Jessie Diggins facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jessie Diggins
Diggins in Seefeld, 2018
Born	(1991-08-26) August 26, 1991 (age 33) Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States
Height	5 ft 4 in (163 cm)
Ski club	Stratton Mountain School
World Cup career
Seasons	15 – (2011–present)
Individual wins	25
Team wins	2
Indiv. podiums	66
Team podiums	11
Indiv. starts	326
Team starts	20
Overall titles	2 – (2021 & 2024)
Discipline titles	2 – (DI in 2021 & 2024)
Medal record Women's cross-country skiing Representing the  United States International nordic ski competitions Event 1st 2nd 3rd Winter Olympics 1 1 1 World Championships 2 2 2 Olympic Games Gold 2018 Pyeongchang Team sprint Silver 2022 Beijing 30 km freestyle Bronze 2022 Beijing Individual sprint World Championships Gold 2013 Val di Fiemme Team sprint Gold 2023 Planica 10 km freestyle Silver 2015 Falun 10 km freestyle Silver 2017 Lahti Individual sprint Bronze  2017 Lahti  Team sprint Bronze 2023 Planica Team sprint U23 World Championships Silver 2014 Val di Fiemme Individual sprint
Updated on 17 January 2025.

Jessica Diggins (born August 26, 1991) is an American cross-country skier. She is one of the most successful cross-country skiers from the United States. She has won many important titles and medals.

Jessica has won two World Cup overall titles. She also has three Olympic medals and six World Championship medals. She uses her fame to speak out about important topics. These include climate change and helping people with personal health challenges.

In 2018, Jessica and her teammate Kikkan Randall made history. They won the first-ever cross-country skiing gold medal for the United States. This was at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. They won the team sprint event.

At the 2022 Winter Olympics, Jessica won two more medals. She earned a silver medal in the 30 kilometer freestyle race. She also won a bronze medal in the individual sprint. These wins made her the most decorated American cross-country skier ever.

Jessica has also won six medals at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. Two of these medals are gold. In 2023, she became the first American to win an individual gold medal at these championships. She won the 10 km freestyle race. Jessica has been competing in the FIS Cross-Country World Cup since 2011. In 2021, she won the overall title for the 2020–21 FIS Cross-Country World Cup season. This made her the first American woman to win this title. She won the overall title again in the 2023–24 FIS Cross-Country World Cup season.

Early Life and Skiing Start

Jessica "Jessie" Diggins was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She grew up in Afton, Minnesota. She has a sister named Mackenzie. Jessica started skiing when she was only four years old.

By age 11, she was already showing great talent. She began competing against older kids. Jessica finished high school at Stillwater Area High School in 2010.

Athletic Journey

High School and Junior Competitions

Jessica skied for her high school's cross-country ski team. In 2008, she was the top-ranked high school girl skier in Minnesota. She won the Korteloppet races in 2008 and 2009. These races are part of the American Birkebeiner festival in Wisconsin.

In 2009, she won the United States Junior National Sprint title. This led to her joining the United States World Junior Cross-Country Ski Team in 2010.

Professional Career Highlights

2011 to 2019: Early Success

Diggins at the World Championships in Oslo, 2011

Jessica received a scholarship to Northern Michigan University. However, she chose to race professionally instead of going to college right away. She joined the United States Ski Team in 2011. That same year, she competed in her first World Championships.

In 2013, Jessica won a gold medal with Kikkan Randall. They won the team sprint at the World Championships in Val di Fiemme. The next year, at the 2014 U23 World Championships, Jessica won a silver medal in the individual sprint. She also joined the U.S. team for the 2014 Winter Olympics. She finished 8th in her first Olympic event, the 15-kilometer skiathlon.

Jessica won a silver medal in the 10-kilometer freestyle race in 2015. This was at the World Championships in Falun. In the 2015–2016 World Cup season, she finished 8th overall.

At the 2017 World Championships in Lahti, Finland, Jessica won two more medals. She earned a silver in the freestyle sprint. She also won a bronze in the classic team sprint with Sadie Bjornsen. This made her the first American to win four World Championship medals in cross-country skiing.

Diggins (at right) in Seefeld, 2018

Jessica finished third overall in the 2017–18 Tour de Ski. This was a first for an American skier. She also finished second overall in the World Cup standings for the 2017–2018 season.

At the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Jessica and Kikkan Randall made history. They won the first-ever American cross-country skiing gold medal. They won the women's team sprint. Jessica passed two strong competitors in the final sprint to secure the win. This was the first American cross-country skiing medal since 1976.

Jessica competed in all six women's cross-country skiing events at the 2018 Olympics. She finished in the top 10 in every race. She was chosen to be the flag bearer for the United States at the closing ceremony.

2020 to Present: Continued Dominance

Diggins in Dresden, 2020

Jessica won the 2021 Tour de Ski, becoming the first American to do so. She also finished first in the overall World Cup standings for the 2020–2021 season. This made her only the second American, after Bill Koch in 1982, to win an overall World Cup cross-country ski title.

At the 2022 Winter Olympics, Jessica won a bronze medal in the women's sprint. This was another first for an American in an individual Olympic cross-country sprint. She then won a silver medal in the women's 30-kilometer freestyle race. This made her the most decorated American cross-country skier of all time. For the second Olympics in a row, she finished in the top 10 in all six women's events.

In December 2022, Jessica broke the American record for World Cup cross-country ski wins. She achieved her fourteenth victory.

At the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2023 in Slovenia, Jessica and her teammate Julie Kern won a bronze medal in the team sprint. Two days later, Jessica won a gold medal in the 10 km freestyle. This was the first individual gold medal for an American at any cross-country skiing world championship.

Diggins at the Stifel Loppet Cup in Minneapolis, 2024

Jessica had her most successful season ever in 2023–24. She won the 2023–24 Tour de Ski for the second time. She also won the 50 km freestyle race at the American Birkebeiner in Wisconsin. In 2024, Jessica received the Holmenkollen Medal. This is the highest skiing honor in Norway, and she was the first American to ever get it. For the 2023–24 World Cup season, Jessica won both the overall individual title and the distance title. She set new U.S. records with six victories and 12 podium finishes that season.

Cross-Country Skiing Achievements

Olympic Games Medals

• 3 medals – (1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze)

World Championships Medals

• 6 medals – (2 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze)

World Cup Season Titles

• 4 titles – (2 overall, 2 distance)

World Cup Season Standings

Season	Age	Discipline standings			Ski Tour standings
		Overall	Distance	Sprint	Nordic Opening	Tour de Ski	Ski Tour 2020	World Cup Final	Ski Tour Canada
2011	19	NC	—	NC	—	—	N/A	—	N/A
2012	20	34	26	35	—	—	N/A	15	N/A
2013	21	36	34	44	24	21	N/A	26	N/A
2014	22	20	21	23	24	13	N/A	36	N/A
2015	23	22	17	23	44	DNF	N/A	N/A	N/A
2016	24	8	9	8	38	10	N/A	N/A	5
2017	25	6	7	10	8	5	N/A	16	N/A
2018	26			6	12		N/A		N/A
2019	27	6	6	7	13	6	N/A	14	N/A
2020	28	6	8	11	5	9	6	N/A	N/A
2021	29			4	15		N/A	N/A	N/A
2022	30		9	4	N/A	8	N/A	N/A	N/A
2023	31			11	N/A	11	N/A	N/A	N/A
2024	32			5	N/A		N/A	N/A	N/A
2025	33	1	1	4	N/A		N/A	N/A	N/A

US National Championships Medals

• 9 medals – (6 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze)

No.	Year	Location	Event	Place
1	2011	Rumford, Maine	Sprint freestyle
2		Sun Valley, Idaho	30 km classic mass start
3	2012	Rumford, Maine	Sprint freestyle
4			10 km freestyle
5			20 km classic mass start
6			Sprint classic
7		Craftsbury, Vermont	30 km freestyle mass start
8	2016	Craftsbury, Vermont	30 km freestyle mass start
9	2018	Craftsbury, Vermont	30 km freestyle mass start

Personal Life and Advocacy

Jessica Diggins married Wade Poplawski in 2022. Wade is from Winnipeg, Canada. He used to play minor league hockey. The couple lives near Boston, Massachusetts. Jessica trains in Vermont.

After winning an Olympic gold medal, Jessica used her influence. She successfully helped bring a World Cup cross-country skiing event to the United States. This event, the 2024 Stifel Loppet Cup, was held in Minneapolis.

Speaking Out for Important Causes

Diggins, wearing an Emily Program logo on her hat, 2019

Jessica is an ambassador for Fast and Female. This non-profit group encourages girls aged 8–18 to be active in sports. She is also an ambassador for Protect Our Winters (POW). POW works to find solutions for climate change through the outdoor sports community. In 2018, Jessica went with POW to Capitol Hill to talk about climate change.

In 2019, Jessica became a spokesperson for the Emily Program. This organization helps people with personal health challenges. Jessica has shared her own story to help others. She wants to reduce the shame and secrecy around these challenges. In 2020, Jessica wrote a book called Brave Enough. It talks about her skiing achievements and her personal struggles.

See also

In Spanish: Jessica Diggins para niños

• Rosie Brennan