The U.S. cross-country skiing team is preparing for its strongest Olympic performance at the 2026 Winter Games, taking place in Italy. Jessie Diggins, an accomplished skier, is set to compete in her last Olympics, having previously secured a gold, silver, and bronze in past Games. She is currently ranked first on the World Cup circuit, which positions her as one of the top contenders. Diggins’ main competitor in the upcoming skiathlon is expected to be Sweden's Ebba Andersson. Alongside her, Gus Schumacher represents the U.S. men's team, which is also showing promising results with three podium finishes this season. Both teams are optimistic about their chances, with Julia Kern noting that both have medal potential in every event. The U.S. men's team faces particularly stiff competition from athletes representing Norway and Italy, who have historically dominated in cross-country skiing. As the Games commence, attention will be on how the teams cope with this pressure and perform against such strong competitors from these countries.