Google closing ceremony flag bearer Jessie Diggins and it\u2019s almost impossible to find a photo in which she\u2019s not smiling. Or at least smirking. The same goes from the rest of the U.S women\u2019s cross-country team. And the PyeongChang Games have been no exception, with the women practically dripping happiness the past few weeks.<\/p>\n
The examples are endless. For instance, the team\u2019s bubbly interview with Katie Couric, or Diggins putting glitter on her face before every race \u2013 a tradition she calls \u201cgetting her sparkle on.\u201d Behind the scenes, team member Liz Stephen says they\u2019ve held movie nights, played games and gotten haircuts together. \u201cWe genuinely love each other,\u201d she said. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to force smiles.\u201d<\/p>\n
To an extent, their exuberance stems from success. Diggins started the Games with the best-ever cross country finishes for an American woman (5th, 6th and 5th). But results by no means dictate their mood. \u201cThere is more to it than just medals,\u201d said Diggins after one of the races. \u201cIt\u2019s an honor and a privilege and [to] know you\u2019re racing not just for yourself, you\u2019re racing for your teammates.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the lightheartedness is now seemingly effortless, according to Stephen, \u201cit hasn\u2019t always been that way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cross country ski racing has traditionally been thought of as a solo endeavor. \u201cPeople were training in isolation,\u201d explained Peggy Shinn, the author of World Class: The Making of the U.S. Women\u2019s Cross-Country Ski Team<\/em>. \u201c<\/span>If you wanted to be a cross country skier, you did it alone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Historically, American cross country skiers have played second fiddle to their European, and especially Nordic nation, counterparts. One exception is Bill Koch, who helped popularize the skate skiing technique and, going into PyeongChang, possessed the United States\u2019 sole cross country medal \u2013 a silver from the 1976 Innsbruck Games. But that never really spread to the rest of the U.S. team; a trend that continued into the 21st century.<\/p>\n In 2001, Kikkan Randall was named to the U.S. Ski Team; though, at the time, there wasn\u2019t much of a team to speak of \u2013 it was still mostly a collection of individuals. Obscurity and mediocre results were fixtures of the American cross-country experience. That reached a new low at the 2005 World Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany, when the American women\u2019s 4 X 5km relay team was taken off course for not being fast enough. \u201cThey finished dead last because nobody cared about them,\u201d Shinn said. No women were named to the U.S. Ski Team for 2005-2006 season, and funding was cut. \u201cThat was Kikkan\u2019s lowest moment.\u201d<\/p>\n Slowly, though, there\u2019s been a resurgence. And a shift in attitude.<\/p>\n After a surprisingly strong American cross-country showing at the 2006 Turin Games, the U.S Ski Team recommitted funds to the women\u2019s program. Stephen was among those added to the team as part of the expansion.<\/p>\n Adv<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n Within a few years, flickers of promise were producing steadier flames. In 2007, Randall became the first American woman to land on a World Cup podium. A year later, she collected her first World Championships medal (silver). The success provided the impetus for even further improvement, says Stephen. She recalls the team stepping back and asking itself, \u201cwhat can we do to make this better?\u201d<\/p>\n Stephen says that Matt Whitcomb, who was elevated to head women\u2019s coach in 2011, played a major role in helping the team coalesce. By that point, the team had added Diggins, Sophie Caldwell, and Sadie Bjornsen, among others.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the beginning, it was a lot of meetings,\u201d Stephen said, where everyone was encouraged to get to know one another better and air any grievances. Even the little things \u2013 like how Diggins wouldn\u2019t wait for the coffee to fill before taking a cup, which apparently drove one of her teammates crazy. Diggins wasn\u2019t even aware her habit was causing a problem until someone brought it up. The lesson, said Stephen, was: \u201cIf you have an issue, talk about it. Don\u2019t stew over it.\u201d<\/p>\n The group also instituted \u201cTeam Tuesdays,\u201d where they would have to do something together. Movies didn\u2019t count. At first it sometimes felt like a commitment, says Stephen. Soon enough, however, the gatherings just started happening on their own. Today, the group hangs out together all the time; Tuesdays or otherwise. \u201c[There\u2019s a] strong bond between people, not just teammates,\u201d said Stephen. \u201cI feel really lucky to be part of such a strong group of women.\u201d<\/p>\n Diggins is a known instigator of team revelry. A few years ago she choreographed and organized a team dance. \u201cIt\u2019s more than happiness,\u201d said Shinn, describing the dynamic. \u201c<\/em><\/span>They\u2019re trying to be the goofy family that gets along at Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n Stephen says that the U.S. women have started to spread their mentality to other national teams. Once, a Finnish skier was so touched by Randall\u2019s invitation to train together that she broke down in tears. As moments like these accumulate, the previously hard edges of the sport are softening \u2013 with Team USA leading the way.<\/p>\n The ultimate expression of joy came last week in PyeongChang when Diggins and Randall won the team sprint. It was the first Olympic gold medal for the U.S. cross country team, and the only medal of any color for the women. \u201cThe new era has been dawning for a number of years now,\u201d Koch told Cross Country Skier magazine after the race. \u201cBut now, the sun just rose.\u201d<\/p>\n The entire American women\u2019s team was in attendance. Dancing, hugs and tears ensued. Other teams came over to join the celebration too. No jealousy, said Stephen, just pride.<\/p>\n Surrounded by the throng, Diggins and Randall grabbed an American flag and pulled it over their shoulders. Turning to one another after their decade long-journey to the top, their smiles beamed.<\/p>\n\n Google closing ceremony flag bearer Jessie Diggins and it\u2019s almost impossible to find a photo in which she\u2019s not smiling. Or at least smirking. The same goes from the rest of the U.S women\u2019s cross-country team. And the PyeongChang Games have been no exception, with the women practically dripping happiness the past few weeks. The examples are endless. For …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":53477,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[38],"tags":[3065],"yoast_head":"\n\r\n \t