world class

Reviewed by Dennis Gildea, Springfield College

13 august 2018 archive

Nothing about Peggy Shinn's book smacks of academia. There are no endnotes; no index; the bibliography, called "Suggested Reading," is skimpy. Nevertheless, in two or three decades when sport historians are researching the rise of American cross-country skiing, especially women's skiing, World Class will be an invaluable resource. The book provides access to first-hand information and observations from the participants on the team, something that researchers covet and information that often is hard to come by. Shinn's account includes numerous "conversations with members of the U.S. Ski Team (current and alumnae) and U.S. Ski & Snowboard coaches and administrators" (228). In addition, she skillfully interweaves excerpts from a variety of ski publications and skiing websites to flesh out her narrative

The book, which recounts the importance of the team element in what is essentially an individual sport, was published slightly before the greatest triumph to date for U.S. cross-country skiers – Jessie Diggins's and Kikkan Randall's gold medal performance in the team sprint in the Pyeongchang Olympics in February. The gold medal was the first for American cross-country skiers in Olympic history. Prior to the Diggins-Randall triumph, Bill Koch's silver medal in the 30-kilometer race in the 1976 Games was America's finest moment. That the gold medal came in women's skiing was no surprise, Shinn's book makes clear, nor was it a fluke. World Class was written before the completion of the 2017-18 International Ski Federation schedule, but the book all but foretold what the American skiers would accomplish. Diggins finished second in the overall World Cup standings, while teammate Sadie Bjornsen was sixth. Diggins was third in the distance-racing standings. In the sprint results, Sophie Caldwell finished third, while Diggins was sixth and Bjornsen eighth. In the Nation's Cup team standings, the United States women placed third behind traditional Nordic powers Norway and Sweden. Unprecedented results, and certifiably world class.

Shinn is especially strong in detailing the athletic background and skiing rise of Randall and Diggins from high school athletes in Anchorage, in Randall's case, and Afton, Minnesota, in Diggins's case. Although both began skiing as individuals training on their own, they both improved to world-class level largely through the "power of team," which is the focal point of the book's Section IV. Team coach Matt Whitcomb's philosophy was summed up in his mantra, "all leaders, no leaders" (81).

The story that best illustrates the team approach that Whitcomb and his athletes adhered to involves the skiers' adoption of what they dubbed their "relay socks." While on the European racing tour in 2012, Randall and Liz Stephen stopped in a shop in Germany where they discovered "red, white, and blue striped socks that were part of a Pippi Longstocking costume," figuring they would wear them in relays to promote team spirit. "They did not know how much power those socks would have" (156). Randall and Diggins were wearing the socks when they won their Olympic gold. And it is anecdotes such as this that make Shinn's book a valuable addition to ski history.

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