Powerhouse athlete Jessie Diggins opens the cross-country skiing event on Saturday, Feb. 7, at 7 a.m. Her skiing could clinch the first U.S. medal of the 2026 Milan Cortina Games and elevate the U.S. cross-country skiing program.

The 2026 Games will be Diggins' fourth and final Olympics after announcing she would retire at the end of the cross-country skiing season. First, she’ll compete in all six cross-country medal events with the aim of winning an individual gold medal. Her next best chance for gold will be the 10km freestyle on Feb. 12.

As a four-time Olympian, she has three medals. A gold from the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang in the women's team sprint freestyle event, a silver in the women's 30km freestyle event, and a bronze in the women's sprint freestyle event from the 2022 Beijing Games.

Ahead of the games, she posted about the hair tinsel she wore when she won her first-ever U.S. cross-country gold medal in the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. Since then, she’s become known for her signature face glitter, which she will wear along with her lucky throwback tinsel. 

Diggins heads into the skiathlon race as the top-ranked woman in distance skiing. In December, she won the top spot at the women’s 20km skiathlon classic by one second from Norway’s Heidi Weng and 2.3 seconds ahead of Sweden’s Ebba Andersson.

The skiathlon race is a high-endurance event, almost akin to a marathon on skis. On the course, skiers will race 10km or 6.2 miles using the classic technique, then another 10km or 6.2 miles using the freestyle technique. The women’s race will be a mass start that lasts 55 – 65 minutes, with the first athlete to cross the finish line as the winner.

Classic skiing is like running on skis, while freestyle mirrors skating. Due to the differing needs of these techniques, the skiers will change their skis at the midway point. This pit stop-like moment is crucial for skiers, with the focus on their equipment team and wax techs.

The Milan Cortina Venue is the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium, a venue that hosts world champions and the Tour De Ski.  

The strongest contenders in the race against Diggins will be Andersson, who is a two-time world champion and 2018 Olympic bronze medalist Weng, who is a consistent performer in the skiathlon. Also in the mix is Austria’s Theresa Stadlober, who won bronze at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, and two-time Olympian Moa Ilar of Sweden.

If the results of the last world skiathlon race are any indication, this initial cross-country skiing race could bring the drama of a close race. It could also cement Diggins' legacy as a legendary American cross-country skier.