Jessie Diggins clinches third overall World Cup cross-country title, extending her U.S. record
Diggins, 33, finished sixth Sunday in a 10-kilometer skate race on the Holmenkollen mountain in Oslo, Norway, to extend her lead over Germany's Victoria Carl in the overall standings — which combines performances in the sprint and distance events — to 430 points. Individual World Cup races award 100 points to the winner, making Diggins' lead mathematically insurmountable over the remaining three individual races.
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It's the third overall World Cup title for Diggins. In the 2020-21 season, she became the first American since Bill Koch in 1982 to win it, then was the first U.S. multiple-time winner when she did it again last season.
Diggins has long been setting records for U.S. cross-country skiing. She's a two-time world champion — in the team sprint in 2013 and the 10km skate in 2023, which was the first-ever American gold medal in an individual cross-country event at worlds. At the 2018 Olympics, she teamed with Kikkan Randall to win gold in the sprint event — the first Olympic gold for any American cross-country skiers. At the 2022 Games, she became the first American to win an Olympic medal in an individual sprint, taking bronze. She also took second in the 30km skate in Beijing, joining Koch as the only U.S. cross-country skiers with individual Olympic silver medals.
Now in her 14th World Cup season, Diggins is having one of her best years. She has six World Cup wins — her second most in a single season, behind 2023-24 — and placed third overall in the Tour de Ski, the sport's most grueling event, in January. This despite having an additional challenge this year — she was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of tissue in the foot, in January.
'I am super proud of how mentally tough I was,' Diggins said of Sunday's race in an audio message sent to media members. 'I really felt like I was just super-focused and engaged and just pushing so hard for even every half a second, and that always feels good when you cross a finish line and you really know, that was everything I had with this day and my body.'
The World Cup tour's final two stops are in Talinn, Estonia, on Wednesday for a sprint race and Lahti, Finland, next weekend for two individual races, a team sprint, and the official crowning of the season's champions. Team races don't award points for the individual standings.
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Diggins also leads in the distance standings by 95 points over Norway's Astrid Øyre Slind with just one race left and is sixth in the sprint standings.
On Sunday, Diggins reached the finish line in 25 minutes, 49.3 seconds and fell to the snow to catch her breath. She was in second at the time in the interval start race, behind Norwegian great Therese Johaug. Moments later, Sweden's Moa Ilar crossed the line in 25:24.6, 24.7 seconds faster than Diggins. That time would hold up, and Ilar eventually topped the podium ahead of Norway's Heidi Weng, 1.6 seconds back, and Carl, 10 seconds back.
But the day's biggest prize went to Diggins, who said she delighted in watching her coach and wax technician, Jason Cork — whose birthday was Sunday — 'crunch the numbers' and figure out she'd won the title.
'Today, that was the big highlight,' she said.
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29 minutes ago
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The bumpy, windy road that built Indiana WR Elijah Sarratt
Curt Cignetti chats with Nicole Auerbach about how he plans to build upon Indiana's success last season, what he wants to see out of transfer quarterback Fernando Mendoza and his expectations for the Hoosiers in 2025. For the first time in nearly a decade, Elijah Sarratt didn't spend his summer packing boxes, changing zip codes or learning a new playbook. For the Indiana wide receiver, that alone was a relief. 'I don't like packaging up my stuff and leaving, but I found a great spot here,' Sarratt said. 'There's no other place I'd rather be than in Bloomington right now.' It's a moment of stability that has been a long time coming. Sarratt's football journey — one of persistence, doubt and resilience — has taken him from small-town Virginia to the fringes of college football obscurity, through a carousel of schools, quarterbacks and coaching staffs. 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That year was a turning point for Sarratt personally and professionally. Playing with his brother deepened their bond, and Cheese became both mentor and motivator. When Elijah needed someone to show him how to take his game to the next level, Cheese was there. That bond didn't end when Cheese's playing days did. Today, they live together in Bloomington, where Cheese continues to push him daily. If Elijah comes home bragging about the extra work he put in, Cheese is the first to humble him, reminding him there's always more to do. It's the kind of brotherly accountability that keeps Elijah from getting complacent. 'He's not just my brother. He's like my best friend,' Sarratt said. 'We've been like this since we were little … I appreciate him a lot.' Change has defined Sarratt's journey. From Colonial Forge to St. Frances to Saint Francis to James Madison and finally to Indiana, Sarratt has had to adapt to new environments, new teammates and new playbooks almost every year. 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Instead, Sarratt was able to focus on refining his game, taking care of his body and building bonds with teammates in Bloomington. He even took the time to catch an Indiana Fever game in Indianapolis, enjoying the community he now calls home. 'It's definitely my home away from home,' Sarratt said. 'It's just the community — it's a chill community. There's not too much going on. I go out and people are showing me love and saying what's up; it's just chill.' That sense of comfort is allowing Sarratt to focus on the bigger picture in 2025. His 2024 season was stellar: 53 catches for 957 yards and eight touchdowns, earning him All-Big Ten recognition. Yet, he insists he is not satisfied. 'I'm just focusing on going out and having the best season of my career,' Sarratt said. 'I feel like I've been putting in the work, and it's just a matter of continuing to put in that work day in and day out.' 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'I just focus on game in and game out doing what I have to do, and everything else will fall into place.' What's striking about Sarratt is that through it all — the rejections, the transfers, the instability — he has not let bitterness define him. Instead, those bumps in the road have shaped his mentality. They made him tougher, more adaptable and more appreciative of the journey itself. He has emerged as both one of the nation's best wide receivers and a respected voice among his teammates. Nicole Auerbach, 'I definitely feel like I'm a little bit more outgoing talking to the guys … just becoming more of a leader,' Sarratt said. 'I feel like I've stepped into that role more and more.' Indiana will open its season against Old Dominion in less than two weeks. Sarratt knows the Hoosiers' offense will once again lean heavily on him. He also knows that expectations are higher than they've ever been. For the first time, those expectations don't feel like a weight. 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Jordan Cornette and Joshua Perry discuss Indiana's mindset following a historic College Football Playoff run a year ago, breaking down comments from linebacker Aiden Fisher and why the team has a chip on its shoulder. Indiana continues its hot streak when Kurtis Rourke connects with Elijah Sarratt on a 4-yard touchdown, giving the Hoosiers a two-score lead over Michigan State.
NBC Sports
29 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
The bumpy, winding road that built Indiana WR Elijah Sarratt
Curt Cignetti chats with Nicole Auerbach about how he plans to build upon Indiana's success last season, what he wants to see out of transfer quarterback Fernando Mendoza and his expectations for the Hoosiers in 2025. For the first time in nearly a decade, Elijah Sarratt didn't spend his summer packing boxes, changing zip codes or learning a new playbook. For the Indiana wide receiver, that alone was a relief. 'I don't like packaging up my stuff and leaving, but I found a great spot here,' Sarratt said. 'There's no other place I'd rather be than in Bloomington right now.' It's a moment of stability that has been a long time coming. Sarratt's football journey — one of persistence, doubt and resilience — has taken him from small-town Virginia to the fringes of college football obscurity, through a carousel of schools, quarterbacks and coaching staffs. Now, entering the 2025 season as an AP preseason All-American and Pro Football Focus' No. 4 ranked receiver in the nation, the Virginia native finally has a home. Sarratt's path to the top wasn't straightforward. He started at Colonial Forge High School in Stafford, Va., before transferring to St. Frances Academy in Baltimore ahead of his senior year. From there, he landed at Saint Francis (PA), a tiny FCS school with fewer than 2,500 undergraduates. The odds have always seemed stacked against him. As a high school senior, he had no Division I offers. He sent out emails to junior college programs across the country, hoping for someone to take notice. Nobody replied. He would step into his coach's office each week hoping to hear some good news, but the responses from college coaches were blunt and discouraging. 'I don't know if you can play here. I don't know if you can do this or you can't do that,' Sarratt recalled of those conversations. He was left questioning what his future in football would look like. Yet, he refused to fold under that weight. Zach Browning, 'That's really where I feel like I got my hard work from,' Sarratt said. 'Nobody was calling, but I was still outside every day by myself on the field — grinding — and it eventually worked out for me.' When Saint Francis came calling, Sarratt finally had his shot. And once he got on the field, he didn't waste it. As a true freshman in 2022, he caught 40 passes for 700 yards, ranked fifth nationally in the FCS with 13 touchdowns grabs and started the final four games of the season. He became a FCS Freshman All-American. It was the breakthrough he had been waiting for, validation that his lonely summer sessions in high school were worth it. Even with that success, Sarratt knew he wasn't done climbing. He transferred to James Madison, where he played the 2023 season alongside his brother, Josh 'Cheese' Sarratt. That year was a turning point for Sarratt personally and professionally. Playing with his brother deepened their bond, and Cheese became both mentor and motivator. When Elijah needed someone to show him how to take his game to the next level, Cheese was there. That bond didn't end when Cheese's playing days did. Today, they live together in Bloomington, where Cheese continues to push him daily. If Elijah comes home bragging about the extra work he put in, Cheese is the first to humble him, reminding him there's always more to do. It's the kind of brotherly accountability that keeps Elijah from getting complacent. 'He's not just my brother. He's like my best friend,' Sarratt said. 'We've been like this since we were little … I appreciate him a lot.' Change has defined Sarratt's journey. From Colonial Forge to St. Frances to Saint Francis to James Madison and finally to Indiana, Sarratt has had to adapt to new environments, new teammates and new playbooks almost every year. He has also caught passes from a carousel of quarterbacks: Cole Doyle at Saint Francis, Jordan McCloud at James Madison, Kurtis Rouke at Indiana in 2024. Now, as he enters his senior year, Cal transfer Fernando Mendoza will be his signal caller. By his own count, it will be the sixth different starting quarterback Sarratt has played with in six years dating back to high school. Rather than complain about yet another change, he embraces the challenge. Each quarterback has required him to adjust, to reestablish timing and chemistry. This offseason, Sarratt and Mendoza have built that connection by working together after every practice and staying in touch almost daily. The instability of Sarratt's past has made this summer's consistency feel like a gift. For the first time since before his junior year of high school, he stayed in one place all offseason. He wasn't worrying about moving or meeting new teammates. Instead, Sarratt was able to focus on refining his game, taking care of his body and building bonds with teammates in Bloomington. He even took the time to catch an Indiana Fever game in Indianapolis, enjoying the community he now calls home. 'It's definitely my home away from home,' Sarratt said. 'It's just the community — it's a chill community. There's not too much going on. I go out and people are showing me love and saying what's up; it's just chill.' That sense of comfort is allowing Sarratt to focus on the bigger picture in 2025. His 2024 season was stellar: 53 catches for 957 yards and eight touchdowns, earning him All-Big Ten recognition. Yet, he insists he is not satisfied. 'I'm just focusing on going out and having the best season of my career,' Sarratt said. 'I feel like I've been putting in the work, and it's just a matter of continuing to put in that work day in and day out.' Sarratt's determined to elevate his game beyond his junior-year production, and he knows what it will take. His offseason regimen has gone beyond extra routes or weight room reps. He's poured hours into film study, recovery and detailed work on his craft. He sees his senior season not only as another chance to prove all those who have doubted him wrong, but also as an opportunity to put himself in the best position possible for the NFL. 'I'm nowhere near where I want to be right now; all I can do is keep on improving,' Sarratt said. 'The goal is the NFL. I don't just want to be [in the NFL], I want to be a guy in it.' That dream feels closer than ever. Once, he wasn't sure if he'd even got a scholarship offer to play Division I football. Now, he enters 2025 recognized nationally and sitting on the brink of a professional career. 'It's crazy how close it is. I try to tell myself not to think about it,' Sarratt said. 'I just focus on game in and game out doing what I have to do, and everything else will fall into place.' What's striking about Sarratt is that through it all — the rejections, the transfers, the instability — he has not let bitterness define him. Instead, those bumps in the road have shaped his mentality. They made him tougher, more adaptable and more appreciative of the journey itself. He has emerged as both one of the nation's best wide receivers and a respected voice among his teammates. Nicole Auerbach, 'I definitely feel like I'm a little bit more outgoing talking to the guys … just becoming more of a leader,' Sarratt said. 'I feel like I've stepped into that role more and more.' Indiana will open its season against Old Dominion in less than two weeks. Sarratt knows the Hoosiers' offense will once again lean heavily on him. He also knows that expectations are higher than they've ever been. For the first time, those expectations don't feel like a weight. They feel like a reward — the product of years spent grinding on empty fields with no coaches watching, the result of refusing to give in when no recruiters were calling back, the payoff for all those long nights talking football with his brother. Sarratt's road to Bloomington was anything but smooth. It has been filled with twists, setbacks and uncertainty. Yet, as he steps into the 2025 season with his eyes set firmly on the NFL, one truth stands out: The bumps in the road didn't slow him down. They built him. About the Author Zach Browning is a senior at Indiana University and is a senior writer for a website powered by the Rivals Network that covers Indiana athletics. Zach also broadcasts Indiana sports for WIUX Sports, Indiana's student-run radio station, as well as Big Ten Plus, a student-run broadcasting program powered by the Big Ten Network StudentU program. Jordan Cornette and Joshua Perry discuss Indiana's mindset following a historic College Football Playoff run a year ago, breaking down comments from linebacker Aiden Fisher and why the team has a chip on its shoulder. Indiana continues its hot streak when Kurtis Rourke connects with Elijah Sarratt on a 4-yard touchdown, giving the Hoosiers a two-score lead over Michigan State.
42 minutes ago
Iga Swiatek wins Cincinnati Open title, defeats Jasmine Paolini
CINCINNATI -- Third-ranked Iga Swiatek captured the Cincinnati Open title for the first time by defeating No. 7 Jasmine Paolini 7-5, 6-4 on Monday night. Swiatek had failed to advance past the semifinals in her six previous appearances at the Cincinnati Open. She reached the semifinals in Cincinnati each of the past two years, but lost to eventual champions Coco Gauff in 2023 and Aryna Sabalenka in 2024. 'It means a lot to me,' Swiatek said. 'This year I really wanted it. I'm just very happy. It's nice to check off the list another tournament that I haven't won. I have friends here. It's a nice, relaxed tournament before New York." Swiatek has won all six meetings against the Italian, dropping only one set in those matches. Paolini jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first set but Swiatek roared back to go ahead 5-3. Paolini broke serve to get even at 5-5, but Swiatek closed out a first-set victory in 56 minutes. Swiatek's eighth ace of the match gave her a 5-3 lead in the second set. Paolini broke serve twice in the second set and was within 5-4, but Swiatek was able to serve out the match for her 24th career singles title. 'This season hasn't been easy," Swiatek said. 'I've had areas to improve. It's not easy to win tournaments when everyone is expecting you to.' Swiatek had seven double faults to two for Paolini. But she also had nine aces, while Paolini had none. 'When the rallies were going, I felt good on the court,' Paolini said. 'The serves were the difference. When she needed an ace, she hit an ace.' Paolini is the first Italian woman to reach the finals in Cincinnati. Since she was a qualifier at the Cincinnati Open in 2023, Paolini has reached two Grand Slam singles finals, won a Grand Slam doubles title and an Olympic gold medal. 'It was definitely a positive tournament for me,' Paolini said. 'It wasn't enough, of course. I just need to improve.' The Cincinnati Open is considered a tuneup for the U.S. Open, which begins Sunday in New York. The last two years, both the men's and women's Cincinnati Open champions went on to win the final Grand Slam tournament of the year. ___
