Jessie Diggins and Her Retirement: Closing a Legendary Chapter, Opening a New One
Jessie Diggins — Olympic champion, World Cup overall winner, and the heartbeat of U.S. cross-country skiing — has announced that this season will be her last on the World Cup circuit. It’s a moment that feels both bittersweet and deeply inspiring. After more than a decade of racing at the highest level, Jessie is choosing to step away in a way that reflects everything we admire about her: intention, honesty, and purpose.
Among all the coverage of her decision, two articles stand out to us as the clearest and most thoughtful look at why she’s retiring and what she hopes for next.
Three Frames: Jessie Diggins and the Art of What Endures
“The Zoom room filled slowly, one journalist after another blinking into existence in a grid of small rectangles. Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Helsinki, Colorado, New York — not just the coordinates of U.S. skiing scattered across time zones, but also NPR, NBC, and European reporters, over 60 media outlets, all converging on a November morning. Jessie Diggins appeared in the largest box, glowing as she does all the way from Muonio, Finland, where she had arrived two nights earlier. The wooden panels on the wall behind her made it clear she sat in a Northern Scandinavian rental, probably one that has become quite recognizable to her each November. Diggin’s voice is steady and familiar, but beneath the surface, something is newly unbound.”
Read entire article at fasterskier.com
Jessie Diggins, U.S. cross-country skiing star, to retire after season: Exclusive
“Jessie Diggins can see the finish line.
The reigning overall World Cup cross-country skiing champion, the Olympic gold medalist, two-time world champion, the sort of Nordic skier America could once only dream of producing, is ready to take one last lap across the snow.
“I’m ready in my heart and my soul,” the 34-year-old Diggins said over a dinner in Vermont last month, speaking for the first time about her plan to retire at the end of this season, her 16th as a professional.”
Read entire article at nytimes.com
Jessie’s influence will continue far beyond the finish line. Her racing career may be winding down, but her work uplifting others — teammates, young athletes, fans, and families discovering Nordic skiing — is only gaining momentum.
If you’d like to learn more about Jessie Diggins — her racing, her story, and the moments that made her such a beloved figure in Nordic skiing — we’ve shared several articles about her on NordicSkiing.family in the past.
Jessie Diggins commits to the 2024 Birkebeiner - including her bio
And on our YouTube channel, you can revisit some of her unforgettable highlights from the Minneapolis World Cup, including World Cup Memories, Glitter Magic, and her thrilling 10 km skate victory.