Jessie Diggins, the most accomplished American cross-country skier in history, has announced she will conclude her extraordinary 15-year career at the season's end.
A Trailblazing Career Comes to a Close
The 34-year-old from Afton, Minnesota - a small suburb of St Paul with just 2,951 residents - revealed her decision during a Zoom call from Finland, where she's preparing for the season opener. Diggins will compete in her fourth Olympic Games at Milano-Cortina before finishing her professional journey on home snow at the World Cup finals in Lake Placid.
She enters her final season as the world's top-ranked skier, having secured three overall World Cup titles, three distance globes, and four Olympic medals. Her legendary partnership with Kikkan Randall produced America's first-ever Olympic gold in cross-country skiing during the 2018 team sprint event.
Beyond the Medals: Diggins' Lasting Legacy
Diggins' impact extends far beyond her competitive achievements. Her openness about her prolonged recovery from an eating disorder and advocacy for improved mental health support have established her as a influential voice within the US Olympic movement.
"One of the legacy pieces that I'm leaving behind is how US Ski & Snowboard handles mental health and how they support people," Diggins stated. "When someone says, 'Hey, I'm struggling with an eating disorder,' there is so much help available, because I was so open and shared everything along the way."
The decision to retire emerged gradually rather than from a single defining moment. "Over time, all of these other things in my life that are important to me started to out-value just ski racing," she explained, noting that spending more time with her husband, Wade, significantly influenced her choice.
Final Season Goals and Future Adventures
Diggins plans to race the complete World Cup schedule, including the demanding Tour de Ski - a seven-stage, nine-day competition modelled after the Tour de France. "My body seems to enjoy racing quite a lot," she remarked. "So basically doing as many as I can because it's my last time. And why not?"
Looking beyond competitive skiing, Diggins revealed an ambitious endurance goal: completing a 100-mile race. "It's ironic to be like, yeah, I'm going to be done cross-country ski racing so I can go run a hundred miles on trails," she laughed. "But it really lights up my soul."
Throughout her career since debuting as a teenager, Diggins has accumulated 79 podium finishes and 29 victories. Her trademark glitter-streaked cheeks and relentlessly positive attitude made her one of winter sports' most recognisable personalities, while her ability to endure extreme physical challenge established her as one of its toughest competitors.
Reflecting on what she hopes young athletes will learn from her journey, Diggins offered: "Do the thing that you love and share it with as many people as possible. And it's OK to be super vulnerable. The amount of people that then become part of your story and part of your life, it's incredible."
