Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway has established a new Winter Olympics record, securing his tenth career gold medal in cross-country skiing at the Milan Cortina Olympics. His achievements included tying and then surpassing the previous record for most gold medals in Winter Olympic history.
Concurrently, Norway set a new national record for the most gold medals won by a single nation at a Winter Olympics, reaching 17 golds following Johannes Dale-Skjevdal's victory in the biathlon mass start event. The Games also featured a women's team sprint won by Sweden and an unusual incident involving a dog on the race track.
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo's Record-Breaking Performances
Tying the Record: Eighth Gold in 10km Interval-Start
On a Friday during the Milan Cortina Olympics, Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, 29, secured his eighth career Winter Olympic gold medal in the men's 10-kilometer interval-start race. This victory tied him with three other retired Norwegian athletes—Marit Bjoergen and Bjoern Daehlie in cross-country skiing, and Ole Einar Bjoerndalen in biathlon—for the all-time record.
Klaebo completed the race in 20 minutes, 36.2 seconds. Mathis Desloges of France earned the silver medal, finishing 4.9 seconds behind, and Norway's Einar Hedegart took the bronze, 14 seconds behind.
Klaebo stated that the win was particularly meaningful due to his past challenges with this specific race format.
The event occurred under clear skies with temperatures around 5 degrees Celsius (41 Fahrenheit), on a course pre-treated with salt. Desloges commented on his extensive training for the event.
Breaking the Record: Ninth Gold in 4x7.5km Relay
On the subsequent Sunday, Klaebo achieved his ninth Winter Olympics gold medal, becoming the most successful athlete in the event's history. He secured this record in the men's 4x7.5km relay, competing alongside teammates Emil Iversen, Martin Loewstroem Nyenget, and Einar Hedegart. This marked his fourth gold medal at the current Games.
The Norwegian team finished in 1 hour, 4 minutes, and 24.5 seconds, 22.2 seconds ahead of silver medalists France. Hosts Italy claimed the bronze medal, finishing 47.9 seconds after Norway.
Klaebo commented that achieving this milestone with his team was special.
Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre congratulated the team on social media. The United States team finished sixth, while Sweden placed tenth.
Extending the Record: Tenth Gold in Men's Team Sprint
Later in the week, Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo earned his tenth overall Olympic gold medal, and fifth at these Games, in the men’s team sprint. Racing with Einar Hedegart, the Norwegian team completed the event in 18 minutes, 28.9 seconds.
The United States team, comprising Ben Ogden and Gus Schumacher, secured the silver medal, finishing 1.4 seconds behind. Italy’s Elia Barp and Federico Pellegrino claimed the bronze medal, 3.3 seconds after the winning team.
Klaebo noted the victory was satisfying and described the team sprint as both enjoyable and challenging.
Ben Ogden commented on the U.S. team's consistent effort. The French team, including Mathis Desloges, finished 12th after Desloges experienced a broken pole.
Klaebo is scheduled to compete in the 50-kilometer mass start race later in the week. His Olympic medal collection now includes three golds from Pyeongchang in 2018 and two from Beijing in 2022, in addition to his 15 world championship titles.
Other Cross-Country Skiing Results
Women's Team Sprint: Sweden Takes Gold
In the women’s team sprint, Jonna Sundling and Maja Dahlqvist of Sweden secured the gold medal, completing the race in 20 minutes, 29.99 seconds. Nadja Kaelin and Nadine Faehndrich of Switzerland earned the silver medal, while Laura Gimmler and Coletta Rydzek of Germany claimed the bronze.
Norway finished in fourth place. Jessie Diggins and Julia Kern of the United States placed fifth, 11.54 seconds behind the Swedish winners.
Dahlqvist expressed satisfaction with the victory.
Biathlon: Norway Sets National Gold Medal Record
Johannes Dale-Skjevdal of Norway secured a gold medal in the men's 15-kilometer mass start biathlon race on a Friday during the Games. Dale-Skjevdal was the only competitor to hit all 20 targets, completing the five laps in 39 minutes, 17.1 seconds.
This victory marked Norway's 17th gold medal at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, establishing a new record for the most gold medals won by a single nation at a Winter Olympics, surpassing Norway's own previous record of 16 golds set at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
Dale-Skjevdal stated the win was a "good ending to my first Olympics" and his "first time shooting 20 out of 20."
His teammate, Sturla Holm Laegreid, secured the silver medal, finishing 10.5 seconds behind after missing one target. This was Laegreid's fifth medal of the Games. Quentin Fillon Maillet of France earned the bronze medal, finishing 25.6 seconds behind Dale-Skjevdal despite missing four targets. The mass start race features the top 30 biathletes, involving five 3-kilometer loops and four shooting stages.
Race Incident: Unexpected Guest on the Cross-Country Course
During the women’s heats in cross-country skiing, a dog entered the race track and ran alongside athletes near the finish line. The incident did not interrupt the competition and was met with cheers from spectators. The dog later moved to the finish area, interacting with skiers.
Venue officials clarified that the dog had escaped from its local owner during a walk, and the incident did not violate the venue's no-pets policy for spectators.