[OLYMPICS] Team USA's Jessie Diggins Claims 4th Career Olympic Medal in 10k Cross-Country - SnowBrains

"It was a bluebird day in Val di Fiemme, with firm, fast snow thanks to pre-race salting and grandstands packed with fans. More than 100 athletes took to the rolling Tesero course, but it quickly became clear that Karlsson was skiing on another level. "It was good fun," Karlsson said in an interview with FIS after the race. "I just felt like I was bursting with energy out there. I felt like I was being carried along by the crowd. I didn't really feel the pain until I crossed the line." By 1.8km she already had a two-second advantage on Andersson, and the gap only grew from there."

"Behind the Swedes, Diggins was digging deep. Skiing with rib pain that left her clutching her side after collapsing at the finish, Diggins paced her race carefully, staying within striking distance through the early splits before emptying the tank in the final kilometers. Her coaches lined the course, feeding her time checks every few hundred meters. "Today, I went into the race with a mantra of: 'Focus on what I could do right now. Focus on what I could do in the moment,'" Diggins said to"

Frida Karlsson dominated the women's 10k skate, winning gold in 22:49.2 and finishing 46 seconds ahead of teammate Ebba Andersson, who took silver. Jessie Diggins earned bronze in 23:38.9, 49.7 seconds behind Karlsson and four seconds shy of silver, becoming the first American to medal in the Olympic 10k and registering her fourth Olympic podium. The Tesero course offered firm, fast snow after pre-race salting and packed grandstands on a bluebird day. Karlsson opened a lead by 1.8km and steadily extended it. Diggins skied through rib pain, pacing early splits and pushing hard in the final kilometers with coaches providing time checks.

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