Little toe, big mindset – Diggins shrugs off minor injury on the road to the Olympics

Traditional skiing

Little toe, big mindset – Diggins shrugs off minor injury on the road to the Olympics

by Leandro Lutz • 19.10.2025

Photo: Marius Simensen/BILDBYRÅN

Jessie Diggins, triple overall World Cup winner and Olympic champion, has suffered a minor setback in her preparations for the upcoming winter.

The American cross-country skiing star injured her toe in a rather ordinary way during a training camp in Park City: by stubbing it against the corner of a couch. Despite the mishap, Diggins quickly reassured fans on Instagram that it’s nothing serious.

“I was supposed to be at a really cool roller ski race today,” Diggins said in a video message. “But the reason I’m not there, and the reason I’m spin biking with one Birkenstock, is because yesterday I stubbed my toe on the corner of a couch, and I broke it. So, it’s just my little pinky toe, it’s buddy taped… It’s not that big of a deal.”

Known for her upbeat attitude, Diggins described the injury as “a bump in the road” and “just an interesting story on the way to the Olympics.” At 34, she’s entering what could be her final World Cup season, building toward Milano-Cortina 2026.

Also Read: Shock announcement: Cross-country skiing star set to retire

The story continues below.

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A post shared by Jessie Diggins (@jessiediggins)

Buddy taping the injured toe is standard treatment for such fractures, and Diggins is already back to light training on the bike. Her decision to skip the local roller ski race shows a pragmatic approach, prioritizing long-term goals over short-term appearances.

For a skier celebrated for her resilience and positivity, this incident is just another reminder of how Diggins approaches adversity — with perspective, humor, and determination. A broken pinky toe won’t slow down her Olympic journey.

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