Jessie Diggins did so many things for the final time on Sunday: putting on pre-race World Cup glitter, lining up at the start and finishing one last cross-country skiing race.
Diggins, the best cross-country skier in U.S. history, completed her career at the Stifel World Cup Finals in Lake Placid, New York, finishing 12th in a 20km mass start after a late crash took her out of podium contention.
“I was in tears before the race. I was in tears after the race,” she said. “The love and the support of everyone just has meant so much to me, and it’s been so incredible. It’s just been the coolest thing in the world to be part of this. So I just want to say thank you to everyone.”
Diggins, 34, announced before this season that it would be her last.
She retires with American cross-country skiing records for Olympic medals (four, including sharing the lone gold with Kikkan Randall in the 2018 team sprint), individual World Cup race wins (31) and World Cup overall season titles (four, including the last three in a row).
After Sunday’s race, she carried a ski that had the words “most decorated American cross-country skier in history.”
She retired on home snow in Lake Placid, just the second time the U.S. has hosted World Cup cross-country skiing in the last 25 years.
“Might not get much words from me,” an emotional Diggins said afterward (interview video below). “That was so incredibly special. All the people out there chanting. My family out there. The team. My last team cheer of my life last night. I’m just going to miss everyone so much. I’m sorry, I just have so many big feelings because this sport has been a huge part of my life. They’ve all become my family, and I’m going to miss them so much. This sport and these people have given so much to me, and it just means the world. I’m just kind of a wreck right now, but that’s OK because this has been just the biggest honor of my life to race for this team and this country.”
