Finnish skier Johanna Matintalo claimed her maiden FIS Cross Country World Cup win in the women's 20km classic mass start in Goms, Switzerland, edging out Jessie Diggins of the USA by 0.9 seconds. The 29-year-old, a short-distance specialist, timed her sprint perfectly on the final climb to finish ahead of Astrid Øyre Slind of Norway in third. This triumph comes just weeks before the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
The race, held on Sunday, January 25, 2026, at the Goms Nordic Centre, served as the final World Cup event before the Olympics. Matintalo, making her 124th World Cup start after debuting over 11 years ago, overcame a tough first lap following her fifth-place finish in Saturday's classic sprint. She joined a leading group of six that included Diggins, Slind, Kerttu Niskanen (Finland), Katharina Hennig Dotzler (Germany), and Karoline Simpson-Larsen (Norway) around the 7.5km mark.
Early in the race, Slind and Diggins built a six-second lead after the first lap, but the chase group reeled them in by mid-second lap amid increasingly snowy conditions on the unconventional course featuring 10 short climbs and gradual descents. Matintalo conserved energy at the back before surging on the final climb into the stadium. Holding her speed on the straight, she crossed the line first, with Diggins unable to capitalize on her slipstream and Slind 1.7 seconds back overall.
"Ah finally!" Matintalo exclaimed post-race. "I’ve been pretty close to being on the podium this season but now my first win, so I’m very happy. Of course, it’s great before the Olympics to be in your best shape of the season." She added that she felt terrible initially but improved as the pace slowed in the lead group, surprising herself by fending off challengers in the sprint.
Diggins, the reigning overall leader, secured her 77th individual podium and extended her advantage in both overall and distance standings, despite a heavy training week. "I knew I was going to need to ride the draft as much as possible and save my energy," she said. "I had amazing kick."
The top 10 rounded out with Niskanen fourth, Hennig Dotzler fifth, Simpson-Larsen sixth, Linn Svahn (Sweden) seventh, Daria Nepryaeva (Russia) eighth, Nadine Fähndrich (Switzerland) ninth, and Maja Dahlqvist (Sweden) tenth. For France, Léonie Perry achieved her best classic World Cup result in 17th. Absent were key Swedes like Jonna Sundling, Ebba Andersson, and Frida Karlsson, focusing on Olympic preparations.
The victory marks Matintalo's fourth individual podium, highlighting her potential as a medal contender in Milano Cortina, where women's events begin February 8. The World Cup resumes February 28 in Falun, Sweden.
