PYEONGCHANG, South Korea — The U.S. racer Jessie Diggins finished fifth Saturday in the women’s skiathlon. That marked the best individual finish for an American in an Olympic cross-country ski race since 1976, when Bill Koch took silver — still the only medal the United States has won in the discipline.
Jessie Diggins (No. 3) in Saturday's skiathlon // Getty Images
It is a measure of the expectations the American team has for these PyeongChang Games that, afterward, Diggins — golden glitter on her cheeks — was pleased but hardly elated.
Moral victories are no longer good enough.
The Americans are here for medals. Diggins’ performance Saturday hints at what should — should — be to come.
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