Jessie Diggins

Last updated
Jessie Diggins
20180128 FIS NC WC Seefeld Jesscia Diggins 850 3406.jpg
Diggins in Seefeld, 2018
Born (1991-08-26) August 26, 1991 (age 33)
Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States
Height5 ft 4 in (163 cm) [1]
Ski club Stratton Mountain School
World Cup career
Seasons15 – (2011–present)
Indiv. starts316
Indiv. podiums62
Indiv. wins22
Team starts20
Team podiums11
Team wins2
Overall titles2 – (2021 & 2024)
Discipline titles2 – (DI in 2021 & 2024)
Medal record
Women's cross-country skiing
Representing the Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
International nordic ski competitions
Event1st2nd3rd
Winter Olympics 111
World Championships 222
Total333
Olympic Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2018 Pyeongchang Team sprint
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2022 Beijing 30 km freestyle
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg2022 Beijing Individual sprint
World Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2013 Val di Fiemme Team sprint
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2023 Planica 10 km freestyle
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2015 Falun 10 km freestyle
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2017 Lahti Individual sprint
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2017 Lahti  Team sprint
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg2023 Planica Team sprint
U23 World Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2014 Val di Fiemme Individual sprint
Updated on 8 December 2024.

Jessica Diggins (born August 26, 1991) is an American cross-country skier. She is the most accomplished cross-country skier from the United States in the sport's history having won two World Cup overall titles, three Olympic medals, six World Championship medals, and numerous other event championships. Diggins has used her status as a famous athlete to advance advocacy related to climate change and eating disorders. [2] [3]

Contents

Diggins and teammate Kikkan Randall won the United States' first-ever cross-country skiing gold medals with a team sprint victory at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang [4] [5] At the 2022 Winter Olympics, Diggins won the silver medal in the 30 kilometer freestyle and the bronze medal in the individual sprint, making her the most decorated American cross-country skier of all time.

Diggins has also won six medals, including two golds, at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, from 2013 to 2023. She was the first American to win an individual event gold medal by winning the 10 km freestyle in 2023. Diggins has competed in the FIS Cross-Country World Cup since 2011. In 2021, Diggins won the women's overall title for the 2020–21 FIS Cross-Country World Cup, becoming the first American woman to win a season title and the first American to win one since Bill Koch in 1982. [6] She again won the overall title for the 2023–24 FIS Cross-Country World Cup. [7]

Early life

Jessica "Jessie" Diggins was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and grew up in Afton, Minnesota. [8] She has one sister, Mackenzie. [9] Diggins began skiing at age 4. [10] She showed prowess for skiing at age 11 when she started competing against older children. [10] Diggins graduated from Stillwater Area High School in 2010. [8]

Athletic career

High school and juniors

Diggins competed for the Stillwater Area High School, cross-country ski team. In 2008, Diggins was the top-ranked girls' individual cross-country skier in the Minnesota high school rankings. [11] She won the Korteloppet races in 2008 and 2009 as part of the American Birkebeiner festival in Wisconsin while she was still in high school. [12] She fell out of the Minnesota high school rankings in 2009 when she competed and won the United States Junior National Sprint title on March 9 of that year. [13] She was added to the United States World Junior Cross-Country Ski Team in 2010. [14]

Professional

2011–2019

Diggins at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships held at Holmenkollen in Oslo, 2011 Jessica Diggins at FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2011.jpg
Diggins at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships held at Holmenkollen in Oslo, 2011

Diggins earned an academic scholarship to Northern Michigan University but deferred enrollment to race with the Central Cross-Country Elite team for one year. She decided to race professionally rather than attend college. She was named to the United States Ski Team in 2011 [15] and competed at her first World Championships that year. [5]

Diggins won a gold medal with Kikkan Randall in the team sprint in the 2013 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Val di Fiemme. [5] At the 2014 U23 World Championships, Diggins won silver in the individual sprint. Diggins was named to the U.S. team for the 2014 Winter Olympics. In her first event, the 15 kilometer skiathlon, she placed 8th (out of 61 competitors) with a time of 40:05.5. [16]

Diggins won the silver medal in the 10-kilometer freestyle race in the 2015 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Falun. [5] In the 2015–2016 World Cup, she placed 8th in the overall and sprint rankings and 9th in the distance ranking. [17]

At the 2017 Nordic World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland, Diggins took two medals: in the freestyle sprint, she won her quarterfinal and semifinal heats on her way to taking the silver, ahead of teammate Randall in third. [18] Subsequently, in the classic team sprint, Diggins and Sadie Bjornsen finished third, catching and passing the Swedish team in the closing stages of the race to take the bronze by 0.19 seconds. This made Diggins the first American to win four World Championship medals in cross-country skiing. [19]

Diggins (at right) in Seefeld, 2018 20180128 FIS NC WC Seefeld Flugstad Weng Diggins 850 3182.jpg
Diggins (at right) in Seefeld, 2018

Diggins finished third overall in the 2017–18 Tour de Ski, becoming the first American to finish on the podium in the overall classification, and beating her previous best of fifth overall in the previous edition. Her teammate Sadie Bjornsen finished ninth overall, also making it the first time that two Americans finished in the overall top ten. [20] Diggins finished second overall in the World Cup 2017–2018 season standings. [6]

At the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Diggins and Randall became the first American cross-country skiers to capture a gold medal by winning the women's team sprint at the Alpensia Cross-Country Centre. In the final sprint, Diggins passed the last two individual sprint classical gold medalists – Sochi gold medalist Maiken Caspersen Falla of Norway before the last turn and then Pyeongchang gold medalist Stina Nilsson of Sweden on the last straightaway. Theirs was not only the United States' first ever cross-country skiing gold medal but also the first American cross-country skiing medal since Bill Koch won silver in the men's 30 km in 1976. [21] Steve Schlanger and Chad Salmela called the end of the race for NBC: [22] [23]

Salmela: As they come into the stadium, Diggins trying to get in on the outside!
Schlanger: Jessie Diggins with two fifth-place finishes, one-sixth, so close for the U.S. on so many occasions, now moving up on the outside into second place!
Salmela: They're all completely gassed! They've given it everything on the Klaebo-bakken! Stina Nilsson leading Jessie Diggins into the final turn – can Diggins answer?!
Schlanger: As the roars rattle around the cross-country stadium in Pyeongchang, Sweden, the U.S. and Norway coming to the line!
Salmela:Here comes Diggins! Here comes Diggins!
Schlanger: On the outside! Diggins making the play around Sweden!
Salmela:Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Gold!
Schlanger: Jessie Diggins to the line! And it is Jessie Diggins delivering a landmark moment that will be etched in U.S. Olympic history! The first-ever cross-country gold medal for the U.S.!
Salmela: It's a gold medal for the United States! It's not just a medal; it's the gold!

Diggins competed in all six women's cross-country skiing events at the Olympics and finished in the top 10 in all of them. At the end of the games, she was the flag bearer for the United States in the closing ceremony. [24]

2020–present

Diggins in Dresden, 2020 2020-12-19 Women's Prolog at FIS Cross-Country World Cup 2020-21 in Dresden by Sandro Halank-091.jpg
Diggins in Dresden, 2020

Diggins won the 2021 Tour de Ski, a first for an American. She placed atop the overall World Cup 2020–2021 season standings, claiming the biggest annual prize in cross-country skiing. Diggins' victory put her with Koch, who won the men's title in 1982, to be the only Americans to win overall season titles for a World Cup cross-country ski circuit. [6]

At the 2022 Winter Olympics, Diggins won bronze in the women's sprint to become the first American to win an individual Olympic medal in a cross-country sprint. [25] She went on to win silver in the women's 30 kilometer freestyle, earning the U.S.' last medal on the last day of the Olympics. [26] She was the first non-European to win a medal in the event. [27] Diggins left Beijing as the most decorated American cross-country skier of all time. [28] For the second straight Olympics, she finished in the top 10 in all six women's cross-country skiing events.

In December 2022, Diggins broke the American record for World Cup cross-country ski wins with her fourteenth such win. [29]

At the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2023 in Slovenia, Diggins and teammate Julie Kern won bronze in the team sprint. Two days later, Diggins won gold in the 10 km freestyle, which was the first top medal for an American in an individual event at any cross-country skiing world championship. [30]

Diggins at the Stifle Loppet Cup in Minneapolis, 2024 People in banana costumes watching Jessie Diggins at the Loppet Cup in Minneapolis.jpg
Diggins at the Stifle Loppet Cup in Minneapolis, 2024

Diggins posted the most successful season ever for an American skier during the 2023–24 FIS Cross-Country World Cup. [7] She won the 2023–24 Tour de Ski, her second victory in the competition. While on break from the World Cup ski tour mid season, Diggins competed in the American Birkebeiner in Wisconsin, and won the 50 km freestyle race on February 24, 2024. [12] For 2024, Diggins was awarded the Holmenkollen Medal, the highest Norwegian honor in skiing—Diggins was the first American to ever receive the distinction. [31] [32] For the 2023–24 World Cup season, Diggins claimed both the overall individual titleher second title after winning it in 2021and the distance title. [7] She set a United States' records with six victories and 12 podium finishes for the season. [33]

Cross-country skiing results

Olympic Games

 Year  Age  10 km 
 individual 
 15 km 
 skiathlon 
 30 km 
 mass start 
 Sprint  4 × 5 km 
 relay 
 Team 
 sprint 
2014 22 8 40 12 9
2018 26 5 5 7 6 5 Gold
2022 30 8 6 Silver Bronze 6 5

World Championships

 Year  Age  10 km 
 individual 
 15 km 
 skiathlon 
 30 km 
 mass start 
 Sprint  4 × 5 km 
 relay 
 Team 
 sprint 
2011 19 28 29 9
2013 21 23 DNF 4 Gold
2015 23 Silver DNF 4 8
2017 25 DNF 5 Silver 4 Bronze
2019 27 25 4 8 5 5
2021 29 4 15 24 4
2023 31 Gold 21 5 Bronze

World Cup

Season titles

  • 4 titles – (2 overall, 2 distance)
Season
Discipline
2021 Overall
Distance
2024 Overall
Distance

Season standings

 Season  Age Discipline standingsSki Tour standings
OverallDistanceSprintNordic
Opening
Tour de
Ski
Ski Tour 2020World Cup
Final
Ski Tour
Canada
2011 19NCNC
2012 2034263515
2013 21363444242126
2014 22202123241336
2015 2322172344DNF
2016 2489838105
2017 2567108516
2018 26Silver medal icon.svgBronze medal icon.svg612Bronze medal icon.svgSilver medal icon.svg
2019 2766713614
2020 286811596
2021 29Gold medal icon.svgGold medal icon.svg415Gold medal icon.svg
2022 30Silver medal icon.svg948
2023 31Silver medal icon.svgSilver medal icon.svg1111
2024 32Gold medal icon.svgGold medal icon.svg5Gold medal icon.svg
2025 33Gold medal icon.svgBronze medal icon.svg11

Individual podiums

  • 22 victories – (13 WC, 9 SWC)
  • 62 podiums – (36 WC, 26 SWC)
No.SeasonDateLocationRaceLevelPlace
1 2015–16 8 January 2016 Flag of Italy.svg Toblach, Italy5 km Individual FStage World Cup1st
223 January 2016 Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Nové Město, Czech Republic10 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
320 February 2016 Flag of Finland.svg Lahti, Finland1.6 km Sprint FWorld Cup2nd
41 March 2016 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Gatineau, Canada1.7 km Sprint FStage World Cup3rd
512 March 2016 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canmore, Canada10 km Pursuit CStage World Cup3rd
6 2016–17 3 December 2016 Flag of Norway.svg Lillehammer, Norway5 km Individual FStage World Cup1st
73 January 2017 Flag of Germany.svg Oberstdorf, Germany5 km + 5 km Skiathlon C/FStage World Cup2nd
86 January 2017 Flag of Italy.svg Toblach, Italy5 km Individual FStage World Cup1st
9 2017–18 1 January 2018 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Lenzerheide, Switzerland10 km Pursuit FStage World Cup3rd
107 January 2018 Flag of Italy.svg Val di Fiemme, Italy9 km Pursuit FStage World Cup3rd
1130 December 2017
– 7 January 2018
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Flag of Germany.svg Flag of Italy.svg Tour de Ski Overall StandingsWorld Cup3rd
1228 January 2018 Flag of Austria.svg Seefeld, Austria10 km Mass Start FWorld Cup1st
137 March 2018 Flag of Norway.svg Drammen, Norway1.2 km Sprint CWorld Cup3rd
1411 March 2018 Flag of Norway.svg Oslo, Norway30 km Mass Start FWorld Cup2nd
1518 March 2018 Flag of Sweden.svg Falun, Sweden10 km Pursuit FStage World Cup1st
1616–18 March 2018 Flag of Sweden.svg World Cup Final Overall StandingsWorld Cup2nd
17 2018–19 29 December 2018 Flag of Italy.svg Toblach, Italy1.3 km Sprint FStage World Cup3rd
181 January 2019 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Val Müstair, Switzerland1.4 km Sprint FStage World Cup3rd
193 January 2019 Flag of Germany.svg Oberstdorf, Germany10 km Pursuit FStage World Cup3rd
2016 February 2019 Flag of Italy.svg Cogne, Italy1.6 km Sprint FWorld Cup1st
2117 March 2019 Flag of Sweden.svg Falun, Sweden10 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
22 2019–20 1 December 2019 Flag of Finland.svg Rukatunturi, Finland10 km Pursuit FStage World Cup3rd
237 December 2019 Flag of Norway.svg Lillehammer, Norway7.5 km + 7.5 km Skiathlon C/FWorld Cup2nd
2415 December 2019 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Davos, Switzerland10 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
254 January 2020 Flag of Italy.svg Val di Fiemme, Italy1.3 km Sprint CStage World Cup3rd
2626 January 2020 Flag of Germany.svg Oberstdorf, Germany1.5 km Sprint CWorld Cup3rd
27 2020–21 1 January 2021 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Val Müstair, Switzerland1.4 km Sprint FStage World Cup3rd
282 January 202110 km Mass Start CStage World Cup3rd
293 January 202110 km Pursuit FStage World Cup1st
305 January 2021 Flag of Italy.svg Toblach, Italy10 km Individual FStage World Cup1st
316 January 202110 km Pursuit CStage World Cup3rd
329 January 2021 Flag of Italy.svg Val di Fiemme, Italy10 km Mass Start FStage World Cup2nd
331–10 January 2021 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Flag of Italy.svg Tour de Ski Overall StandingsWorld Cup1st
3429 January 2021 Flag of Sweden.svg Falun, Sweden10 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
356 February 2021 Flag of Sweden.svg Ulricehamn, Sweden1.3 km Sprint FWorld Cup3rd
36 2021–22 3 December 2021 Flag of Norway.svg Lillehammer, Norway1.6 km Sprint FWorld Cup2nd
3712 December 2021 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Davos, Switzerland10 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
3828 December 2021 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Lenzerheide, Switzerland1.5 km Sprint FStage World Cup1st
3931 December 2021 Flag of Germany.svg Oberstdorf, Germany10 km Mass Start FStage World Cup1st
4012 March 2022 Flag of Sweden.svg Falun, Sweden10 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
41 2022–23 2 December 2022 Flag of Norway.svg Lillehammer, Norway10 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
4217 December 2022 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Davos, Switzerland1.5 km Sprint FWorld Cup2nd
4318 December 202220 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
4427 January 2023 Flag of France.svg Les Rousses, France10 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
453 February 2023 Flag of Italy.svg Toblach, Italy1.4 km Sprint FWorld Cup3rd
464 February 202310 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
4712 March 2023 Flag of Norway.svg Oslo, Norway50 km Mass Start FWorld Cup3rd
48 2023–24 26 November 2023 Flag of Finland.svg Rukatunturi, Finland20 km Mass Start FWorld Cup2nd
492 December 2023 Flag of Sweden.svg Gällivare, Sweden10 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
5010 December 2023 Flag of Sweden.svg Östersund, Sweden10 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
5116 December 2023 Flag of Norway.svg Trondheim, Norway10 km + 10 km Skiathlon C/FWorld Cup2nd
5231 December 2023 Flag of Italy.svg Toblach, Italy10 km Individual CStage World Cup3rd
531 January 202420 km Pursuit FStage World Cup1st
543 January 2024 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Davos, Switzerland1.2 km Sprint FStage World Cup3rd
554 January 202420 km Pursuit CStage World Cup3rd
5630 December 2023 – 7 January 2024 Flag of Italy.svg Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Tour de Ski Overall StandingsWorld Cup1st
5728 January 2024 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Goms, Switzerland20 km Mass Start FWorld Cup1st
589 February 2024 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canmore, Canada15 km Mass Start FWorld Cup1st
5918 February 2024 Flag of the United States.svg Minneapolis, USA10 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
6017 March 2024 Flag of Sweden.svg Falun, Sweden20 km Mass Start FWorld Cup1st
61 2024–25 1 December 2024 Flag of Finland.svg Rukatunturi, Finland20 km Mass Start FWorld Cup1st
628 December 2024 Flag of Norway.svg Lillehammer, Norway10 km + 10 km Skiathlon C/FWorld Cup3rd

Team podiums

  • 2 victories – (1 RL, 1 TS)
  • 11 podiums – (8 RL, 3 TS)
No.SeasonDateLocationRaceLevelPlaceTeammate(s)
1 2011–12 15 January 2012 Flag of Italy.svg Milan, Italy6 × 1.4 km Team Sprint FWorld Cup2nd Randall
2 2012–13 25 November 2012 Flag of Sweden.svg Gällivare, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup3rd Brooks / Randall / Stephen
37 December 2012 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Quebec City, Canada6 × 1.6 km Team Sprint FWorld Cup1st Randall
4 2013–14 8 December 2013 Flag of Norway.svg Lillehammer, Norway4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup3rd Randall / Bjornsen / Stephen
5 2015–16 6 December 2015 Flag of Norway.svg Lillehammer, Norway4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup3rd  Brennan / Bjornsen / Stephen  
624 January 2016 Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Nové Město, Czech Republic4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2nd Caldwell / Bjornsen / Stephen
7 2019–20 8 December 2019 Flag of Norway.svg Lillehammer, Norway4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2nd  Caldwell / Bjornsen / Brennan  
8 2021–22 19 December 2021 Flag of Germany.svg Dresden, Germany12 × 0.65 km Team Sprint FWorld Cup2nd Kern
913 March 2022 Flag of Sweden.svg Falun, Sweden4 × 5 km Mixed Relay FWorld Cup1st Brennan / Ketterson / Patterson
10 2022–23 5 February 2023 Flag of Italy.svg Toblach, Italy4 × 7.5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup3rd Swirbul / Brennan / Kern
11 2023–24 3 December 2023 Flag of Sweden.svg Gällivare, Sweden4 × 7.5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup3rd Brennan / Laukli / Kern

US National Championships

The table includes medals only, not all race placements.

No.YearLocationEventPlace
12011 Flag of the United States.svg Rumford, Maine Sprint freestyleGold medal icon.svg
2 Flag of the United States.svg Sun Valley, Idaho 30 km classic mass startBronze medal icon.svg
32012 Flag of the United States.svg Rumford, Maine Sprint freestyleGold medal icon.svg
410 km freestyleGold medal icon.svg
520 km classic mass startGold medal icon.svg
6Sprint classicSilver medal icon.svg
7 Flag of the United States.svg Craftsbury, Vermont 30 km freestyle mass startSilver medal icon.svg
82016 Flag of the United States.svg Craftsbury, Vermont 30 km freestyle mass startGold medal icon.svg
92018 Flag of the United States.svg Craftsbury, Vermont 30 km freestyle mass startGold medal icon.svg

Personal life

Diggins married Wade Poplawski in 2022. Poplawski, a native of Winnepeg, Manitoba, Canada, is a former minor league hockey player for the Rapid City Rush. The couple lives in the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts. Diggins trains in Vermont. [2] [34]

After winning an Olympic gold medal, Diggins used her clout to successfully lobby for the United States to host a World Cup cross-country skiing event, culminating in the 2024 Stifel Loppet Cup held in Minneapolis. [35]

Social activism

Diggins, wearing an Emily Program logo on her hat, 2019 20190302 FIS NWSC Seefeld Medal Ceremony Jessica Diggins 850 6559.jpg
Diggins, wearing an Emily Program logo on her hat, 2019

Diggins is an ambassador for the non-profit organization Fast and Female, which inspires girls ages 8–18 to be active and empowered in sports. [36] [37] Diggins is also an ambassador for the non-profit organization Protect Our Winters (POW), whose aim is to effect systemic solutions to climate change through the outdoor sports community. Diggins traveled with POW to Capitol Hill in April 2018 to raise concerns over climate change. [3]

In 2019, Diggins became a spokesperson for the Emily Program, an organization in the United States that provides treatment for eating disorders. In several interviews and essays, she revealed her experience of seeking treatment for bulimia at the organization in 2010, with the aim of using her story to help improve self-acceptance and reduce stigma and secrecy around eating disorders for others. [38] [39] In 2020, Diggins wrote an autobiography, Brave Enough, about her athletic accomplishments and personal struggles with bulimia as a teenager. [40] After 12 years in recovery, Diggins said in media interviews that she had a relapse in 2023 ahead of the cross-country ski season. [2] [33]

Bibliography

See also

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The women’s team sprint competition in cross-country skiing at the 2022 Winter Olympics was held on 16 February, at the Kuyangshu Nordic Center and Biathlon Center in Zhangjiakou. Katharina Hennig and Victoria Carl of Germany won the event. Maja Dahlqvist and Jonna Sundling of Sweden won silver medals, and Yuliya Stupak and Natalya Nepryayeva, representing the Russian Olympic Committee, bronze.

The women’s sprint competition in cross-country skiing at the 2022 Winter Olympics was held on 8 February, at the Kuyangshu Nordic Center and Biathlon Center in Zhangjiakou. Jonna Sundling of Sweden became the Olympic champion. Her compatriot, Maja Dahlqvist, won the silver medal, and Jessie Diggins of the United States the bronze. For Sundling and Dahlquist, this was the first Olympic medal, and for Diggins, the first individual Olympic medal.

The women's 30 kilometre freestyle competition in cross-country skiing at the 2022 Winter Olympics was held on 20 February, at the Kuyangshu Nordic Center and Biathlon Center in Zhangjiakou. Therese Johaug of Norway became the champion, thereby winning all three individual distance events at these Olympics. She was only second woman to do so after Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi in 1984. Jessie Diggins of the United States won the silver medal, and Kerttu Niskanen of Finland the bronze. For Diggins, this was her first individual Olympic medal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gus Schumacher (skier)</span> American cross-country skier

August "Gus" Schumacher is an American cross-country skier. In 2020, Schumacher became the first American to win a gold medal in an individual race at the Junior World Ski Championships. He competed in the 30 kilometre skiathlon at the 2022 Winter Olympics. Schumacher won the Men's 10 km freestyle race at the 2024 Stifel Loppet Cup in Minneapolis on February 18, 2024. His win marked the first time an American male skier had won an individual distance event since Bill Koch in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Stifel Loppet Cup</span> International cross-country ski competition in Minneapolis

The 2024 Stifel Loppet Cup was an international cross-country skiing competition held February 17–18 at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis. As one of the fifteen events in the 2023–24 FIS Cross-Country World Cup season, it featured top-ranked skiers from the global racing circuit. The event was the first World Cup cross-country ski competition held in the United States since 2001. More than 150 athletes from 21 countries competed in the races. About 40,000 spectators attended the two-day, festival-like event that was headlined by the women’s races.

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