(Photo credit: REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach)

TESERO, Italy -- The U.S. cross-country skiing team may be poised for its strongest Olympic performance at the 2026 Winter Games, with veteran Jessie Diggins leading the women's team and Gus Schumacher pushing the men's efforts against stiff competition from Norway and Italy.

Diggins, the most decorated cross-country skier in U.S. history, is racing her fourth and final Olympics. She is currently ranked first overall and for distance on the World Cup circuit.

She helped clinch the country's first-ever cross-country skiing gold in the team sprint at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, as well as winning an individual silver and bronze at the 2022 Beijing Games.

On the men's side, Schumacher has earned three World Cup podiums this season, including their first-ever in the team sprint after clinching a third-place finish with teammate Ben Ogden. The 25-year-old is ranked 10th in the World Cup standings.

'I think it's a really exciting time to be part of this team, because not only is the women's team having medal potential in every event, but the men's team does as well,' Julia Kern, who is racing in her second Olympics, said at a press conference ahead of the Games.

'I think it's a really unique time where both our men's and women's team is super strong.'

The women's events get underway with the skiathlon - a race that combines both the freestyle and classic disciplines of cross-country skiing - on February 7, where Diggins' biggest competition is expected to come from Sweden's Ebba Andersson.

'Honestly, it's not about trying to beat anyone else. It's trying to get the most out of me,' said Diggins when asked about Andersson and the race. 'Can I be better than I was yesterday? Can I ski the smartest that I can? Can I ski with my best technique possible?'

The U.S. men will face formidable competition from Norway and Italy, with the former holding six of the top-10 spots in the World Cup rankings and Italian Federico Pellegrino vying for a win on home snow.

'They've definitely been very dominant for a very long time,' said U.S. skier Zanden McMullen. 'But you know, every single time we toe the start line we want to beat them, and we're going to try to do everything we can to beat them.'

--Reuters, special to Field Level Media