Jessie Diggins Claims Bronze Despite Injury, Extends Olympic Medal Streak

U.S. cross-country skier Jessie Diggins secured a bronze medal in the women's 10-kilometer interval start freestyle race at the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium in Val di Fiemme, Italy. Diggins, 34, competed in the event despite a rib injury sustained in an earlier race.

This achievement marks her success in medaling in three consecutive Olympic Games.

Sweden's Frida Karlsson claimed the gold medal, with fellow Swede Ebba Andersson earning the silver.

Race Highlights and Podium

The event took place on Thursday, with Jessie Diggins completing the 10-kilometer course in 22 minutes, 49.2 seconds. She finished 49.7 seconds behind gold medalist Frida Karlsson of Sweden.

Ebba Andersson, also from Sweden, secured the silver medal, finishing 46.6 seconds behind Karlsson. Diggins finished a narrow three-tenths of a second ahead of Norway's Astrid Oyre Slind, who placed fourth.

Braving the Course with Injury

Diggins competed in the bronze-medal-winning race with a rib injury. The injury was sustained during the opening Skiathlon race of the Games, which subsequently affected her performance in the individual sprint event, leading to her elimination in the heats.

Following the 10-kilometer interval start race, Diggins reportedly collapsed and expressed pain.

She described her ribs as "clicking in and out of place" during the week.

She later embraced her competitors and received cheers from the crowd.

A Storied Olympic Career Nears End

This bronze medal adds significantly to Diggins' Olympic record. In 2018, she and Kikkan Randall won the United States' first Olympic cross-country skiing gold medal in the team sprint freestyle event.

She also earned a silver and a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics. This medal is the second for the U.S. cross-country team at the current Games.

Diggins is scheduled to participate in three more events at the Milan Cortina Games. She has announced that these Olympics will be her last, with her retirement from competitive skiing planned for the upcoming spring.

Swedish Dominance on the Snow

Frida Karlsson's gold medal in the 10-kilometer interval start freestyle race marks her second gold medal of the Games.

Swedish women have collectively secured seven of the nine cross-country skiing medals awarded at the Milan Cortina Games.