Diggins gets 5 km hat-trick

The USA's Jessica Diggins has won her third consecutive 5 km free technique competition in the interval start format. She joins Elena Valbe as the only female skiers to win 3 straight times at that distance, technique and format.

Finland's Krista Parmakoski got her first second place finish of the season and brought herself closer to the top three in the Tour with her result today.  Parmakoski remains 4th in the overall standings after stage five +36.8 seconds back from Norway's Heidi Weng, who now leads the Tour.

Weng finished 5th on the day +17.5 behind Diggins but moved into first place in the Tour when Sweden's Stina Nilsson had her worst day of the Tour with a 20th place finish +40.5 off the lead.

The USA's Sadie Bjornsen recorded her first ever individual World Cup podium take the third spot on today's podium +14.6 seconds back of her teammate.  Similar to the men's competition Bjornsen bumped Charlotte Kalla from third by just 0.3 seconds.

Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg struggled to an 8th place finish today +23.5 off the winning time of 12:45.6 but remains in 2nd place in the Tour standings +11.1 behind Weng.  Nilsson fell to third in the standings +16.3 back with just two stages of the Tour remaining.

The Tour now moves to Val di Fiemme, Italy for the final two stages.  Stage 6 will feature 10/15 km mass starts in classic technique with stage 7 being the traditional 9 km in free technique finishing at the top of Alpe Cermis.

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ATHLETE QUOTES

Jessie Diggins (USA)
I really love 5 km races. The course here is amazing. I had so much fun. I gave everything I had today.

Krista Parmakoski (FIN)
It is great to be on the podium of an individual free technique race. I did not have that many.

Sadie Bjornsen (USA)
I did not know what was going to happen today. I really love 5 km competitions. But the 5 km race in Val Müstair was my biggest World Cup explosion ever. So today I wanted to ski little bit more conservative but at the same time I believed in myself and it worked out surprisingly well.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS

LADIES - 5 km F interval start

1. DIGGINS Jessica 1991 USA 12:45.6
2. PARMAKOSKI Krista 1990 FIN +13.6
3. BJORNSEN Sadie 1989 USA +14.6
4. KALLA Charlotte 1987 SWE +14.9
5. WENG Heidi 1991 NOR +17.5

Complete results are available HERE.

TOUR DE SKI STANDINGS

1. WENG Heidi NOR 1:23:38.8
2. OESTBERG Ingvild Flugstad NOR +11.1
3. NILSSON Stina SWE +16.3
4. PARMAKOSKI Krista FIN +36.8
5. DIGGINS Jessica USA +1:23.3

*Complete Tour standings are available HERE.