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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Sport
Bryan Armen Graham in Milan

Early crash disrupts US favorite Jessie Diggins in race for skiathlon gold

Jessie Diggins competes in Saturday's skiathlon race.
Jessie Diggins was a favorite to win skiathlon gold until an early crash sent her to the back of the pack. Photograph: Alex Slitz/Getty Images

Jessie Diggins’s farewell Olympics began with a crash and a scramble on Saturday, the trailblazing star of American cross-country skiing fighting back to finish eighth in the women’s skiathlon as Sweden delivered a commanding one-two in the first cross-country skiing race of the Milano Cortina Games.

Frida Karlsson powered to gold ahead of teammate Ebba Andersson, with Norway’s Heidi Weng taking bronze, as the first Olympic women’s skiathlon contested over the new 20km distance quickly turned into a test of endurance, conditions and survival.

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