Jessie Diggins is America’s leading cross-country skiing icon. She boasts Olympic and World Championships gold medals and has clinched the Tour de Ski overall title twice. However, she lacks the commanding presence often associated with star athletes.

Diggins is always smiling, no matter how cold, how much pain she’s in, or how exhausted she is. She always thanks those around her and discusses the team and the environment. She’s winning more and more ski races and drawing new American skiers to the podium. 

Soon, she’ll do it on home soil for the first time. But first, Jessie Diggins will compete in her 300th World Cup race. It will happen during the World Cup stage in Canmore, Canada, which starts this Friday. 

“I will soon have skied 300 World Cup races. It will be a milestone. But I’ve done almost 300 World Cup races everywhere but on home turf.” 

Now, however, things are changing. Diggins will compete in his first World Cup race on home soil the week after the Canmore races. 

When the World Cup circus comes to Minneapolis on the weekend of February 17 and 18, it will be the first time in more than 20 years that a World Cup cross-country ski race has been held in the USA. The last time was the Olympics trial in Salt Lake City in 2001. 

“It will be absolutely fantastic. I’m excited, and I hope it will help inspire American skiers to continue cross-country skiing, that it can create more awareness of cross-country skiing in the US and more engagement,” Diggins says of the race weekend, which is even being held in her hometown.  

However, the USA veteran is just as excited to see new, fresh skiers get their first taste of the World Cup as she is for her races. As the organizer, the USA can enter a national quota besides the regular World Cup squad. 

“I remember how exciting it was to race in the World Cup for the first time. To be able to relive a bit of that through those going for the first time will be great,” says Diggins. 

At the same time, Diggins is good at reminding herself that every race is a new adventure.

Also Read: Emotional Diggins claims gold for USA at the World Championships

The article continues below.

Not a matter of course

For Diggins, being ready for the World Cup races on home soil is not a given. The 32-year-old has been open about her challenges with eating disorders, issues she has struggled with for many years. In 2020, she published the book “Brave Enough” about her battle with the eating disorder. 

But after several symptom-free years, she suffered a relapse of her eating disorder last summer. The 2023/24 season was put on hold, but Diggins managed to fight back in time for the World Cup opening in Ruka on the last weekend of November. 

“Last summer was really difficult, so I’m just really happy every time I’m on the start line. It’s not all I have confidence in every day, so this feels really special,” says Diggins. 

Read More: Diggins opens up about challenging summer

Diggins is now leading the World Cup overall, and by such a wide margin, she will most likely be wearing the yellow bib when she competes in front of family and friends in Minneapolis next week. 

“It’s really exciting. Everyone will be there. And it’s the first time my grandmother will see me ski racing since I was 19. There will be a lot of excitement around the races, and I’m really happy that the organizers have kept it free and accessible to everyone,” Diggins says. 

“Being able to watch these races live is completely different to watching them on TV. “

“For me, that wasn’t an option,” Diggins says. The ski races she watched in her youth were not just recordings. “They were ancient recordings.” 

“We had a TV in the basement and some old VHS videos I watched, with footage from previous World Cups. I thought, “Cool, who’s winning today?” Thinking back now is funny because the competition was decided three years ago. But for me, it was the only opportunity I had to watch World Cup races, and it was fun to watch the old videos with Bjørn Dæhlie.”