The 2018 Winter Olympic Games have just begun, and hundreds of cross country skiers are converging in South Korea to compete for a world title.
Here is a list of 10 cross country ski female athletes to watch out for and will also most likely walk away with a medal.
See below for race updates and additional 2018 Winter Olympic Cross Country Ski blog posts.
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Jessie Diggins 26, USA Originally from Afton, MN, Diggins currently trains with the Stratton Mountin School in southern Vermont. Diggins is a returning sprint medalist silver medalist from last year. She is known for her cheerful enthusiasm on the start line, her strong no pole skate technique on downhills, for her grit and determination in head to head competition. She finished first in the last 10km Skate event before the Olympics, and will be pursuing an Olympic medal in the 10km skate and 15km Skiathlon*. |
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Sadie Bjornsen 28, USA A native of Methow, Washington, Sadie Bjornsen trains in Anchorage AK and has been having her best world cup season by far. This year she has taken three World cup Podiums, two in classic sprints and one in the classic 10km race. She is ranked 7th in the world, and has a good chance at taking a medal in the classic sprint. She will also be a strong leg of the USA*. |
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Sophie Caldwell 27, USA Caldwell came close to an Olympic medal in Sochi in 2014, where she qualified for the skate sprint final. Unfortunately, she had a tangle with Astrid Jacobsen and finished 6th overall. This year she has three world cup sprint podiums, and nabbed her first sprint win in Seefeld a couple weeks ago, where she tied Laurien Van der Graaf for first place. Caldwell will be a strong contender for the Classic Sprint Individual title, and will likely be representing the USA in the team sprint event as well*. |
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Marit Bjorgen 37, Norway Bjorgen is arguably the most successful female nordic skier of all time. This is her fourth Olympic games, and she is poised to make Olympic history. Currently, she is tied with two other nordic skiers for the highest number of medals won by a female winter Olympian. They each have ten. She also has 112 world cup wins. Since the birth of her son in 2016, she has raced less frequently, and thus dropped to tenth place in the overall world cup standings. However, she still remains one of the best athletes in the competition. She is known for her incredible upper body strength and powerful double poling technique. She is a favorite for both the 15km Skiathlon and 30km Classic events*. Update: Marit Bjorgen wins silver in the Ladies' 7.5km + 7.5km Skiathlon Source: www.olympic.org/pyeongchang-2018/results |
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Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg 27, Norway Oestberg is currently ranked second in the world. She has an Olympic gold medal from the team sprint in 2014. She is known for her close friendship and rivalry with her teammate Heidi Weng, and her brutally honest post-race interviews. Although she came onto the world cup as a sprinter, Oestberg has produced some strong distance results in the pat couple of seasons, and led the Tour de Ski for the first six stages this year. She could potentially medal in the classic sprint, the 10km Skate, or the 15km Skiathlon*. |
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Maiken Caspersen Falla 27, Norway Falla is the returning world sprint champion from last year, and olympic sprint champion from 2014. She also currently leads the sprint standings. Although skating is her preferred technique, she will be serious contender in the classic sprint. She is likely to represent Norway in the team sprint as well*. |
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Heidi Weng 26, Norway Weng is the current leader of the world cup standings, and winner of the Tour de Ski in both 2017 and 2018. Weng is one of the the best all around skiers in the field. A competitive mountain runner in addition to her nordic skiing, Heidi is known for her slight build, quick tempo, and ability to charge on the hills. Weng reliably finishes in the top three, and has 70 world cup podiums. However, only eight of these are outright wins. Will she be able to climb the podium to take top honors this Olympics? Watch for her in the 10km Skate and 15km Skiathlon events*. |
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Krista Parmakoski 27, Finland Parmakoski is Finland’s top all-around skier. She took second last year in the 15km Skiathlon and the World Championships, and took first in the most recent 10km classic race held in Planica. She is known for her efficient classic striding technique. Parmakoski is a favorite for both the 15km Skiathlon and the 30km Classic events*. Update: Krista Parmakoski wins bronze in the Ladies' 7.5km + 7.5km Skiathlon Source: www.olympic.org/pyeongchang-2018/results |
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Charlotte Kalla 30, Sweden Kalla is one of the strongest distance skate skiers in the games this year. She won the 10km skate event the last time it was held at the Olympic Games in Vancouver in 2010, but she is perhaps more famous for her performance on the last leg of the team relay in 2014, where she made up 25 seconds and brought the Swedish women’s team to their first relay win since 1960. She has raced sparingly this season, sitting out the tour de ski and other world cup races to keep herself fresh for the Olympics. She is a favorite for the 15km Skiathlon and 10km Skate events*. Update: Charlotte Kalla wins gold in the Ladies' 7.5km + 7.5km Skiathlon Source: www.olympic.org/pyeongchang-2018/results |
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Stina Nilsson 24, Sweden Nilsson is among the youngest of the athletes looking for a world title. She came onto the World cup scene last year and took several world cup wins, finished second in the sprint standings behind Falla, and took 3rd in the Tour de Ski. At 5’ 10” she is one of the tallest female competitors. She is a favorite for the Classic Sprint, and will also be competing in Sweden’s team events*. |
About Sara Falconer: www.skirack.com/blog/meet-sara-falconer
Also See:
10 Cross Country Ski Male Athletes to Watch out for at the 2018 Winter Olympics
Guide to the 2018 Winter Olympics Cross Country Ski Races
*Medal Updates
Header image is courtesy of www.olympic.org
All athlete images are courtesy of www.eurosport.co.uk