CANMORE, Alberta (AP) — Jessie Diggins won a 15-kilometer World Cup skiing event Friday, a week before the tour makes a stop in her home state of Minnesota.
Diggins’ time of 40 minutes, 26 seconds gave her a 2.6-second edge over runner-up Delphine Claudel of France for her fifth victory of the season. Heidi Weng of Norway was third in 40:29.3.
Sophia Laukli finished second among Americans and eighth overall in 40:34.6.
The 32-year-old Diggins helped the U.S. team earn its first Olympic gold medal in cross country skiing six years ago at the Pyeongchang Games in South Korea when she and Kikkan Randall won the team sprint. Diggins has since made it a mission to have a World Cup stop in Minneapolis, a goal that will become reality next weekend.
The races will be held at Theodore Wirth Park overlooking downtown Minneapolis on Feb. 17-18, marking the tour’s first American stop in 23 years.
Diggins grew up in Afton, Minnesota, about 30 miles east of the course.
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The Associated Press