Jessie Diggins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jessie Diggins |
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Diggins in Seefeld, 2018
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| Country |  United States |
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| Born | August 26, 1991 Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
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| Height | 5 ft 4 in (163 cm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ski club | Stratton Mountain School | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Cup career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Seasons | 15 – (2011–present) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Individual wins | 27 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team wins | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiv. podiums | 68 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team podiums | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiv. starts | 337 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team starts | 20 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overall titles | 3 – (2021, 2024 & 2025) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Discipline titles | 3 – (DI in 2021, 2024 & 2025) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| Updated on March 23, 2025. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jessica Diggins (born August 26, 1991) is a famous American cross-country skier. She is the most successful cross-country skier from the United States ever. She has won three World Cup overall titles, three Olympic medals, and seven World Championship medals. Jessica uses her fame to speak out about climate change and to help others with personal health challenges.
In 2018, Diggins and her teammate Kikkan Randall made history. They won the first-ever U.S. cross-country skiing gold medal. This was for the team sprint at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. At the 2022 Winter Olympics, Jessica won a silver medal in the 30 kilometer freestyle race. She also earned a bronze medal in the individual sprint. These wins made her the most decorated American cross-country skier of all time.
Jessica has also won seven medals at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. Two of these medals are gold. She won them between 2013 and 2025. In 2023, she became the first American to win an individual gold medal. This was for the 10 km freestyle race. Jessica has been competing in the FIS Cross-Country World Cup since 2011. She won the overall title in 2021, 2024, and 2025. She was the first American woman to win this big season title.
Contents
Early Life and Skiing Start
Jessica "Jessie" Diggins was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She grew up in a town called Afton, Minnesota. She has one sister, Mackenzie. Jessica started skiing when she was only four years old. By age 11, she was already showing great talent. She often competed against older kids. Jessica finished high school at Stillwater Area High School in 2010.
Becoming a Top Skier
High School and Junior Success
Jessica skied for her high school team, Stillwater Area High School. In 2008, she was the top-ranked high school cross-country skier in Minnesota. She won the Korteloppet races in 2008 and 2009. These races are part of a big festival in Wisconsin. In 2009, she won the United States Junior National Sprint title. She joined the United States World Junior Cross-Country Ski Team in 2010.
Starting a Professional Career
Jessica was offered a scholarship to Northern Michigan University. But she decided to race professionally instead. She joined the Central Cross-Country Elite team for a year. In 2011, she was named to the United States Ski Team. That same year, she competed in her first World Championships.
Major Achievements and Olympic Glory
Winning Medals (2011–2019)
In 2013, Jessica won a gold medal with Kikkan Randall. This was in the team sprint at the 2013 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. She also won a silver medal in 2014 at the U23 World Championships. Jessica joined the U.S. team for the 2014 Winter Olympics. She finished 8th in her first event, the 15-kilometer skiathlon.
At the 2015 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, Jessica won a silver medal. This was in the 10-kilometer freestyle race. In the 2015–2016 World Cup season, she finished 8th overall.
At the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2017 in Lahti, Finland, Jessica won two more medals. She took silver in the freestyle sprint. Then, with Sadie Bjornsen, she won bronze in the classic team sprint. This made her the first American to win four World Championship medals in cross-country skiing.
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 2017–2018 season.
At the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Jessica and Kikkan Randall made history. They won the first-ever American cross-country skiing gold medal. This was in the women's team sprint. Jessica passed two strong competitors in the final sprint. Their win was the first U.S. cross-country skiing medal since 1976. Jessica competed in all six women's cross-country skiing events at the Olympics. She finished in the top 10 in every single one. She was chosen to be the flag bearer for the United States at the closing ceremony.
Continued Success (2020–Present)
Jessica won the 2021 Tour de Ski, another first for an American. She also won the overall World Cup title for the 2020–2021 season. This is the biggest annual prize in cross-country skiing. She was only the second American to win an overall season title.
At the 2022 Winter Olympics, Jessica won a bronze medal in the women's sprint. This made her the first American to win an individual Olympic medal in a cross-country sprint. She then won a silver medal in the women's 30-kilometer freestyle race. She was the first non-European to win a medal in this event. Jessica left Beijing as the most decorated American cross-country skier ever. For the second Olympics in a row, she finished in the top 10 in all six events.
In December 2022, Jessica broke the American record for World Cup wins. She achieved her fourteenth win.
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 gold in the 10 km freestyle. This was the first individual gold medal for an American at any cross-country skiing world championship.
Jessica had her most successful season ever in 2023–24. She won the 2023–24 Tour de Ski, her second victory in this competition. 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 Norwegian honor in skiing. She was the first American to ever get this award. 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.
Even with an early season foot injury, Jessica won the 2024–25 FIS Cross-Country World Cup.
Personal Life and Advocacy
Jessica Diggins married Wade Poplawski in 2022. Wade is a former minor league hockey player. The couple lives near Boston, Massachusetts. Jessica trains in Vermont.
After winning her Olympic gold medal, Jessica used her influence. She successfully helped bring a World Cup cross-country skiing event to the United States. This led to the 2024 Stifel Loppet Cup being held in Minneapolis.
Making a Difference
Jessica is an ambassador for Fast and Female. This group helps inspire girls aged 8–18 to be active in sports. She is also an ambassador for Protect Our Winters (POW). This group works to find solutions for climate change through the outdoor sports community. Jessica went to Capitol Hill in 2018 with POW to talk about climate change.
In 2019, Jessica became a spokesperson for the Emily Program. This organization helps people with personal health challenges related to body image and eating. Jessica has shared her own story to help others. She aims to improve self-acceptance and reduce the shame around these issues. In 2020, Jessica wrote a book called Brave Enough. It is about her skiing achievements and her personal health journey as a teenager. After many years of recovery, Jessica shared that she faced a health setback in 2023.
Images for kids
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Diggins in Seefeld, 2018
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Diggins at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships held at Holmenkollen in Oslo, 2011
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Diggins (at right) in Seefeld, 2018
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Diggins in Dresden, 2020
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Diggins at the Stifel Loppet Cup in Minneapolis, 2024
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Diggins, wearing an Emily Program logo on her hat, 2019
See also
In Spanish: Jessica Diggins para niños
