Feb 7, 2026; Tesero, Italy; Jessie Diggins of United States in action during the women’s 10km + 10km skiathlon during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters via Imagn Images
Jessie Diggins’s much-anticipated Olympic sendoff took a shocking turn on Saturday, as a wild pile-up on the slopes sent the American cross-country sensation tumbling in the fight for skiathlon glory. All eyes were on Diggins as she launched her bid for gold in the women’s skiathlon opener at Milano Cortina, but an early crash shattered those hopes, forcing the world’s top-ranked skier into damage control from the start.
While the drama consumed the US camp, it was Scandinavia taking center stage: Sweden’s Frida Karlsson stormed to a sensational gold, with teammate Ebba Andersson trailing close behind for silver and Norway’s own Heidi Weng nabbing the bronze. The new 20km course—making its Olympic debut for women—turned into a brutal battle of grit, stamina, and pure survival on a grueling, slushy track in Tesero Cross-Country Stadium.
Disaster struck on the first lap: Finland’s Vilma Nissinen wiped out on a downhill, setting off a chain-reaction traffic jam that swept up Diggins and Norwegian Karoline Simpson-Larsen. Swallowed by the chaos, Diggins slipped way back in the pack, stuck battling swirling skis and elbow-to-elbow rivals as the frontrunners pulled away.
“My tip just disappeared in the slush and unfortunately it was a tough spot where you lose all your momentum,” Diggins told reporters after the race. “A lot of things out of my control just didn’t work out for me today, but that’s OK. I’m really proud of my heart and my grit and the amount of energy and commitment I put into this, not just today but every day.”
Feb 7, 2026; Tesero, Italy; Jessie Diggins of United States and Moa Ilar of Sweden in action as the Women’s 10km + 10km Skiathlon starts during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kacper Pempel/Reuters via Imagn Images
At one point, Diggins found herself languishing in 14th, desperate to claw her way back as the relentless Swedish duo kept surging ahead. By the time the contest shifted from the classic to freestyle halfway through, the medal chase had all but vanished for the American favorite.
Out in front, Karlsson and Andersson were locked in a fierce Scandinavian showdown, until Karlsson threw down the gauntlet in the freestyle leg and simply left her rivals in the snow. Crossing the line in a sizzling 53 minutes, 45 seconds—51 seconds clear—Karlsson had time to grab a Swedish flag and celebrate solo before basking in her golden moment. Andersson followed in at 54:36, with a hard-charging Weng rounding out the podium at 55:11.
Still reeling from her triumph, Karlsson admitted the reality only sank in late in the contest: “That was the moment when it hit me. I was like, OK, this is for real,” she revealed. “I had so much fun out there today and I am really proud of my whole team who have made this happen. The skis were super and the body felt amazing.
“In the home straight, I kind of understood that I would win. It feels so nice to do it this way, with the team.”
The race itself was a monumental test, with temperatures hovering around 41°F (5°C), clammy air and sticky snow turning every stride into a slog. But Karlsson, 26, looked unstoppable, nailing her ski exchange and steadily pulling away with each lap. This glittering gold marks her first individual Olympic medal—a crowning moment after earning only relay bronze in Beijing.
