American Jessie Diggins wins her 3rd XC Tour de Ski title, Klaebo claims record 5th win

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VAL DI FIEMME, Italy (AP) — Jessie Diggins of the United States clinched a dominant third title in cross-country skiing’s Tour de Ski on Sunday, just over a month before the start of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

Diggins, who is from Afton, Minnesota, began the sixth and final stage of the competition — raced entirely in Italy this year — with a 79-second lead.

The 34-year-old Diggins was second in the 10-kilometer leg that ended with a gruelling climb up Mount Cermis, less than nine seconds behind stage winner Karoline Simpson-Larsen, to claim the title with an overall time of 2 hours, 11 minutes, 26.1 seconds.

Diggins finished two minutes and 17.7 seconds ahead of Austria’s Teresa Stadlober in Val di Fiemme, the region that will host cross-country skiing at the Winter Olympics.

Heidi Weng of Norway was third overall, 2:31.6 behind Diggins.

In 20 years of the marathon competition, Diggins’ victories in 2021 and 2023 and her third place in 2019 and last year are the only other podium finishes by an American man or woman.

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway won the men’s tour for a record fifth time, ahead of compatriot Mattis Stenshagen, who crossed the line first at the top of Alpe Cermis to finish 30.1 behind his teammate.

It was an all-Norwegian podium with Harald Østberg Amundsen finishing third overall, 1:08.2 behind Klaebo.

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AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports