American Cross-Country Skiers Schumacher and Diggins Win World Cup Races on Same Day
For the first time, an American man and an American woman won World Cup cross-country skiing races on the same day at the Tour de Ski stage three in Toblach, Italy.
Gus Schumacher claimed victory in the men's 5km heat mass start free event with a time of 9:35.4, narrowly beating Benjamin Moser by 0.2 seconds. Lars Heggen finished third. Schumacher's win elevated him to sixth place in the Tour de Ski standings.
In the women's 5km heat mass start free event, Jessie Diggins secured her 31st World Cup win, finishing ahead of Emma Ribom and Moa Ilar. Diggins leads both the overall World Cup and Tour de Ski standings.
This 5km heat mass start free event is a newly introduced racing format that emphasizes shared tempo, pacing, and tactics rather than direct head-to-head racing.
Julia Kern achieved her first top-10 finish of the season by placing tenth in the women's race. Schumacher's victory highlights an increasing American presence in the sport.
The Tour de Ski proceeds with the 20km pursuit races, where athletes start based on their time deficits, as the series progresses into the new year.
