On the eve of the Loppet Cup, Jessie Diggins was asked what it would mean to her to be at the top of the podium. Despite the emotions of her first World Cup event in her home country, she wanted to keep the pressure down.
“If I set my priorities right, it means nothing other than being the last one dead,” said the Afton native. “The real victory was being here.”
She felt the same way on Sunday after finishing third in the women's 10-kilometer freestyle in the final race of the event. Jonna Sundling of Sweden took the top prize for the second year in a row by sprinting around the course at Theodore Wirth Park, adding the 10K title to her freestyle sprint victory she recorded on Saturday. Sundling finished in 22 minutes and 38.9 seconds, followed by compatriot Frida Karlsson and Diggins.
Only the Minnesotan stood in the way of a Swedish sweep. Diggins moved into third place at the 3.3km mark, holding on to a 3.2-second lead over fourth-place finisher Linn Svahn. The podium finish helped Diggins maintain her lead over Svahn in the overall World Cup, giving her a 257-point lead with four stops remaining in the season.
None of this was a priority for Diggins. Earlier in the day, she helped lift Gus Schumacher onto the shoulders of his U.S. teammates after his momentous win in the men's 10K, becoming only the third American to win a World Cup.
In the aftermath of her own race, Diggins' teammates returned the favor, lifting her up to blow kisses to a crowd of 20,000 spectators.
“This whole weekend made my career dream come true,” Diggins said. “It hardly feels real.
“Everyone was ready to celebrate skiing in this country. I've been working towards this for a very long time. I’ve never been more proud, maybe even of anything.”
Race results: Men's 10km race | Women's 10km race
Diggins was particularly pleased with how fans welcomed the first World Cup in the United States since 2001. A total of 40,000 spectators attended the two days of racing. They overran the autograph areas, treated the athletes like celebrities and created what some skiers called a “noise wall” around the course.
The Loppet Foundation organized the races and executive director Claire Wilson said officials at the International Ski and Snowboard Federation – which oversees the World Cup – were impressed. Given the rave reviews from athletes and fans, she expects the Loppet Foundation to discuss hosting another World Cup in the future.
“It was an incredible weekend,” Wilson said. “We’re not a big organization, but we’ve shown we can do it. And it fits with our mission to connect people with nature and build community.”
The Loppet Cup ended on another bluebird day, perfect weather for skiing or watching. Schumacher started the day with a monumental surprise. He is from Madison, Wisconsin and grew up in Alaska. He won the men's race in 20:52.7, defeating men's World Cup leader Harald Oestberg Amundsen of Norway by 4.4 seconds.
Diggins was one of the first to hug Schumacher. An hour before her own race, she sobbed over his triumph, adding more emotion to an already crowded weekend.
She had said for months that her only goal in Minneapolis was to have fun and make sure she wasn't so focused that she didn't fully absorb the World Cup, which had been years in the making. On Saturday, Diggins finished fourth in the freestyle sprint. On Sunday she returned for her signature race to even louder cheers.
The 10km run was an interval start and Sundling, 38th in the starting order, set the fastest time at every checkpoint, setting a high bar. Diggins started 58th. As she entered the track it became increasingly muddy under the bright sun, slowing slightly with each of the three laps.
“My strategy was to ride as hard as I could the whole time and try to really finish with about 2km to go,” Diggins said. “And then I just hope the crowd carries me back to the finish line. And they did.”
The roar that followed her down the track was, according to Diggins, the loudest thing she had ever heard. As she crossed the finish line in a time of 23:10.7, she collapsed in the snow, exhausted but still smiling.
Diggins praised fans for embracing all athletes, no matter what colors they wore. Amundsen paid the ultimate compliment. He said attendance at Wirth Park was higher than events at its home stadium in Norway, the epicenter of cross-country skiing.
“On the longest climb it was absolute madness,” he said. “I couldn’t hear myself thinking or breathing. I really want to ski in America again. Maybe next year.”
Diggins wasn't thinking that far ahead. On Sunday she wanted to stay in the moment and take in every last memory.
“My only goal was to enjoy it and just give it as much as I could and leave it all out on the course,” she said. “And that's what I did. I definitely did.”