Diggins wins in front of family as World Cup returns to Canada

As the Coop FIS Cross-Country World Cup returned to North America for the first time since 2019, it was the continent's most sparkling superstar who shone the brightest.

USA's Jessie Diggins won the women's 15km mass start free on Friday with a tactically perfect race to increase her lead in the overall rankings and celebrate with friends and family in the stands for the first time in many years.

"That was very exciting and I've been looking forward to this for a very, very long time," said Diggins, who beat runner-up Delphine Claudel (FRA) by 2.6 seconds as Heidi Weng (NOR) finished third.

Canmore may be close to her home country, but Diggins has also revealed that half of her family is Canadian, which made it feel extra homely as the World Cup returned to the mountain town west of Calgary for the first time since 2016.

"I have a lot of family members out there; my parents, my grandma, my in-laws, it was so much fun to be able to race like that in front of them," Diggins said.

"I know they'd be proud of me no matter what but I was hoping to be able to put on a show."

The 32-year-old said she had spread her trademark face glitter on her whole team's cheeks before the competition in a move to distract her from the responsibility of being the home favourite.

"(I dealt) with all my nerves by putting glitter on all of our USA women and a good deal of the staff too," she said, thanking the rest of the team for their part in her sixth victory this season.

"I've been working really hard and we had amazing skis, so huge thanks to our team, it takes a huge group to make this happen."

Tactically, she could not have made a stronger race. Diggins made sure to get into the front of the pack at the 6.7km and 10.5km marks, picking up the maximum of 30 sprint bonus points. Apart from that, she waited patiently further down in the field as others took turns to exhaust themselves in the front.

One third into the race, 18 skiers had got themselves a gap to the rest. Then Sweden's Ebba Andersson took charge and increased the pace to make it a front group of five.

In one of the tough uphill sections, Sophia Laukli (USA) showed why she is one of the strongest climbers of the tour set off with Andersson chasing her as only a couple of kilometres remained of the race.

In the last kilometre, Claudel pushed to the front of the group and looked ready to battle for her second World Cup victory, but Diggins responded and had soon taken over the first place, unbeatable in the last stretch of the race.

"Going into the race I just wanted to be flexible," Diggins said.

"I didn't know if you'd be able to pull away or not because there were such fast conditions. I wanted to ski a smart race and a hard race. So I made myself be patient."

Claudel's second place was her sixth World Cup podium, and her first in a distance that was not 10km.

"I like the track here in Canada," the 27-year-old said.

"Canmore is very beautiful and I am in good shape but Jessie is very, very fast in the finish so I am happy to be second today. I will have to come back in Minneapolis."

Weng stayed in the front group for most of the race, keeping control of the situation without loosing too much energy. The 32-year-old veteran enjoys it in Canmore, where she was one of few skiers to have competed the last time around. Then, in March 2016, the current overall No.8 won the skiathlon and finished second in the 10km free.

"It's one of my favourite tracks in the World Cup because it's much uphill and nice mountains in the background. For me it is the perfect conditions. I really like this place," Weng said after bagging her fifth podium of the season.

"I was a little afraid in the last downhill because I was the first and many people were behind me, so I was a little bit angry that I got a gap (to the front two) in the last sprint, but I feel like it was a good finish from me so it was perfect."

Even though it was a few years ago, Weng said it could have given her some mental confidence that she had won before in Canmore.

"I know that I have a nice feeling here and that I like this track so that could perhaps be a little important for my head," said the Norwegian, who finished 0.8 second before her teammate Astrid Oeyre Slind (NOR) in fourth place.

Flora Dolci in fifth place made it two French among the top-five, as Teresa Stadlober (AUT) finished sixth. Andersson and Laukli, who had been battling for the two top spots with kilometres left of the race, had to settle for seventh and eighth.

Click here for full results from the women's 15km mass start free.

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