Petter Northug and Johan Olsson saw it directly in Ruka.
The skiing world’s experts are amazed by Jessie Diggins’ transformation – which has made her a complete skater.
– If I knew what I was doing right now, I would have started doing it 15 years ago, says the American.
Viaplays Johanna Ojala.
Photo: PETTER ARVIDSON / BILDBYRÅN
Jessie Diggins’ transformation is astonishing.
Photo: JOHAN AXELSSON / BILDBYRÅN
Frida Karlsson.
Photo: JOHAN AXELSSON / BILDBYRÅN
Already on the second day of the World Cup season, it became clear to those with trained eyes. Jessie Diggins, 32, had done something special during the training summer.
She came in 11th in the 10 kilometer race in classic style. Her best result at that distance in Ruka since 2017.
– I saw that she had worked on her classic technique, says the former great skier Petter Northug.
– She looks much more relaxed and took her time. It wasn’t just stress and speed. She seems completely complete.
Northug is not alone in thinking so. Far from there.
The Swedish experts are amazed by Jessie Diggins
Viaplay’s expert Johan Olsson stands squinting in the solar gas at the ski stadium in Davos. He is as impressed as Northug.
– I saw it immediately when she set off in the first race in Ruka. I remember when she drove a classic there last year. Then I scratched my head and thought: “How does she stake? She’s doing something crazy”. So she came this year and only ”wow!”. The first ten seconds I saw right away that she worked on it.
That impression became even stronger just the following week. Then Diggins ran a classic stretch of the relay in Gällivare.
– On the first hill, she diagonalized the best of everyone in the field. Better than a good classic skater like Moa Lundgren. Diggins outshined Lundgren and Heidi Weng there.
How big is the difference?
– Almost like night and day. If I’m going to use the scale 1-10, she was previously a fifth and an extremely average classic skater technically speaking. Now she is eight, nine. To be able to do that work in the latter part of his career is nothing short of impressive. .
Olsson’s colleague Johanna Ojala joins the chorus of praise.
– I am impressed. She’s made a big change in classical, that’s for sure, she says.
Ojala starts to show with her body how Diggins used to get too far down when she was skiing classically and now comes up and gets proper power in her skiing.
– Before, she distributed her body weight on two skis, but now she comes up and distributes all her body weight on one ski. She is getting strong in the trunk, seat and legs, says Ojala, who seriously saw the change in the sprint in Östersund.
– There was a picture where you could see it very clearly. Then I thought about it a lot. She comes up and gets the power straight back when she shoots in from.
Diggins’ result in classic style
Here are Diggins’ results in World Cup classic distance races over the past four seasons:
2024:
Toblach 10k: 3
Trondheim 10k: 4
Hand 10k: 11
2023:
Falun 10k: 4
The Redheads 20k: 9
Val di Fiemme 15k: 24
Oberstdorf 10k: 40
Val Müstair 10k: 30
Beitostölen 10k: 6
Lillehammer 20k: 9
Hand 10k: 21
2022:
Open 10k: 20
Val di Fiemme 10k: 13
Lenzerheide 10k: 16
Hand 10k: 18
2021:
Engadine 10k: 5
Falun 10k: 7
Val di Fiemme 10k: 9
Toblach 10k: 3
Val Müstair 10k: 3
Hand 10k: 22
In addition, this year’s sprint in Östersund was the first time she reached the final in a classic sprint since Oberstdorf 2020
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Frida Karlsson’s reaction to Diggins’ transformation
Last year’s winner of the Tour de ski, Swedish Frida Karlsson, has also taken note that one of her worst competitors has become even better this season.
– Yes, you have seen that on the results list if nothing else. She has really developed there, says Karlsson.
How much more dangerous as a competitor does she become as a result?
– For a tour like this, she is much sharper. There are no more dips like there were before.
So what exactly is the secret? It doesn’t even have Diggins’ answer to it himself.
– I actually don’t know what led to it, I really don’t, she says and smiles widely.
– But I’m really so happy about it.
Have you made any changes in your training or similar?
– No, I don’t know… I haven’t done anything different in my training. If I had known what it is I’m doing now – which works this well – then I would have done it 15 years ago.
After Wednesday’s sprint in Davos, Diggins leads the Tour de ski. Today awaits a hunting start of 20 kilometers in classic style.
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