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.

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

United States' Jessie Diggins competes during the women's World Cup Finals Sprint Free cross country skiing race Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Lake Placid, N.Y. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

United States' Jessie Diggins competes during the women's World Cup Finals Sprint Free cross country skiing race Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Lake Placid, N.Y. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

United States' Jessie Diggins, right, competes during the women's World Cup Finals Sprint Free cross country skiing race Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Lake Placid, N.Y. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

United States' Hailey Swirbul, left, and United States' Jessie Diggins embrace after the women's World Cup Finals Interval Start 10 km Classic cross country skiing race Friday, March 20, 2026, in Lake Placid, N.Y. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

United States' Jessie Diggins reacts after the women's World Cup Finals Interval Start 10 km Classic cross country skiing race Friday, March 20, 2026, in Lake Placid, N.Y. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

BERLIN (AP) — Eintracht Frankfurt dropped World Cup hero Mario Götze and lost 2-1 at local rival Mainz in their Bundesliga derby on Sunday.

Paul Nebel scored both goals for Mainz, grabbing the winner in the 89th minute to set off wild celebrations and deal Frankfurt its second defeat under new coach Albert Riera.

Nebel opened the scoring in the sixth minute before Nathaniel Brown responded for Frankfurt in the 20th, then Nebel fired home the rebound after Frankfurt ’keeper Michael Zetterer saved Nelson Weiper’s header.

Götze’s omission prompted questions for Riera before kickoff, when the Spanish coach asked which of his players should make way for the former Germany star to be in his squad after Arthur Theate, Can Uzun, Younes Ebnoutalib and Ansgar Knauff all recovered from injuries.

“Name me one player,” Riera challenged his pre-game interviewer on broadcaster DAZN. “If I could take 21 players, he’d be included,” he said. “Mario also had some physical problems during the week and wasn’t always at 100%. And I had to make a decision about who the best players for the bench are.”

Götze, who scored Germany’s World Cup-winning goal in 2014, has featured sparingly for Frankfurt this season, making 18 league appearances over 27 rounds and completing only one full Bundesliga game. He didn’t appear at all in Frankfurt’s last two games and seems to have lost some standing under Riera compared to the previous coach, Dino Toppmöller, who was fired in January.

Mainz’s win lifted it six points above St. Pauli in the relegation zone.

Igor Matanović returned to St. Pauli and scored twice for Freiburg to win 2-1 and leave his hometown club stuck in the relegation playoff spot.

Danel Sinani opened the scoring but St. Pauli was unable to add any more, and Matanović equalized in the 65th before tucking home a rebound for the winner in the 78th. The Croatia forward refused to celebrate out of respect for his former club.

“I was able to play here for 13 years. I was here as a small kid, I was in the stands, then a ball boy. I really enjoyed being able to play here today,” Matanović said. “When I came out on the field before everything started, the fans gave me a really warm reception and I appreciate that so much. Yeah, but today I have the Freiburg crest on my chest and I have to give everything for the club and that's what I did today.”

St. Pauli players wore jerseys in support of “Kein Bock auf Nazis,” an antifascist group fighting intolerance and right wing ideologies. The slogan loosely means “couldn’t be bothered with Nazis.”

St. Pauli's gesture came as the league displayed the slogan “ Together! Stop Hate. Be a Team ” across all games as part of an anti-discrimination campaign.

Stuttgart later had the chance to move third at Augsburg.

Also Sunday, Cologne fired Lukas Kwasniok as coach after a seven-game winless run, and Borussia Dortmund parted with sporting director Sebastian Kehl after they reached what the club called an “amicable” decision.

Bayern Munich leads the Bundesliga by nine points and is closing in on its 13th German championship in 14 years.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Frankfurt's head coach Albert Riera gestures during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1.FSV Mainz 05 and Eintracht Frankfurt in Mainz, Germany, Sunday, March 22, 2026. (Marc Schueler/dpa via AP)

Mainz' Paul Nebel, right, scores the opening goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1.FSV Mainz 05 and Eintracht Frankfurt in Mainz, Germany, Sunday, March 22, 2026. (Marc Schueler/dpa via AP)

Mainz' Paul Nebel, left, and Frankfurt's Jean-Matteo Bahoya, right, challenge for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1.FSV Mainz 05 and Eintracht Frankfurt in Mainz, Germany, Sunday, March 22, 2026. (Marc Schueler/dpa via AP)