Jessie Diggins powers back from 13 seconds behind to win World Cup race

Three days into the new season, Jessie Diggins is a World Cup champion again.

Diggins, from Afton, came from behind to win the 20-kilometer freestyle mass start Sunday in Ruka, Finland, and add to her credentials as the most successful Nordic skier in U.S. history.

Diggins trailed by 13 seconds but surged back against Sweden’s Jonna Sundling and Norwegians Heidi Weng and Therese Johaug on a new course that made breaking away difficult.

All four contended for the lead on the final lap, but Diggins took control on the final climb in the last kilometer. She crossed the line 0.3 seconds ahead of Sundling, finishng in 51 minutes, 19.3 seconds.

“It was an epic battle,” Diggins said. “I was trying to be smart with the draft, but in the last kilometer, I saved it up, found a line and played it well in the end. I also had amazing skis, so thank you to our wax techs.”

Diggins, 33 and the defending overall women’s World Cup Nordic skiing champion, took her 24th career World Cup victory; she’s been in the top three 72 times.

When Diggins fell off the pace Sunday, the issue was strategy and not conditioning, she said.

“I was trying to be too cute with the draft and I got a little bit too far behind, and I thought, ‘Oh no, I’m might have messed this up a little bit,’ ” she said. “But there was quite a draft, so I was trying to be smart, a little sneaky maybe in the back, and see what I could do.”

Diggins made the third day of her season far better than the first two. She finished 29th Saturday in the sprint classic and seventh Friday in the 10k interval start.

Sunday’s race went off without Swede Frida Karlsson, who had dominated the 10k race Friday, winning by 46.5 seconds. She’s recovering from a foot injury.