His teammates and coaches met him at the finish line. A smile painted wide across his face with his opponents trailing far behind.
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, the anchor of Norway’s men’s 4 x 7.5-kilometer relay, glided his way into the Olympic history books as he captured his ninth gold medal in cross-country skiing to set a Winter Games record.
The 29-year-old’s win with his fellow countrymen was his fourth gold of the 2026 Milan Cortina Games.
It was only two days prior Klaebo won his eighth Olympic gold medal, putting him in the company of three retired Norwegian athletes – Marit Bjoergen and Bjorn Daehlie in cross-country skiing and Ole Einar Bjoerndalen in the biathlon – as the all-time winningest athletes in the Winter Games’ history.
But Klaebo is now the sole holder of the record.
“I like the sound of that. It’s a pretty nice title,” Klaebo said after the race. “But it’s special to do this together with this group. In Norway, winning the relay is what really matters and today we all delivered.”
Klaebo’s coronation started eight years ago in Pyeongchang when, at 21, he became the youngest man to win an Olympic event in cross-country skiing.
Klaebo won gold in the men’s sprint, the 4 x 10-kilometer relay and the men’s team sprint.
He’s gotten better every year since.
Klaebo won two golds, a silver and a bronze at the 2022 Beijing Games.
He’s been unbeatable this time around, though.
After finishing 40th in the skiathlon at the 2022 Winter Games, Klaebo won the event in Italy.
He also won the cross-country skiing men’s 10-kilometer race, the sprint and relay.
And he’s not done yet.
Klaebo has two more events – the men’s team sprint and the men’s 50-kilometer mass start – and could leave Italy with 11 gold medals.
2026 WINTER OLYMPICS
It’d be the second time he swept all six events at a major international event; he accomplished that feat at last year’s world championships.
Klaebo is known for his speedy uphill climbs. He’s gone viral numerous times for the way an incline doesn’t seem to affect him.
Last week, during the men’s sprint final, Klaebo was clocked going 11.1 miles per hour uphill, which is a sub-six-minute mile.
Klaebo’s reign of dominance has been impressive. One can’t help but appreciate it.
