LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — 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.
