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Bruised ribs are undermining American cross-country skiing star Jessie Diggins' hopes of achieving something satisfying from her last Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina.

Diggins was hurt in a fall in her opening race — the 20-kilometer skiathlon — on Sunday and the toll also limited her ability to put in a strong finish in the sprint classic on Tuesday in Tesero.

The current World Cup leader and one of the most decorated U.S. cross-country skiers was eliminated in the quarterfinals by eventual bronze medalist Maja Dahlqvist of Sweden. Diggins was visibly uncomfortable late in the sprint after a fast start, struggling to generate power in the finishing stretch.

“When I crashed in the skiathlon I bruised my ribs and it is really painful,” Diggins said. “Double poling is pretty tough right now so I’m doing the best I can. But it’s not my finest finishing stretch of my life.”

Breathing deeply remains difficult, though she was relieved the ribs were not worse.

“There’s just really not much you can do,” said the Minnesota native, who won gold in the women’s team sprint at the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang. “I'm happy that they’re not sprained or broken because I’ve been there with sprained ribs. I know I can do it. It’s just a bummer.”

Thursday is the 10k freestyle, “and that one is right in her wheelhouse. That's probably her strongest event,” Rachel Blount, a former Star Tribune sports reporter who’s covered 13 Olympic seasons, told Morning Edition Wednesday. Hopefully, Diggins’ ribs will “get healed up and she'll be good to go.” 

On Saturday, 34-year-old Diggins fell early in the skiathlon in heavy, wet snow, losing contact with the lead pack. She rebounded with a strong freestyle leg to finish eighth.

She's determined to push on in a frustrating start in her final Olympics.

“I’m just going to keep showing up and doing the best I can,” she said, "and just putting everything I have out there.”

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Diggins was hurt in a fall in her opening race — the 20-kilometer skiathlon — on Sunday and the toll also limited her ability to put in a strong finish in the sprint classic on Tuesday in Tesero.


Veteran Olympics reporter Rachel Blount wraps this week's events

U.S. cross-country star Jessie Diggins plowing through Olympics with bruised ribs

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