03/22/26 03:20:00
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03/22 15:18 CDT Jessie Diggins takes 12th after crash in final World Cup
cross-country ski race of storied career
Jessie Diggins takes 12th after crash in final World Cup cross-country ski race
of storied career
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (AP) --- Jessie Diggins raised her arms after she crossed the
finish line of the women's 20-kilometer mass start Sunday, an exhausted smile
on her glitter-lined face as the American standout wrapped up the final race of
her storied career.
The 34-year-old cross?country ski racer was in the medal mix before a late
crash knocked her to the snow. Diggins got back up and finished in 12th place.
Then, the hugs began for the four-time Olympic medalist. All of her competitors
lined up for a chance at an embrace with Diggins, who was wearing her trademark
glitter on her cheeks as a reminder to have fun.
She did, too --- all the way to the end.
"I'm really going to miss this," Diggins said on the Outside broadcast after
the race. "But I'm really, really thankful that I got to do this and that I got
to be part of such an incredible team for so many years."
Diggins goes out on top after securing her fourth overall World Cup title
earlier this weekend. The final World Cup race of her career wasn't simply a
ceremonial lap in front of home fans, either --- Diggins was charging hard for
the win. She was in fifth place moments before her crash on the downhill
portion of the course.
Diggins leaves the sport as the most decorated cross?country skier in U.S.
history. She received a spray of bubbly soon after all the hugs in a race won
by Jonna Sundling of Sweden in 48 minutes, 17.1 seconds. Diggins finished 16.5
seconds behind.
Before the race, she soaked in the moment and blew kisses to the crowd. Several
fans showed up with shirts featuring the image of a smiling Diggins.
The racer from Minnesota who began skiing at 3 years old won 33 times on the
World Cup circuit, along with two world championships.
She certainly shined on the Olympic stage and added to her trophy case at the
Milan Cortina Games by earning a bronze medal in the 10-kilometer interval
start. That despite suffering painful rib bruising from a crash in her opening
race.
Diggins won America's first cross-country skiing gold alongside Kikkan Randall
in 2018, and she added silver and bronze medals at the 2022 Beijing Games.
As for her retirement plans, Diggins said she will continue to campaign for
climate change awareness and to support people coping with eating disorders.
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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
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