ZHANGJIAKOU, China — When Jessie Diggins began the anchor leg of the women's 4 x 5K relay on Saturday, Team USA trailed the leaders by 57.6 seconds.
That's a lot of lead to bite into. Diggins is good. But that good?
Germany and the Russian Olympic Committee were battling for first place. There was a second pack, closer to Diggins by around 30 seconds, of Finland, Norway and Sweden — a neighborhood brawl for bronze between three Nordic countries and cross-country skiing powers.
