Americans gear up for competition

Don't miss the athletes at the starting line for the first day of cross-country skiing competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics. United States superstar Jessie Diggins will gear up for the women’s 15km skiathlon alongside teammate Rosie Brennan who is a large contender to medal. Athletes competing in the skiathlon will race the first 7.5km using the classical technique and the last 7.5km freestyle.

SEE MORE: How to watch Cross-Country Skiing at the 2022 Winter Olympics on NBC and Peacock

After winning her first gold medal during the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics in the team sprint freestyle race, Diggins returns to the track in hopes of earning a U.S.-first individual gold and/or women's individual podium. The 2022 Winter Olympics will be her third time on the Olympic stage and is joined by Brennan in the women's skiathlon for her second appearance. At the 2021 Davos Nordic World Cup, Brennan held off Slovenian Anamarija Lampic to win her first career cross-country skiing World Cup. Brennan has yet to win Olympic hardware and will also appear in the women’s individual sprint on Feb. 8 at 3:00 a.m. EST.

Some of the largest competitors in this event will be Norway’s Therese Johaug and Sweden’s Frida Karlsson. Johaug is a 14-time world champion and took home gold at the Vancouver 2010 Games as well as individual silver and bronze medals in Sochi. During the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in 2021, Johaug took first place in the women’s 15km skiathlon and Karlsson followed close by in second. Previously getting disqualified after a lane-switch maneuver causing Diggins to crash during the Stage 4 spring quarterfinals, Karlesson will meet Diggins on the track again.  

Sign up to stream every event from the 2022 Winter Olympics LIVE on Peacock. Users can also verify their TV provider to access stream events in the NBC Sports app or on NBCOlympics.com. You can also see a full cross- country skiing streaming schedule on NBCOlympics.com.