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Norway's Jarl Magnus Riiber in action at the men's large hill ski jumping competition during the FIS Cross-Country World Cup At the Holmenkollen. Amanda Pedersen Giske/NTB/dpa
The King of Nordic combined skiing Jarl Magnus Riiber ended his career at the cradle of the sport, Oslo's Holmenkollen, which gifted German Vinzenz Geiger the World Cup title on Sunday.
Riiber took it easy in the 7.5 kilometres cross country pursuit after a morning ski jumping on Norwegian home ground and was doused in champagne as all athletes and his family awaited him at the finish line, which he crossed in 45th place with a paper crown on his head.
Earlier at the Holmenkollen, American Jessica Diggins clinched the women's cross country World Cup trophy for the third time in her career by placing sixth in a 10km race won by Sweden's Moa Ilar.
Norway got a 1-5 finish led by Harald Østberg Amundsen in the men's race, where third-placed Johannes Høsflot Klæbo all but assured himself a fifth overall World Cup title, after sweeping all six golds at the recent world championships.
Riiber retires
Riiber, a winner of a record 11 world titles and 78 World Cup races, had announced in January that he would end his career at the end of the season due to a serious intestinal illness and because he wants to prioritize his family.
The 27-year-old has been diagnosed with Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory condition he will have to live with for the rest of his life.
A week after his final three world titles in Trondheim, he then decided to quit at the Holmenkollen and will not compete at next week's World Cup finals in Lahti, thus giving up on a record sixth World Cup title.
"I felt after the (world) championship I was just ready to quit and finish because I already reached my goal. I saw a chance for the World Cup as well but it was really hard to get out of bed in the last days," Riiber told German broadcaster ZDF.
"My health situation was quite terrible during the championships and also after. It has affected me and I said pushing it will be tough. I was more ready to enjoy the moment in Oslo with my family and fans."
Sunday's race saw Finland's Ilka Herola claim a first career win ahead of Geiger and Austrian Johannes Lamparter.
Geiger dethroned Riiber at the top of the World Cup standings and can not be caught by Lamparter or German Julian Schmid in the final two races in Lahti.
"I didn't really have any hopes to win the World Cup. It was quite unexpected," Geiger said.
Germany had also clinched the women's title on Saturday through Nathalie Armbruster, who finished the season with fourth place on Sunday in the season-ender won by Norway's Gyda Westvold Hansen.
German former mixed team world champion Svenja Würth ended her career and got a guard of honour from the others in the finish area.
Diggins clinches title
Diggins, 33, assured herself of the cross-country women's title with three races to spare as she can no longer be caught by German Victoria Carl. She also topped the overall rankings in 2021 and last season.
Ilar claimed her second career victory in the freestyle interval start race at the famous Holmenkollen venue, 1.6 seconds ahead of Norway's Heidi Weng.
Carl was third like in Saturday's 20km, while three-time world champion Ebba Andersson of Sweden and Saturday's winner Therese Johaug of Norway missed the podium in fourth and fifth, respectively.
Diggins has won six season races and was third at the Tour de Ski. It helped her cause that several others such as Johaug did not contest all races.
Norway rule men's race
The Norwegian men were in a league of their own, but there was a big surprise in the form of Einar Hedegart, a biathlon relay junior world champion from 2023 who finished second, 5.4 seconds behind Amundsen.
It was only his second career race in the cross-country World Cup.
Klæbo completed the podium ahead of team-mates Iver Tildheim Andersen and Andreas Fjorden Ree.
Wellinger wins Raw Air as women's ski jumping cancelled
German ski jumper Andreas Wellinger has won the Raw Air tournament in Norway for the first time.
The 29-year-old finished second on the flying hill in Vikersund on Sunday, defending his overall lead after the competition had been reduced to just one jump each due to wind.
Victory on the night went to Domen Prevc from Slovenia, who managed a jump of 247 metres. Japan's Ryoyu Kobayashi completed the podium.
Wellinger is the first German to win the series, which counts jumps at various venues in Norway and forms part of the overall World Cup.
The Olympic champion had secured the first German individual victory of 2025 in Saturday's competition.
World Cup leader Daniel Tschofenig of Austria was 15th.
Five top Norwegians were suspended this weekend while investigations continue into the suit manipulation scandal at last weekend's world championships in Trondheim.
Too much wind in Vikersund earlier forced the cancellation of the day's planned women's event.
Saturday's competition won by World Cup champion Nika Prevc took place after a long wind delay.
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Norway's Jarl Magnus Riiber in action at the men's cross-country skiing 7.5 km during the FIS Cross-Country World Cup At the Holmenkollen. Christoffer Andersen/NTB/dpa
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