The Stifel Lake Placid Finals are finally here, with three races on the calendar to wrap up the 2025-26 FIS World Cup season. This weekend also marks the final races of the most decorated American cross country skier of all time, Jessie Diggins, who officially announced her retirement at the beginning of the season in Ruka, Finland. 

More U.S. racers on the start list in the races, due to the Stifel Lake Placid Finals being at home. The USA is offering Nations Spots, meaning six more start opportunities are offered. Each night before the race, the starters will be announced at the conclusion of the Team Captains Meeting. 

Outside of racing, the organizing committee, ORDA and Mt Vanhovenberg offer several activities over the three days of the event, creating a festival-like atmosphere that features Olympic and Paralympic legends, kids' events, vendor activations, athlete signings and more. Find the schedule HERE. 

Jessie Diggins' film, Threshold, has its theatrical debut each night at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Palace Theatre in downtown Lake Placid. Tickets can be found at the box office, cash only. 

HOW TO WATCH STIFEL LAKE PLACID FINALS

All races will be LIVE with commentary on Outside TV via YouTube for FREE. NBC/Peacock will also stream the races at various times, including live coverage of the skate sprint heats on Saturday, March 21. 

(all times ET)

FRIDAY, MARCH 20
1:00 p.m. - men's 10k - LIVE on Outside TV (free)
3:00 p.m. - women's 10k - LIVE on Outside TV (free) 

SATURDAY, MARCH 21
10:30 a.m. - sprint qualifiers - LIVE on Outside TV (free)
1:00 p.m. - sprint heats - LIVE on Outside TV & NBC, Peacock 
3:00 p.m. - women & men's 10k - TAPE DELAY on CNBC, Peacock

SUNDAY, MARCH 22
12:30 p.m. - men's 20k skate mass start - LIVE on Outside TV (free)
2:30 p.m. - women's 20k skate mass start - LIVE on Outside TV (free)

SUNDAY, MARCH 29
1:00 p.m. - women's 20 skate mass start - TAPE DELAY on NBC, Peacock

STARTERS 
*subject to change

March 20, 2026 // 10k Classic

WOMEN
Emma Albrecht
Renae Anderson
Rosie Brennan
Katey Houser
Kendall Kramer
Novie McCabe
Emma Reeder
Sammy Smith
Hailey Swirbul
Alayna Sonnesyn
Ava Thurston

MEN
Brian Bushey
Benjamin Dohlby
Michael Earnhart
Reid Goble
John Steel Hagenbuch
Luke Jager
Zach Jayne
Zanden McMullen
Ben Ogden
JC Schoonmaker
Gus Schumacher
Hunter Wonders

March 21, 2026 // skate sprint 
WOMEN
Emma Albrecht
Renaie Anderson
Erin Bianco
Rosie Brennan
Jessie Diggins
Lauren Jortberg
Julia Kern
Nina Schamberger
Samantha Smith
Alayna Sonnesyn
Hailey Swirbul
Ava Thurston

MEN
Kevin Bolger
Zach Jayne
Zak Ketterson
Murphy Kimball
Will Koch
Zanden McMullen
Ben Ogden
JC Schoonmake
Gus Schumacher
John Schwinghamer 
Jack Young
Owen Young

March 22, 2026 // 20k skate, mass start 
TBD - start list will be released the evening before the race

In one of the most weather-y races of the season, the athletes took on the iconic 50k mass start at Holmenkollen under extremely difficult conditions. Heavy fog blanketed the iconic cross country and ski jumping venue throughout the day, making visibility limited to just a few feet at times. "I couldn't see 10 meters in front of me," said Zak Ketterson, post-race. The thick fog, paired with rain and soft, melting snow, posed a challenge for athletes and created a surreal scene for fans both on course and watching the broadcast, as skiers frequently disappeared. Diggins crossed the line in sixth place; Ketterson was 18th. 

Despite the demanding conditions, Jessie Diggins delivered another strong performance, finishing sixth in what marked her final European World Cup race of the season, and final 50k of her career. Diggins remained competitive throughout the eight-lap course. Through the laps, Diggins remained in the hunt, behind Sweden's Frida Karlsson. Karlsson, who missed the 50k at the Olympic Winter Games due to sickness, showed up to the Holmenkollen with one thing on her mind: first place. 

The 50k also introduced a unique format change on the World Cup circuit. For the first time, the men started 45 minutes before the women, meaning both fields were on course simultaneously. At times throughout the race, men and women skied side-by-side on the Holmenkollen trails—an unusual and historic moment in World Cup racing. 

Across the finish line, Diggins was in sixth place; however, first in an even bigger race: the distance World Cup standings. With Saturday’s results, Diggins has officially secured the distance Crystal Globe, her third season in a row, finishing the season with an insurmountable lead of 255 points, beyond the 230 points needed to clinch the Globe. She now sits just points away from clinching the overall Crystal Globe, which would also mark the third consecutive year she has won both the overall and distance titles —and the fourth overall title of her career. Diggins remains the only non-European athlete to ever win the overall World Cup title.

While the trophies will not be formally presented until next weekend, Diggins’ dominance across the season has effectively sealed the distance title ahead of the Stifel Lake Placid World Cup Finals in Lake Placid, where the Crystal Globes will be awarded following the sprint and 20k mass start race on Sunday, March 22.

"We basically wrapped up two Crystal Globes today," said Diggins, post-race. "I still have to race in Lake Placid... not counting my chickens too early, but, it is so cool and meaningful to have done this with the team, and I all I really want to say is a huge thank you to the team... This is really important to me because I feel like it represents years and years of hard work and so much dedication. It makes me really proud to be a part of a caring and loving team that works so hard and is willing to spend so much time on the road to make these big crazy dreams and big goals possible. 

To have worn the yellow bib for the last three years of my career, pretty much straight, is an insane dream come true. I mean, 10 years ago, I would have no believed that that would even be possible. So, it's really humbling to live out my childhood dreams and I am sure there are going to be a lot of tears and emotion going into Lake Placid!" 

On the men’s side, Zak Ketterson delivered a strong 50k, finishing 18th overall in the demanding conditions. Like the women’s race, the men battled through steady rain, dense fog and deteriorating snow conditions over the full 50 kilometers.

With the European World Cup calendar now complete, the circuit heads home for the final races of the year in Lake Placid, where Diggins will look to officially secure the overall Crystal Globe and close out her storied career in front of the community that got her there. 

The podiums of the day were a Norwegian sweep for the men and a Swedish sweep for the women. Einar Hedegart took first in the men's race, followed by Harald Oestberg Amundsen in second and Martin Loewstroem Nyenget in third. Karlsson took the victory for the women, with Linn Svahn in second and Jonna Sundling in third. USA's results were led by Diggins in sixth, Ketterson 18th, Kendall Kramer 41st, Hunter Wonders 45th, Kevin Bolger 48th and Brian Bushey 59th. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

In front of packed grandstands and crowds lining the course in Lahti, three American athletes landed in the top-15, with Jessie Diggins powering to a third-place result, Rosie Brennan back in a familiar place in 12th, and Gus Schumacher in 15th. This is the final race of the Lahti World Cup and now the field will head to Norway for a city sprint in Drammen and the infamous 50k Holmenkollen in Oslo. 

In a race that requires your classic skiing to be dialed, with the long climbs and technical descents. For the women's race, it was all gas, no brakes. From the gun, with an athlete taking off every 15 seconds, the Swedish women were setting the pace. But, Diggins was not far behind. Throughout the time checks, Swedish gold medalists Frida Karlsson and Linn Svahn battled throughout the course, each setting the tone. At the first time-check, marked at the 1.1k, Diggins was 7.3 seconds behind Svahn, then at 3.4, only 6.4 seconds off. At 6.1k, only 3.1 seconds off and then at the final time check, at 8.4k, was sitting in third place. Obviously, this shows that Diggins found speed in the latter stages of the race, gaining crucial seconds on the descents—something she is well known for—to push onto the podium. For Brennan, the sentiment was similar. This season, Brennan's goal was to find herself again after battling an illness that has made it difficult for the three-time Olympian to regain her speed. Yet, she never gives up and today was a testament to that. 

"This has been a game of time all along, and of course, there have been many moments in which I've wondered (and continue to do so) if I will ever feel normal again in my life, and that is a very difficult place to be, but I have worked extremely hard on my mind and body to try to show up again-and-again with a sliver of hope that someday my body will return," said Brennan, post-race. "The last three days are the most normal I have felt in racing since December 2024. 

Lahti is a course that requires good technical skiing, so I felt that if I relaxed and put together good classic technique, I'd be giving myself the best chance. I had good skis, so it was easy to relax out there today. I do believe in my classic skiing, so I feel I executed that well. I don't think this is a linear process, so I'm sure I still have some ups-and-downs in this process, but I do finally feel and deeply hope that I've moved into a healing phase."

For Diggins's podium, the result marks Diggins’s 90th career FIS Cross Country World Cup podium in a record-setting 379 starts, and her first 10k classic interval start World Cup race (outside of the Tour de Ski stage races) and continues an exceptionally consistent season. She has finished no worse than 10th in every classic race this winter and has a top-10 result in every classic start of the season. Diggins also maintains her lead in the overall World Cup standings as the season enters its final stretch, in both the overall standings and distance standings. 

"That was really cool and really special," said Diggins, speaking to the atmosphere in Lahti. "There were so many people out on the course with signs that said, 'thank you, Jessie,' and it was just really emotional in the best way. It was really touching and cool to see little kids wearing glitter after the race and just honestly a really fun way to go out." 

"I really enjoyed just going really hard one more time on this course. I feel like the Lahti course is one that honestly has not suited my strengths in classic, so it was really cool to feel like I was able to pull it together more today and I feel like I had great skis, which is a huge part of the equation, espeically when the conditions get slushy. So I feel like this podium belongs to the team, and I am grateful to them for all their hard work!"

On the men’s side, Gus Schumacher skied a controlled race to finish 15th. Schumacher currently sits sixth in the overall World Cup standings, in line with his personal goal of finishing the season inside the top 10.

The women's race was ultimately won by Karlsson of Sweden, with her teammate Svahn in second. For the U.S. women, Kendall Kramer, who skied to her career-best result just last week in the 20k skiathlon, was 41st, Novie McCabe 43rd, Julia Kern 45th, Lauren Jortberg 57th and Emma Albrecht 58th. For the men, Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway continued his win streak of 12 in-a-row, taking first. His teammate, Martin Loewstroem Nyenget, was second and Savelii Korostelev was third. The U.S. men were led by Schumacher, with Zanden McMullen in 32nd, just .05 off the top-30, Ben Ogden 33rd, Hunter Wonders 46th and JC Schoonmaker 53rd. 

The World Cup now moves to Norway for a sprint and 50k before the final three races of the season in Lake Placid for the Stifel Lake Placid Finals at Mt Van Hovenberg in Lake Placid, NY. 

Results 
Women
Men

In the final race Jessie Diggins will ever race in Falun, she delivered. In an all-out sprint to the finish, with three women vying for the top spot, Diggins crossed the line .01 behind Norway's Heidi Weng to claim second place and her 88th career World Cup podium. Kendall Kramer also had a stand-out day, crossing the line in ninth place, a career-best result for the young Alaskan and Gus Schumacher continued his strong streak of results in seventh, respectively. 

It was a team-effort type of day - from the wax technicians to the support staff, and all who wear the Stifel U.S. Ski Team badge on their jackets. A skiathlon, which features both skate and classic skiing in one race, mixed with variable snow and weather conditions, was one of those challenging days that keep wax technicians up at night. But the team put together strong skis for the field, with techs making upwards of 20 pairs per athlete to find the perfect ski. At the end of the day, their work paid off, with a podium finish for Diggins, Schumacher in seventh and Kramer in ninth. 

For the women, it was a true race from the start line to the finish line. The lead pack never ventured too far ahead of the chase, and there was a new leader nearly every kilometer. Sweden's Frida Karlsson was back in the mix after recovering from the Olympic-sickness and Heidi Weng was on a mission to take home her first World Cup win since 2022. Then there was Diggins. In the first 10k of the race, Diggins raced conservatively, sitting behind the leaders and drafting on the long downhills and hammering over the top of the massive climbs that the Falun course is known for. With a clean transition to skate, there was 10k to decide who would take home the victory. In that time, Kramer made a decisive move and managed to ski up to the pack that had the leaders in sight, showing that she deserved to be there. For her, a career-best result was in sight, and she wasn't going to let it go. 

"It was so enjoyable to feel I was skiing to my potential," said Kramer. "Even the top 20 felt like a ceiling for me this year, and today surprised me. I was sticking with girls I thought I’d never be around in my ski career. Everything just went right in a way you can never predict in ski racing because you prepare to do your best every single day, but the stars aligned today. A lot of confidence was gained today and I’ll be chasing the feeling of feeling this good during a race for a while!"

The pace quickened with 5k to go with Weng turning on the jets. Diggins, Weng and Karlsson gapped themselves from the field and it was just a matter of which of the three would win. With 1k left in the race, Weng was right behind Karlsson, and Diggins was behind Weng. 

"For me, I was just trying to ski a gutsy race and ski smart," said Diggins. "I kept telling myself, 'just try and be there' at the finish, and then you can dig deep and see what's at the bottom of the tank. I pushed myself really hard and was psyched that the energy and the fitness are still there."

Into the final downhill section and the final right-hand turn into the home straight, the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic team sprint moment was coming back to life, with "Here Comes Diggins" happening right before everyone's eyes. Weng and Diggins managed to surpass Karlsson and across the line, Weng lunged to just beat Diggins by .01 seconds. It was Weng's first World Cup victory since 2022 and her 144th of her career. 

"That was a really cool last race here in Falun," said Diggins. "My first thing to say is a huge thank you to our technicians. I don't know if you could tell from the broadcast, but the weather was crazy for the classic half of the race. I am so grateful to have competitive skis; they make such a big difference. And it was truly a team effort out there."

Schumacher's seventh-place finish is a testament to his strong form this late in the season. Kevin Bolger, racing in his "second home," was behind Schumacher in 36th, Hunter Wonders was 47th, JC Schoonmaker 58th and Zanden McMullen 61st. For the USA women, Hailey Swirbul was just outside of the top 30 in 33rd, Rosie Brennan 35th, Novie McCabe 42nd and Emma Albrecht 44th. 

The men's podium was a Norwegian sweep, with Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo first in both races in Falun, Harald Oestberg Amundsen second and Martin Loewstroem Nyenget third. Weng was first for the women, Diggins second and Karlsson third. 

Results
Women
Men

One week removed from the closing ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina 2026, the World Cup circuit roared back to life in Falun, Sweden, the future host of the 2027 World Championships. With a skate sprint and skiathlon on the program, the Olympic field quickly traded Olympic medals for World Cup race bibs, reacquainting themselves with familiarity.

Five Americans advanced through qualification in the skate sprint: Gus Schumacher, Kevin Bolger, Jack Young, Jessie Diggins and Sammy Smith. For Diggins, the day carried historic significance. The four-time Olympic medalist made her 357th World Cup start, the most in FIS World Cup history. Her first came in 2011 in Drammen, Norway, a race won by her then-teammate Kikkan Randall, marking the beginning of a career that continues to rewrite the history books.

Fresh off his Olympic silver medal in the team sprint, Schumacher carried his momentum through the qualifications to the quarterfinals with strong skiing. Diggins, Bolger, Smith and Young did not advance past the quarterfinal round. 

Schumacher lined up in the first semifinal heat, continuing a breakthrough season that now sees him ranked inside the top 10 overall on the World Cup standings. On the women’s side, Diggins maintains her grip on the overall World Cup lead, holding the yellow bib ahead of Sweden’s Moa Ilar as the season enters its final stretch.

At the top of the men’s podium once again was Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo. The Norwegian superstar, who swept all six gold medals at the Milano Cortina Games to become the most decorated Winter Olympian of all time, returned to the World Cup circuit as if no time had passed, claiming victory in Falun and reinforcing his dominance in a season for the history books. Lars Heggen of Norway was second and Benjamin Moser from Austria was third. For the women, Olympic gold medalist from Sweden Linn Svahn was first, Norway's Kristine Stavaas Skistad was second and Switzerland's Nadine Faehndrich third. 

USA's Schumacher was 11th, Young 12th and Bolger 29th. For the women, Diggins was 17th, Smith 23rd.

RESULTS
Women
Men 

Threshold, a feature-length documentary centered on Olympic champion, four-time Olympic medalist and the most successful American cross country skier in history, Jessie Diggins, premieres today, Feb. 23, 2026, on NBC’s Peacock. The film looks beyond the race course, sharing Diggins’ personal journey, including her experience with an eating disorder and how seeking professional support and embracing a healthier perspective on mental health reshaped both her career and her life.

Filmed by Torsten and Lars Brinkema and executive produced by Patrick Dempsey, the documentary offers an intimate look at Diggins’ previously untold journey. With unprecedented access throughout the 2023-24 World Cup season, Diggins opens up about her experiences, exploring vulnerability, stigma, recovery and pain, while shedding light on what it takes to remain human in a sport that continually pushes both body and mind beyond their limits.

“Eating disorders have so much stigma, shame and guilt attached to them, and they are often misunderstood by the general population,” said Diggins. “I wish I had known so much more about them and felt empowered to have more open conversations about my own struggles when I was 18 years old, as that would have helped me tremendously. I felt it was important to show my story so openly because without that, it’s hard to ask for change, and I wanted to help others feel less alone.” 

Throughout the documentary, Diggins reflected on the professional support she received and how it helped guide her recovery and ultimately led her to compete at the highest level of the sport and continue her dominance as the #1 ranked cross country skier in the world. 

“I hope it sparks conversations around mental health and eating disorders and removes the stigma so that these crucial conversations can happen,” said Diggins. “I hope that people who are struggling feel less alone and more empowered to ask for help and I hope that they truly feel hope for themselves and their own journey, as they might see parts of themselves reflected in my story.” 

“Jessie is a remarkable athlete and more importantly, a remarkable person,” said Patrick Dempsey, executive producer of the film. “The journey that she is sharing is profoundly meaningful and resonant, not only for her but for the countless other people who have faced the same struggle. I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of this production and to share her story with all of you.”

###

Directed and Produced by: Lars Brinkema & Torsten Brinkema
Executive Producer: Torsten Brinkema, Patrick Dempsey
Written by: Lars Brinkema
Producer: Mark Steele, Samantha Taylor
Editor: Yaniv Elani, JD Marlow 
Music by: Julianna Barwick & Mary Lattimore
Director of Photography: Torsten Brinkema & Lars Brinkema.

For further information: https://www.brinkemabrothers.com/

Lars Brinkema: Director, Producer, Writer, Cinematographer
Growing up in Minneapolis, Lars found his passion in film and photojournalism, documenting the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd. Witnessing firsthand the unjust representation of the protest movement sparked the idea for his first film, I Pray—an award-winning short documentary about the Minneapolis community’s resilience and collective fight for justice.

This foundation in authentic, personal storytelling informed his approach to documenting what would become Threshold, his feature-length directorial debut. When Jessie entrusted him with telling her mental health story, it became more than a film; it was a responsibility rooted in his own closeness to people whose lives have been shaped by the same struggle.

Now based in Los Angeles, Lars is drawn to intimate, character-driven stories that foster reflection, dialogue, and change.

Torsten Brinkema: Director, Executive Producer, Cinematographer
Torsten Brinkema is a Minnesota-born artist based in Brooklyn, New York. His work explores the fragile balance between people and their environments through films, still photography, and sculpture. As a former collegiate ski racer, Torsten spent years on the snow competing against the best in the Northeast, all the while developing his visual practice in the landscapes that sport took him. With two award-winning short films behind him, he set out to merge his lifelong connection to skiing with a long-form film that could fully realize his creative vision. Drawing on his experience racing alongside elite athletes—and a deep sense of empathy—he built a story rooted in trust. Threshold ultimately became a journey far beyond what he imagined, both as a filmmaker and as a witness.

Team USA's Jessie Diggins earned a hard fought fifth place in the women's 50k classic. Following a tough start, the four-time Olympic medalist showed immense determination and stamina to earn her way back into the top group fighting for the podium until the very last sprint. 

The race by Diggins was nothing short of impressive. After running into trouble early and battling back from a fall following a ski change, the American once again proved why she has been instrumental in solidifying U.S. women’s cross country skiing on the international map. The veteran can close out her Olympic career knowing she left everything on the course and made her country proud.

""If you had told me even a year ago I'd be in the fight for a bonze medal in a 50k classic, I would not have believed you," said Diggins. "It's taken so much work from so many people for so many years to get here and I'm just really proud of it." 

Sweden's Ebba Andersson won the gold medal with command, beating all other athletes by over two minutes and finishing with a time of two hours, 16 minutes and 28.2 seconds. The gold was redemption after blaming herself when a couple of falls in the team mixed relay kept the Swedish team from taking home the gold. 

Heidi Weng of Norway won the silver medal with a time of two hours, 18 minutes and 43.5 seconds and rounding out the podium, winning a bronze medal in a race that came down to the end was Swiss skier Nadja Kaelin who cemented her spot on the podium with an impressive push on the final climb of the race. 

Team USA's Rosie Brennan earned a top 20 finish, coming across the line in 16th place with teammate Hailey Swirbul just behind in 20th. Kendall Kramer came in 27th putting all U.S. women within the top 30. 

"It's so cool that they (my team) were here for my last Olympics and I got to end it on a beautiful day at a venue that I love so much," said Diggins. "I'm just really proud of the last Olympics and really grateful and really happy. I'm leaving here just full of joy and probably needing a new body." 

The tight fought race and strong showing from the U.S. women was a perfect way to close out the 2026 Olympic Winter Games for Team USA. 

RESULTS 

Women's 50k classic

The Olympic Winter Games have come to an end for the men, with the 50k rounding out over two weeks of racing and six events. Olympic silver medalist Gus Schumacher led Team USA to a 13th place finish in the 50k classic, with teammate Hunter Wonders in 35th. 

"It was all climbing," said Schumacher. "But it was the best 50k conditions-wise that I think I have ever done. That's not saying much but it was good skiing today." 

On a seven-lap course, the race was anything but easy. And for many of the athletes, this was their second, third, fourth... or in Schumacher's case, sixth time racing in less than two weeks. Yet, the sun was out, the fans lined the course, and it was a great day to end the 2026 Olympic Winter Games for the men. 

Off the start line, it was clear who was going to lead the mass start -- Norway. Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, Martin Loewstroem Nyenget and Emil Iversen joined together and never looked back. Yet, Schumacher kept his pace in the lead pack for nearly half of the race. Then slowly, the pack began to string out, with nearly 1 minute and 30 seconds gapping the podium to fourth place. As the laps went on, the athletes kept hammering, with Schumacher and Wonders putting it all out there one final time. At the end of the race, Schumacher crossed the line in 13th, his best Olympic 50k result. Wonders, who had been dreaming of racing an Olympic 50k, finished 35th. 

"I liked how I skied today," said Schumacher. "My energy waned halfway through, and it was a little hard to keep pushing and skiing well, but I feel like I can understand that. It's been a pretty heavy mental load the last two weeks. If I have a flame, it was ripping a couple of days ago, but halfway through today's race, it felt like a candle."

"I'm alive... barely. I didn't think I was going to finish there for a little bit. That was definitely the most 'boxed' I've ever been in a race," said Wonders. "From finishing, I could barely stand. I have never had so many cramps in my entire life. It was all firing at different times. It never looked very pretty out there but I completed a race that four years I was chomping at the bit to compete in." 

Norway swept the podium. The most decorated of them all, Klaebo, won a historic sixth gold medal, going undefeated in the 2026 Games. The win marks the most dominant performance in Winter Olympic history, making him the first winter athlete to win six gold medals at one Olympics and bringing his career gold medal count to 11 and total Olympic medal count to 13. 

Behind Klaebo in second place was Nyenget, who won the silver medal. Helping to complete Norway's sweep was Emil Iversen, who won the bronze. 

Tomorrow, the women will have their chance at the 50k and make history in the process, as it will be the first ever women's Olympic 50k. 

RESULTS 
Men's Olympic 50k classic