Jessie Diggins became the first American ever to capture a gold medal in an individual cross-country race at the RIS Nordic world ski championships.
The three-time Olympian raced in the women's 10-kilometer freestyle on Tuesday, finishing the course in 23 minutes, 40.8 seconds to capture the prestigious title.
In the win, the Afton native held off a pair of Swedish stars -- Frida Karlsson and Ebba Andersson -- by 14 seconds and 19.5 seconds, respectively. Ahead of the 10k, Sweedish skiers had captured all three of the women's races.
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"That was so emotional,'' Diggins told reporters in Planica. "That was amazing. I've just got to say thank you to the team.
"That was one of the best races of my whole life. I knew I felt good and was in good shape, but you also have to have great skis and good wax. I had everything I needed. I'm just so happy.''
Diggins had quite a successful stint at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, taking home a silver medal in the 30-kilometer freestyle and bronze in the individual sprint. She was also a gold medalist in the team sprint at 2018 Pyeongchang.
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Although not confirmed, Diggins is expected to return to action at the next women's race, the 4x5k relay Thursday.
