American cross-country skiing entered a new chapter on Wednesday, achieving an unprecedented milestone at the World Cup level. For the first time in history, athletes from the United States won both the men's and women's World Cup races on the same day.
A Breakthrough Day in Toblach
The historic double was secured at the third stage of the prestigious Tour de Ski in Toblach, Italy. Both victories came in a newly introduced 5km heat mass start free event, a format that prioritised raw speed, intelligent pacing, and team tactics over direct head-to-head positioning.
Gus Schumacher ignited the American charge in the men's competition. The 25-year-old skated aggressively from the start in a race structure that divided competitors into staggered heats, with final standings decided by time. Schumacher powered across the line in 9:35.4, clinching victory by a mere two-tenths of a second ahead of Austria's Benjamin Moser. Norway's Lars Heggen finished third.
Diggins Dominates in Final Season
Later in the day, Jessie Diggins mirrored the feat in the women's event, adding another remarkable victory in what is set to be her final professional season. The race evolved less as a conventional mass start and more as a high-speed exercise in collective efficiency, with athletes sharing the lead to maintain a blistering tempo.
Diggins finished decisively ahead of Sweden's Emma Ribom and Moa Ilar, who joined her on the podium. This win marked her 31st career World Cup victory and solidified her position at the summit of both the overall World Cup and Tour de Ski standings.
Symbolism and Rising American Power
Beyond the individual triumphs, the day held profound symbolic weight for the US cross-country skiing programme. It underscored a consistent narrowing of the gap with the traditional European powerhouses of the sport.
The American success was further highlighted by Julia Kern's 10th-place finish in the women's race, her first top-ten result of the season. Schumacher's win, only the second of his World Cup career, signals a growing and credible American presence on the men's circuit, a discipline long dominated by European nations.
The Tour de Ski continues on Thursday with the demanding 20km pursuit races, where athletes will start based on their accumulated time deficits, chasing crucial points as the multi-stage event progresses into the new year.
