Johannes Klaebo leads a dominant Norwegian men's team in his bid for history and Federico Pellegrino carries the host nation's hopes as the world's best cross-country skiers gather in the Italian Alps to vie for Olympic medals.

This will be the fourth and final Winter Olympics for Jessie Diggins, the most decorated skier in U.S. history and the woman who helped put the country on the podium in a sport traditionally dominated by Nordic countries.

Norway's men hold six of the leading 10 spots in the World Cup standings, including the top three. Klaebo again heads the way and arrived in Italy with his sights set on surpassing his compatriot Marit Bjoergen's record eight gold medals.

Pellegrino, one of the fastest sprinters in the world, and fellow Italian Elia Barp also hold spots in the top 10.

Like Diggins, Pellegrino will be bowing out after Milan Cortina and will be hoping to finally land a gold medal after taking silvers in the individual sprint in 2018 and 2022.

Diggins delivered a landmark gold with Kikkan Randall in the team sprint at the 2018 PyeongChang Games, adding a silver in the 30km freestyle and a bronze in the freestyle sprint in Beijing four years later.

The 34-year-old said she was not putting pressure on herself to end the chapter with a gold medal, instead focusing on racing with the same love for the sport that first drew her to it.

"When I cross every finish line, I want to look back and know without a shadow of a doubt I just gave everything I had — that was the best that I could do, not just in that race, not just in this year, but in the last 16 years of my career, in my life," Diggins told a press conference on Thursday. 

The U.S. cross-country skiing team may be poised for its strongest Olympic performance at the 2026 Winter Games, with veteran Diggins leading the women's team and Gus Schumacher pushing the men's efforts against stiff competition from Norway and Italy.

Diggins, the most decorated cross-country skier in U.S. history, is racing her fourth and final Olympics. She is currently ranked first overall and for distance on the World Cup circuit.

She helped clinch the country's first-ever cross-country skiing gold in the team sprint at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, as well as winning an individual silver and bronze at the 2022 Beijing Games.

On the men's side, Schumacher has earned three World Cup podiums this season, including their first-ever in the team sprint after clinching a third-place finish with teammate Ben Ogden. The 25-year-old is ranked 10th in the World Cup standings.

"I think it's a really exciting time to be part of this team, because not only is the women's team having medal potential in every event, but the men's team does as well," Julia Kern, who is racing in her second Olympics, said at a press conference ahead of the Games. "I think it's a really unique time where both our men's and women's team is super strong." 

The women's events get underway with the skiathlon — a race that combines both the freestyle and classic disciplines of cross-country skiing — on Feb. 7, where Diggins' biggest competition is expected to come from Sweden's Ebba Andersson.

"Honestly, it's not about trying to beat anyone else. It's trying to get the most out of me," said Diggins when asked about Andersson and the race. "Can I be better than I was yesterday? Can I ski the smartest that I can? Can I ski with my best technique possible?"

The U.S. men will face formidable competition from Norway and Italy, with the former holding six of the top 10 spots in the World Cup rankings and Italian Pellegrino vying for a win on home snow.

"They've definitely been very dominant for a very long time," said U.S. skier Zanden McMullen. "But you know, every single time we toe the start line we want to beat them, and we're going to try to do everything we can to beat them." 

Diggins' toughest challenger could be Sweden's Moa Ilar, who sits second in both the overall and distance World Cup standings.

The 28-year-old is enjoying a breakout season and has emerged as a serious force as Sweden once again prepares for an Olympic showdown with neighbors and arch-rivals Norway.

Maja Dahlqvist, who won two silver medals at the 2022 Games, is another powerhouse on the Swedish team.

Norway's women will be without Therese Johaug, who retired for a second time in 2025 and will not defend her three gold medals from Beijing.

Her absence marks a generational shift for the Norwegian team, which will now be led by Karoline Simpson Larsen and Heidi Weng alongside sprint star Kristine Stavaas Skistad.

Cross-country skiing competitions will kick off on Feb. 7 with the women's skiathlon.

Overall, there will be 12 medal events, six each for men and women, finishing with the 50-kilometre classic race.

Skiers will race at the historic Tesero Cross Country Ski Centre, nestled beside a winding river and beneath slopes that gleam white against the steep mountain walls of the Italian Dolomites.