Diggins overcomes alarm clock fail to wake up winning after dream finish

Overall Coop FIS Cross-Country World Cup leader Jessie Diggins won her fifth race this season, claiming the top spot in the women's 20km mass start free in Goms, Switzerland on Sunday.

The 32-year-old made a tactically perfect race to beat runner-up Frida Karlsson (SWE) by 0.6 second, getting one step closer to a second overall crystal globe. Switzerland's Nadine Faehndrich finished third.

The glittery winner thanked the fans in the village near the Italian border for the support.

"I'm really tired but there were some awesome cheering yesterday and today, so thanks to everyone, this has been a really fun atmosphere, it's really cool to be here," Diggins said, also praising her team for her equipment.

"Those were some silly fast skis, so thanks to our wax techs'."

Diggins stayed in the front of the field for the whole race, winning the bonus point sprints at 9.5km and 14.5km to cash in an extra 30 points. Karlsson were in second place both times.

At 12.5km, a front group of 17 skiers had broken free, with Diggins, Karlsson, Faehndrich and Ebba Andersson (SWE) leading the way. When Karlsson, who had the first place for most of the last 5km lap, broke away with 2km left to race, only Diggins managed to follow.

The overall Tour de Ski winner stayed behind last year's Tour champion until the final stretch. There, Diggins shifted gears to push past the Swede and claim the victory on a course that she enjoys.

"I liked all the winding downhill, that was very fun. I'm glad to have kept it together and skied with better tactics today," Diggins said.

The winning tactics in the last kilometres of the long race had been simple; give it all and do not collapse.

"I was just going as hard as I could and trying to ski smart but I couldn't really feel my legs so I was just trying to stand on my feet," she said.

Possibly tired after Saturday's sprint, where she finished in 11th place, Diggins had made a mistake that made her happy to even be able to compete in the mass start.

"I forgot to set an alarm so I almost overslept and missed the race so I'm really glad I woke up on time," she said.

Karlsson, who had finished fourth in the sprint, accepted the second place.

"I had a good feeling in my body but Jessie was strong in the finish so (there was) nothing to do," the 24-year-old said.

After her fourth-place in Tour de Ski, Karlsson has made it to the top-four in eight consecutive races, including two relays, making it to the podium in six of them.

"I'm happy to be on the podium again," she said.

"I have a really good shape right now. I just hope to keep it, to do well and do a great finish of the season."

As Andersson struggled in the end of the race, Faehndrich made a push in the last uphill section to take the third position on the podium to the joy of the home fans.

"I just tried to follow the fastest ones and then survive as long as I could and I felt I got tired but I tried to do the last uphill as fast as possible," said Faehndrich, who finished two seconds behind the winner.

The third place is the sprint expert's career-best distance freestyle result. In distance racing, only Faehndrich's second place in 10km classic in Cogne, Italy, in 2019 – her first World Cup podium – has been better.

"A podium is always very special but at home it is even more special and I could really enjoy the whole race and to make a result like this it is even more fun," the 28-year-old said.

Andersson had to settle for the fourth place, nine seconds after Diggins and half a second before No.5 Sophia Laukli from USA. Delphine Claudel (FRA) finished sixth before Rosie Brennan (USA), who made it three USA skiers in the top-seven.

As the World Cup skiers get a two-week break before the tour comes to Canmore, Canada, on 9 February, Diggins has the overall lead, 283 points before No.2 Linn Svahn (SWE), who won Saturday's sprint. Karlsson is in third place, 386 points after Diggins.

Click here for full results from the women's 20km mass start free.

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