![Jessie Diggins smiles with her arms in the air]()
Jessie Diggins waves to fans after placing fourth in the Women’s Sprint final at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![Jessie Diggins blows a kiss to the crowd]()
Jessie Diggins blows the fans a kiss before the start of Women’s Sprint final at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![A man walks with a two-toned blue flag strung from a fishing pole]()
A man walks thought the crowd with the new Minnesota flag attached to a fishing pole during the practice day at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![A line of skiers ski down a path]()
Jessie Diggins leads her heat as they cross the bridge on to the finish line in the Women’s Sprint quarterfinal at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![The back of a man's head who is wearing a helmet with a ski sticking out of it]()
A man wears a Viking hat adorned with a ski as he watches the races at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![A line of skiers ski along the path]()
Haavard Solaas Taugboel from Norway leads the pack in his heat in the Men’s Sprint quarterfinal at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![Two skiers closely trail the skier in the lead]()
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo from Norway takes first place with time of 2:54:24 in the Men’s Sprint final at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![A skier greets a fan]()
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo from Norway hands a fan a small Norwegian flag after winning the Men’s Sprint final with a time of 2:45:24 at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![Jessie Diggins skis]()
Jessie Diggins climbs a hill during the qualifying race at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![Jessie Diggins high fives fans]()
Jessie Diggins high fives fans during a honor lap after placing fourth in the Women’s Sprint final at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![Young kids sit on their parents shoulders]()
A pair of young ski fans get an elevated view of the races at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![A skier skis]()
Zak Ketterson from the United States climbs a hill during the qualifying race at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![A skier skis with his poles tucked under his arms]()
Julian Locke from Canada races past fans during the qualifying race at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![Jessie Diggins hugs another skier]()
Jessie Diggins give the Jonna Sundling a hug after Sundling won the in the Women’s Sprint final with a time of 3:06:40 at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![A skier skis with a crowd behind her]()
Julia Kern from the United States climes a hill during the qualifying race at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![Jessie Diggins skis]()
Jessie Diggins climbs a hill during the qualifying race at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![A winding line of fans stand in the snow]()
Fans line up to watch skiers during the qualifying race at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![A skier skis]()
Rosie Brennan from he United States climbs a hill during the qualifying race at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![Fans watch as a skier skis past]()
Jules Chappaz from France races past fans during the qualifying race at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![Fans hold up a Swedish flag that reads "William"]()
Fans show their support of Swedish skier William Poromaa during the qualifying race at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![Jessie Diggins skis past a large crowd]()
Jessie Diggens skis past fans at the start of the Women’s Sprint quarterfinal at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![A park is filled with ski fans]()
Fans line the course during the qualifying race at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![Fans cheer as a skier goes by]()
Ski fans cheer as Lotta Udnes Weng from Norway skis past during the qualifying race at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![Jessie Diggins skis]()
Jessie Diggins climbs a hill during the qualifying race at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![Fans wave American flags and a photo of Jessie Diggins]()
A fan holds a photo of Jesse Diggins at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![A skier takes photos with his phone]()
Bentley Walker-Broose from Australia takes photos of the fans as he skis a practice lap at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![Jessie Diggins skis]()
Jessie Diggins climbs a hill during the qualifying race at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![A skier skis]()
Alayna Sonnesyn from the United States digs hard as she tops a hill in the qualifying race at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![A line of skiers take off]()
Skiers round the corner at the start of the in the Men’s Sprint quarterfinal at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![A line of skiers ski a path]()
Jonna Sundling from Sweden races to the finish line to win the Women’s Sprint final at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
![A skier in red comes down the hill]()
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo from Norway heads towards the finish line in the Men’s quarterfinal at the 2024 Loppet World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
For the first time in more than 20 years, the U.S. hosted the World Cup ski race and Minnesotans were lucky enough to have a front-row view at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis.
“It was like this wall of noise,” Afton native Jessie Diggins, who took fourth place, said of the crowd Saturday. “It was the loudest I have ever heard it on a course in my life,” she said.
