Diggins crashes in last race as Sundling wins 20K in Lake Placid

This was supposed to be Jessie Diggins’ day. As she made her way to the start line in Lake Placid, USA for her last FIS Cross-Country Skiing World Cup race before retirement, the Minnesotan fought back tears as the large, noisy crowd welcomed their hero.

And what better way to sign off than with victory in the 20km Mass Start Free at the end of a season in which she has already claimed the Overall and Distance titles, if not the individual Olympic gold medal that had eluded her?

But Jonna Sundling (SWE) forgot to read the script, storming to victory ahead of in-form compatriot Linn Svahn to claim just the third distance World Cup victory of her career, compared to 15 sprint wins.

In a five-lap race on a fast course with plenty of technical turns, things looked good for Diggins near the start of lap three when two of her biggest distance rivals, Frida Karlsson (SWE) and Astrid Oeyre Slind (NOR), crashed to the ground.

Olympic 20km champion Karlsson knew little about the incident, as Slind slipped coming round a left-hand corner on an uphill section and fell across the back of the Swede’s skis. By the time the two got to their feet, they were way off the lead and seemingly out of contention.

But Karlsson recovered to join Diggins, Sundling, Svahn and Heidi Weng (NOR) near the front of the lead group with just one lap to go.

Even at the age of 34, Diggins has again been the model of consistency this season but had rarely blown the field away, with just three wins among her 10 podium finishes. And although five of those podiums have come in 20km races, including her last victory, that was on New Year’s Day, and she has been fighting for form rather than skiing with freedom since then.

Svahn, on the other hand, had claimed three victories since the Winter Olympics, including two in Lake Placid on Friday and Saturday, standing on six of the last eight podiums.

With half a lap to go, Karoline Groetting (NOR) was the surprise leader; Diggins was among those still in contention. Then, disaster. Coming downhill round a fast left-hand corner, she slipped, stumbled then crashed to the snow. The crowd fell silent as she go to her feet, knowing dreams of a fairytale ending had been dashed.

While Diggins skied on for pride, Sundling made a break for it at the front. The Swede had won twice since losing her Olympic sprint title to Svahn a month ago and always looked to be skiing within herself in this race as others toiled. Svahn tried to her chase down her compatriot, but it was too late. She trailed in 3.5 seconds behind Sundling, who punched the air with delight at claiming her sixth victory of a season – her first was also a 20km Mass Start Free, in Lahti, Finland.

Weng lacked the sprint finish to catch Svahn but completed the podium 0.7s behind the Swede. Groetting, 24, claimed her highest World Cup finish of fourth. She only made her debut in January but has three individual top-five finishes over three difference distances, so is clearly one for the future.

Perhaps a passing of the baton on a day that Diggins, one of the great all-rounders, bowed out.

For the full results from Lake Placid, click here

For the final World Cup standings, click here