Cross-country skiing: Jessie Diggins leads the overall rankings more than ever
Theindividual women’s 10-kilometreskate race rounded off the cross-country skiing world cup competitions in Cogne, Italy , under sunny skies and idyllic conditions. A few hours after Harald Oestberg Amundsen’s solid victory in the men’s race, Jessie Diggins also put in a masterful performance.
Still in her atypical style, the American perfectly controlled her effort as the kilometres went by. Lighting up the green at every intermediate point on the course, the outgoing winner of the crystal globe then didn’t hesitate to finish strongly and put pressure on the heads of all her rivals.
Crossing the finish line with a margin of just 5 seconds over Astrid Oeyre Slind, who was still on the podium for the eleventh time this winter, the 33-year-old cross-country skier scored her fifth win of the season. It was a victory that also enabled her to continue her domination of the overall rankings.
Behind the leading duo, Kerttu Niskanen also expressed herself well in a style she is less fond of than the classic. However, the Finn was able to smooth out her effort to climb to the top of the podium just over 15 seconds from winning. Less than 10 seconds behind her, Katerina Janatova put in a high-flying performance.
Flora Dolci continues to break into the top 10
Fourth on the day, the Czech simply recorded her best ever World Cup result. The 27-year-old has been improving steadily since the start of the winter, but had never before finished in the top 5 of a race at this level.
A few seconds behind her, the first Frenchwoman to have her name in the rankings was Flora Dolci. Ninth in this individual race, the Haut-Alpine rider once again competed against the best to move into the top 10. Sixth last weekend in the 20-kilometre mass-start skate race in Engadin (Switzerland), the Frenchwoman followed up with another convincing performance.
Three other French girls were also entered in this Sunday’s race. Among them was Juliette Ducordeau, thirty-third, just a few places ahead of her compatriot Mélissa Gal, thirty-fifth. For her third start in the elite, Cloé Pagnier had to make do with forty-first place.
Read also
- Cogne: Harald Oestberg Amundsen won the individual skate race ahead of two other Norwegians, Hugo Lapalus, Mathis Desloges and Victor Lovera finished in the top 15.
- Cogne: a Norwegian hat-trick in the classic sprint final, with Richard Jouve and Lucas Chanavat just off the podium
- Cogne: Maja Dahlqvist wins the classic sprint ahead of Nadine Faehndrich and Laura Gimmler
- Cogne: classic sprint qualification for a solid Erik Valnes, three Frenchmen in the finals
- Cogne: Jasmi Joensuu takes the lead in the classic sprint qualifier, Mélissa Gal comes out on top
- Reactions from Jules Chappaz and Richard Jouve after their podium finish in the classic team sprint in Cogne: “It gives the whole team some breathing space”.
- Video of Jules Chappaz and Richard Jouve taking second place in the classic sprint team race in Cogne
- Cogne: Jules Chappaz and Richard Jouve on the podium in the classic sprint team
- Cogne: Kerttu Niskanen and Jasmi Joensuu make no bones about winning the classic sprint team, Mélissa Gal and Léna Quintin finish twelfth
- Cogne: after the disqualification of Iivo Niskanen and Lauri Vuorinen, Rémi Bourdin and Renaud Jay are drafted into the finals
- Cogne: Jules Chappaz and Richard Jouve fifth in the classic team sprint qualifier won by Norway, Rémi Bourdin and Renaud Jay eliminated
- Cogne: Kerttu Niskanen and Jasmi Joensuu win the classic sprint team qualifier, Mélissa Gal and Léna Quintin finish tenth
