Industry News
Team USA had a successful weekend at the FIS World Cup competitions at Gällivare, Sweden. The weekend of cross country events in Gällivare consisted of a men’s and a women’s 10km (6.25 miles) interval start race and a men’s and a women’s 4 x 7.5km (4.7 miles) relay race. Temperatures at the Swedish resort close to the arctic circle were biting cold, with temperatures on the weekend of around -4°F (-20°C). Athletes had their faces taped to fend off frostbite. The ski area is located about 13 hours north of the Swedish capital Stockholm.
The American cross country team brought home two podiums from this FIS World Cup weekend: first place in the women’s 10km skating race and third place in the 4 x 7.5km women’s team relay.
American cross country starts Jessie Diggins put down an incredible run in 24:48:3 minutes that only left second and third for the strong Swedish women. Ebba Andersson and Moa Ilar finished in second and third, 23.1 seconds and 25.6 seconds respectively behind Diggins. American athlete Rosie Brennan skated into equal sixth with Norway’s Lotta Udnes Weng, while Sophia Laukli finished in 13th, Julia Kern in 18th place, and Novie McCabe in 29th, all earning valuable FIS points.
The American men could not hold up with the incredibly strong Norwegian men, who held an incredible seven of the top 10 spots. The best male American cross country skier in the 10km race was Gus Schumacher who finished in 16th place, with his teammate Ben Ogden close behind in 25th. The men’s field is incredibly strong, with the top 10 finishes in a range of less than 15 seconds behind the leader. Schumacher’s time was just 41.8 seconds behind the winner Paal Golberg, while Ogden was just 15.7 seconds behind his teammate.
In the team relay the Swedish women came home with first place in the team consisting of Moa Lundgre, Moa Ilar, Emma Ribom, and Ebba Andersson. The team 4 x 7.5km relay sees competitors complete two laps of the 3.5km course before skating the final 0.5km into the arena where they tap their partner to continue the pursuit. The experienced German team came second just 13.5 seconds behind the Swedes with their team consisting of Laura Gimmler, Katharina Henning, Pia Fink, and Victoria Carl. Team USA came in third, 27.5 seconds behind the Swedes and 14 seconds behind the Germans, with the team of Jessie Diggins, Rosie Brennan, Sophia Laukli, and Julia Kern.
Gällivare holds a special place for the American women’s team. It was here 11 years ago that the American women’s relay team won their first-ever podium. Back in November 2012, the team consisting of Jessie Diggins, Holly Brooks, Kikkan Randall, and Liz Stephen had come third as well. For 21-year-old Diggins, it was the second career World Cup podium after having come second earlier that year with Randall in the team sprint.
“One of the things I am most proud of in my career is being part of the team relays, and seeing how the team has changed year after year. But then some things haven’t changed! We still have the relay socks, the face paint, the glitter… and then all of these amazing women that are coming up and putting their heart and soul into this team and racing so hard – it’s so cool to see. Seeing the fire in their eyes and seeing them give everything they had makes me so proud, knowing we’re doing it all together.”
— Jessie Diggins
The American men’s relay team I finished in fifth, behind Team Norway in first place, arch-rival Sweden in second place, Team Germany in third place, and Team Italia in fourth place. The American men’s relay Team II finished in an impressive eighth place, less than a minute behind first place and just 12 seconds behind America’s Team I. It again exemplifies the intense competition within the men’s cross-country field, when compared to the women’s field, where five whole minutes separate the seventh and eighth placed teams from the leading Swedish team.
