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By Gavin Kentch
LAGO DI TESERO — At the 12-kilometer mark of today’s 50km mass start classic, Jessie Diggins looked, even by her standards of suffering, as if she was having a rough time. Her skis were kicking poorly. She was working heroically to make them stick, but it was, well, work. She had lost the lead pack she had gone out with, and had already been caught and swallowed up by the chase pack. She was sitting in sixth, and, bluntly, looked destined to go backwards from there.
But the race was 50 kilometers long. Diggins stopped to change her skis after just lap two, immediately gaining a new lease on life. She skied nearly all the rest of the race with a five-woman chase group. Ebba Andersson of Sweden and Heidi Weng of Norway, meanwhile, went well clear off the front, with Andersson eventually dropping Weng to solo home for her first Olympic gold medal. Weng took a well-earned silver.
Behind them, we had a race on our hands, as five women headed out for the final lap with one medal still available. Diggins would drop back on most uphills, then close the gap on the downhills. Frankly — and I mean this as an unalloyed compliment — considering the way Diggins classic skied earlier in her career, to see her make those skis work for five full laps to close out the race was truly impressive.
Finally, Nadja Kälin of Switzerland pushed the pace one last time, on the final uphill within sight of the stadium where races have been won and lost here all week. She got a gap, holding it to the finish for her first career individual Olympic medal.
Kristin Austgulen Fosnæs of Norway followed 2.4 seconds back in fourth. Diggins was another 2.5 seconds behind for fifth, 4.9 seconds off the podium after 50 kilometers, in her 22nd (!) and final Olympic race. Skiing can be like that some times.
“If you had told me even a year ago I’d be in the fight for a bronze medal in a 50km classic, I would not have believed you,” Diggins said afterwards. “So 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.”
Behind her, Rosie Brennan led the rest of the Americans today in 15th. Her APU training partners Hailey Swirbul and Kendall Kramer were 19th and 26th, respectively.
Final word here to Jasmine Drolet of Canada:
Can women race 50km?
“Of course. Women can do anything.”
Full recap up later today. Check back this evening CET; thanks.
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