Cross-country skiing: “I just want to enjoy it”, says Jessie Diggins
In a week’s time, Jessie Diggins will begin her final winter after announcing her retirement at the end of the season on Wednesday. There will be no revolution in her preparations, no quantified objectives, but one overriding desire: to enjoy and finish on a high note. At her pre-season press conference attended by Nordic Magazine, the 34-year-old cross-country skier detailed her motivations for these final months at the highest level.
“I just want to enjoy it. Honestly, since the World Cup in Minneapolis [in 2024, editor’s note], everything has been like a victory. I want to savour every moment, have fun, be happy and in great shape. That’s really my main goal,” explains the skier from Afton (USA), in Minnesota.
It’s an approach that radically changes the way he looks at difficult moments: “Even on training days when it’s freezing cold and it’s hard to go out, I tell myself that this might be the last time I do it. That makes it all the more meaningful.
Unchanged preparation
As the American prepares for her final season, culminating in the Olympic Games in Milan/Cortina 2026 – where she will be chasing her first individual title – she has opted for a classic preparation.
“The preparation is the same, it’s just a question of adapting the training peak to the Olympic Games. But in reality, the core of the programme hasn’t changed, and that’s all to the good. So, if we’ve found a method that works, that’s perfect. And especially knowing that this would be my last year, I said to myself: “Why change everything now?
“Knowing that these are my last Olympic Games frees me up and allows me to enjoy them to the full”.Jessie Diggins at her press conference
The cross-country skiing events will take place in the Val di Fiemme (Italy), a well-known venue for cross-country skiers.
“Knowing that these are my last Olympic Games frees me up to enjoy them to the full. […] I think it’s really great to use an existing course. When I train there, I see lots of people using it: kids, clubs. Even though I know the course really well, one part of it is literally upside down, everything has been changed. Everyone has to learn it all over again.
After the Olympic Games in Beijing (China), which will be held in sanitary isolation in 2022, Jessie Diggins wants to enjoy the Games with her family and friends: “At the last Games, because of Covid, nobody was able to come. It was really difficult. This time, I think at least 60 people, friends and family, will be there. And I want to be able to share all this with them.
A special end to the season at home
Even though this is her last season, the American has no intention of reducing her intensity and wants to continue to perform. The adrenalin of the race number remains an essential driving force.
“I simply love competition. And my body seems to really enjoy competition. So I might as well do as much as I can since this is my last time. […] I’m really looking forward to one last fast and twisty run in Falun. I’ve always loved racing in Italy too. There are so many mythical places.
The American will have the opportunity to finish on home soil at the World Cup in Lake Placid (USA). “It’s obviously a very special moment, because this will be only my second World Cup weekend in my country [after Minneapolis in 2024, editor’s note]. It’s really exceptional, almost magical.
The cross-country skier plans to take advantage of her final season to thank all those who accompanied her: “Every time I leave a competition venue, I thank the volunteers and everyone who took my skis and my number. Because this is the last time you’re going to do this for me and that’s really special.
A legacy greater than sport
Jessie Digginsmay be approaching retirement from sport, but she has no plans to disappear from the sporting or social landscape: “One of the things I’m most passionate about is continuing to be an inspirational role model. I still want to work with Protect Our Winters, I still want to be an ambassador for mental health. I want to continue to challenge myself. Running 100 miles is something I’ve dreamed of for a long time.
She also plans to return, but in a different way: “I could see myself coaching, especially young people. Passing on the pleasure of skiing to them, helping them build memories.
Jessie Diggins, with her three major crystal globes, two world titles and twenty-seven World Cup victories, leaves us hoping for a legacy that is greater than simply sporting: “I think one of the legacies I’m leaving is the way the American federation now manages mental health. I’m so proud to see the programmes, the policies and the dialogue evolving.
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