Jessie Diggins returns for her fourth consecutive Olympic Winter Games, competing in Nordic skiing. Diggins is a three-time Olympic medalist, and is the most decorated U.S. cross-country skier in history. She is set to retire at the end of the year. Photo: Julia Kern
Meet those from the East Metro who have gold medal dreams.
The Opening Ceremony for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games arrives on February 6, and the North Star State will be well represented in Italy. Minnesota is set to send the second-most amount of athletes to compete in sports such as alpine, cross-country and Nordic skiing, curling, ice hockey and speed skating. Learn more about those who hail from the East Metro, and be sure to follow the Games through February 22.
At age 8, Giorgia Birkeland began skating in her hometown of White Bear Lake. Birkeland qualifies for her second Olympic Winter Games for speed skating. Birkeland’s specialty is Team Pursuit, Mass Start; at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, she placed 12th in Mass Start 16 Laps.
Woodbury’s Jake Guentzel qualifies for his Olympic debut in ice hockey. Guentzel, a left winger for the Tampa Bay Lightning, comes from a hockey family. Guentzel’s father, Mike Guentzel, served as assistant coach at the University of Minnesota; while brothers Ryan Guentzel played right wing for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Gabe Guentzel played for Colorado College and is currently an NHL free agent.
Three–time Olympic medalist Jessie Diggins of Afton returns for her fourth consecutive and final Olympic Winter Games for Nordic skiing. Diggins, a graduate of Stillwater Area High School, began skiing at age 3 and made her Olympic debut at Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games. At the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games, she made history as being part of the first U.S. team to win an Olympic gold medal in cross-country skiing. Outside of skiing, Diggins is an ambassador for the Emily Program, serving as an ambassador for eating disorder awareness, and she released her book, Brave Enough, in 2020.
Phill Drobnick of Woodbury coaches at his fourth and final Winter Olympic Games. Drobnick led the team at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games and the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games, where the team won the United States’ first gold medal.
