across the men’s and women’s fields. Rosie Brennan was the next-best American woman, finishing 30th. On the men’s side, Zanden McMullen led the way in 18th, following a strong showing at last week’s U.S. National Championships in Lake Placid, where he won both the 20k skate and the classic sprint national titles. Hunter Wonders finished 24th, while Luke Jager placed 29th.
Hailey Swirbul continued her return to World Cup competition after retiring in 2023, racing in her first World Cup weekend back. The 2022 Olympian made an immediate impact on Saturday by reaching the skate sprint finals and followed up with a 33rd-place finish in Sunday’s 10k classic. The week prior in Lake Placid, Swirbul won the U.S. national title in the 10k classic.
Novie McCabe also made her World Cup comeback in Oberhof after missing much of last season, finishing 35th in the 10k classic. The 2022 Olympian captured the 20k national championship at U.S. Nationals.
Saturday’s standout American performance came from Sammy Smith, who finished 12th in the skate sprint. Smith, a full-time student-athlete at Stanford University and who recently played in the NCAA Division I Soccer National Championships, made her World Cup debut for the season with a career-best individual result, advancing to the semifinals of a World Cup sprint for the first time and finishing as the top-scoring American of the day.
In the men’s 10k classic, Norway’s Martin Løwstrøm Nyenget took the win, followed by Finland’s Iivo Niskanen in second and Norway’s Erik Valnes in third.
Following the end of racing in Oberhof, the U.S. team will rest before heading into the final World Cup competition ahead of the Olympic Winter Games, with three races in Goms, Switzerland. Before Goms, the athletes who have qualified for Team USA will be formally announced.
RESULTS
Women's 10k classic
Men's 10k classic
Women's skate sprint
Men's skate sprint
