Cross-country skiing : Jessie Diggins couldn’t have got off to a better start
On Saturday afternoon, the first stage of the traditional Tour de Ski took place on the Toblach slopes in Italy. The fourth stop on the cross-country skiing world cup, the Toblach venue was a lucky one for Jessie Diggins. Winner of last year’s tour, the American was keen to get this nineteenth edition off to the best possible start.
And the outgoing world number one didn’t waver in her bid to secure the precious bonuses in the overall rankings. Third in the qualifying round a few hours earlier, the 33-year-old then mastered her tournament to perfection to cruise into the final.
Always well-placed and energetic as usual, Jessie Diggins didn’t let Jasmi Joensuu get the better of her and finished the race in perfect style. In doing so, she regained first place in a sprint for the first time since 3 January 2024, when she won in Davos (Switzerland).
Jasmi Joensuu takes her first podium finish
Behind her, Finland’s Jasmi Joensuu has finally achieved her first World Cup top 3. Always a front-runner in the prologues, the native of Kuortane (Finland) had previously struggled to make an impact in the final stages. This time, she didn’t let her chance slip through her fingers, finishing second in a thrilling race.
Nadine Faehndrich, who has also been back in form in recent weeks, took third place, putting her experience to good use ahead of the surprising Kristine Austgulen Fosnæs and Anja Weber. Maja Dahlqvist, who suffered a broken stick at the start of the race, could do nothing and finished sixth.
On the French side, two players were in with a chance of qualifying for the semi-finals. Sixth in her quarter, Léna Quintin failed to make it through to the next round, while her compatriot Léonie Perry, who qualified for this stage on her first start in the elite, finished fifth in her pool, where she competed against renowned athletes such as Jasmi Joensuu and Julie Myhre.
The full rankings
The general classification of the Tour de Ski
The overall sprint ranking
The overall World Cup standings
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