Lindsey Vonn sang the praises of Jessie Diggins, who claimed her third Tour de Ski crown in her final career season. Diggins was a dominant force in the event, completing her winning run in 2 hours, 11 minutes, 26.1 seconds, ahead of Austria’s Teresa Stadlober and Heidi Weng.
Vonn is en route to the 2026 Winter Olympics, the event she has been anticipating since her return to the slopes in the 2024-25 season.
Lindsey Vonn Congratulates Diggins on Her Major Win
Having announced that she would retire from cross-country skiing at the end of the 2025-26 season, Diggins aimed to make every race count. She shone in Val di Fiemme, recording her third Tour de Ski title and garnering reactions from legendary alpine skier Vonn.
The 41-year-old shared the news on her Instagram story and captioned it:
“Hell yeah @jessiediggins”
Diggins’ last two marathon wins, in 2021 and 2023, and a bronze in 2019 stand as the only podium finishes in the event by a U.S. man or woman.
Meanwhile, having qualified for the 2026 Winter Games, Vonn will be a heavy favorite in the speed events this time. She has already notched a World Cup downhill victory in St. Moritz and earned podium finishes in the downhill and super-G at Val d’Isère during the current World Cup season.
READ MORE: Lindsey Vonn Returns to Training After Much-Needed Therapy As Winter Olympics Inches Closer
Her top finish extended her win tally to 83 and made her the oldest skier to triumph at the World Cup.
Lindsey Vonn Was at a Loss for Words After Her Much-Awaited World Cup Victory
Vonn’s first season after her comeback was mixed in the early stages, with finishes ranging from fourth to sixth to a drop to 14th. However, she never gave up, ultimately securing her first podium in seven years with a silver-medal finish in the super-G finals at Sun Valley.
Since then, she refined her approach both in the gym and on the slopes and welcomed her old friend and fellow skier Aksel Lund Svindal as her coach. The duo’s collaboration paid off, as Vonn won her first gold since 2018. Following the victory, she spoke about how much it meant to her and expressed gratitude to her support system. She said:
“Win #83!!!!! This might be the best and most meaningful win of my career!! Don’t ever stop believing in yourself!! Words can’t begin to describe today… I’m still processing and probably will for a while. For now, I want to thank my team for helping me get here. Every single person played a role, and I couldn’t be more proud to work alongside all of you!”
Vonn won the downhill gold at the 2018 Olympics as the first U.S. woman to achieve such a feat. She will aim to add more wins in Cortina this year.