Jessie Diggins finishes fifth in Olympic skiathlon

Jessie Diggins, of Afton, got her Winter Olympics off to a strong start by narrowly missing out on a meda

Jessie Diggins, of Afton, got her Winter Olympics off to a strong start by narrowly missing out on a meda

PYEONGCHANG, SOUTH KOREA—Jessie Diggins wasn’t quite fast enough to catch the history she was chasing Saturday. That didn’t mean she finished her first race of the Pyeongchang Olympics with any disappointment, or without a meaningful achievement.

Diggins, of Afton, led the U.S. contingent with a fifth-place finish in the women’s skiathlon at Alpensia Cross-Country Skiing Center. Battling nerves and cramping, she still recorded the highest placing of any American woman in history in a cross-country ski race at the Winter Games.

Sweden’s Charlotte Kalla used a bold move in the final two kilometers to win, with Marit Bjoergen of Norway taking silver and Krista Parmakoski of Finland earning bronze.

Kalla’s gold medal was the first awarded at the Pyeongchang Games and made her the first Swedish woman to win three Olympic cross-country titles. Bjoergen set a record, too, with her 11th Olympic medal, the most won by any woman in cross-country at the Winter Games.

The American women would be delighted just to win their first-ever Olympic medal in the sport.

Though Diggins didn’t get it done in the skiathlon, which includes a 7.5-kilometer classic leg and 7.5k freestyle leg, she and her teammates have several more opportunities in Pyeongchang—and Saturday left her feeling good about their chances.

Carlos Gonzalez, Star Tribune

Jessie Diggins of Afton finished fifth in the 7.5-kilometer skiathlon Saturday.

“Today was a good race for me,’’ said Diggins, whose time of 40 minutes, 59.6 seconds was 14.7 seconds behind Kalla. “It was not my best race, which I’m really happy about, because I’m ready to do some more.

“I’m really excited. I think I’m in a good place at these Games. It’s really cool being seconds away from a medal and seeing it right there. I know it’s possible. I know I have what it takes.’’

The other Americans didn’t fare as well. Caitlin Patterson was 34th, Kikkan Randall was 40th and Rosie Brennan was 58th. All four came over the finish line with traces of gold glitter on their cheeks, applied there by Diggins in her usual pre-race ritual. Complete race results are here.

Sticking to her routine didn’t prevent her from getting so nervous that she threw up before the race.

The U.S. women entered the Olympics shouldering heavy expectations, created by their move up the World Cup rankings. The greatest hopes rest with Diggins, third in the circuit’s overall standings. She clearly felt it, though the anxiety seemed to subside once she got going.

At the halfway point of the classic leg, Diggins was third, as close as she would get to the lead. She was trying to find the optimal position on a course she labeled as both tactical and “a serious grinder,’’ with a biting wind complicating things further. After falling back to 10th place early in the freestyle leg, she moved up steadily late in the race.

“There are a few crucial pinch points where you don’t want to be stuck behind people,’’ she said of the freestyle portion. “I was not in a smart position when Charlotte made her move. Then, when I got my body to start pushing, it just was a little bit late.

“I really was wrecked at the finish. I gave it absolutely everything I had, and I’m proud of that. So I’m walking away happy.’’

Kalla seized the early lead and set a brisk pace. Bjoergen moved up through a lead pack of about 20 skiers and passed Kalla on the second lap of the race. The two swapped positions several times before Kalla attacked on the final lap, charging to the front and immediately putting distance between herself and the rest of the field.