Timing has always been a strength for 2018 Olympic Gold Medalist Jessie Diggins—the upstart racer kicked off an international career in 2011 by snagging a spot on the World Championship team in Holmenkollen, an experience she highlights years later as a medal winner as “amazing and key to getting to the next level.” The next level came in 2013 when the Minnesota native teamed with Kikkan Randall to win the team sprint at the World Championships and then in 2015 when she won a silver medal in the 10k freestyle at the Falun World Championships. Then, she teamed up with Randall to win the first Olympic gold medal for the United States in cross country skiing in the team sprint at the 2018 Games.

Diggins is known for an aggressive style of racing and a seemingly boundless source of energy, a strength she continued to draw on in 2015-16 to take her first individual World Cup victory at the Tour de Ski. There, she won the 5k freestyle individual start in Toblach, Italy, making her only the fourth U.S. woman to win an individual World Cup. This win was just the first of many historical results throughout the 2015-16 season for Diggins, which included six World Cup podiums in total.

FIRST TRACKS
With a family that loved being active and outdoors, Diggins joined the Minnesota Youth Ski League when she was three. She started by just skiing with friends on Sundays but gradually expanded to every day of the week as she joined the high school ski team and then Central Cross Country Team (CXC).

OFF THE SNOW
When she's not skiing, Jessie loves to be active in other ways like hiking, camping, running, swimming, dancing or pick-up soccer games. She likes to read, is learning to play guitar and loves artsy-crafty projects.