Golberg and Diggins Claim Victory in 20km Races in Falun

Norwegian Paal Golberg and American Jessica Diggins took top honors in the 20km freestyle mass start races at the World Cup event in Falun, Sweden, wrapping up a successful weekend.

The competition was the final race before the upcoming Nordic World Ski Championships in Trondheim, Norway, which will take place from February 26 to March 9.Golberg crossed the finish line just 0.3 seconds ahead of the United States’ Gus Schumacher, who took second place, while Norway’s Harald Östberg Amundsen finished in third. The 34-year-old Norwegian had previously claimed only one victory this season, a team sprint win at the World Cup event in Davos, Switzerland. His last individual victory came in February 2024, when he triumphed in the 20km classic race in Canmore, Canada. The overall World Cup leader, Johannes Hösflot Kläbo from Norway, did not race in Falun.

On the women’s side, Diggins narrowly edged Norway’s Heidi Weng by just 0.7 seconds in a thrilling sprint to the finish, with Sweden’s Ebba Andersson rounding out the top three, finishing 0.8 seconds behind. This victory marked Diggins’ sixth win of the season, solidifying her lead in the overall standings.

Additionally, with her triumph, Diggins moved into the lead in the long-distance standings, surpassing Norway’s Astrid Slind, who withdrew from the race at the last moment. Notably, this event also saw the absence of Norwegian Therese Johaug, this year’s Tour de Ski winner, who chose not to participate in the final race before the World Championships.