Norway’s Klaebo ties Winter Olympics gold record with eighth medal

Norwegian Skier Klaebo Ties Winter Olympics Gold Record With Eighth Medal

Johannes Hosflot Klaebo made history on Friday at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games, winning the men’s 10-kilometer freestyle cross-country ski race to claim his eighth Olympic gold medal and tie the all-time Winter Olympics record.

The 29-year-old Norwegian’s victory places him alongside three compatriots—fellow cross-country skiing legends Marit Bjoergen and Bjorn Daehlie, and biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen—as the most decorated Winter Olympians by gold medal count. The win also marked his third gold medal at these Games.nbcolympics

A First-Time Victory in the Discipline

Klaebo crossed the finish line at the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium in 20 minutes, 36.2 seconds, pulling away from the field on a climb in the final kilometer that has become his signature move. France’s Mathis Desloges took silver, finishing 4.9 seconds behind, while Norway’s Einar Hedegart claimed bronze, 14 seconds off the pace.rte

The race marked a personal milestone for Klaebo, who had never previously won a 10km freestyle interval start event at any level, including World Cup or championship competition. At the 2022 Beijing Games, he earned bronze when this race was contested using the classic technique.nbcolympics

“This is the first time I have won a 10k skating (freestyle technique) interval start,” Klaebo said after the race. “So, being able to do that here at the Olympics, it’s just amazing, and with the weather and the atmosphere, to kind of have my best day here at the Olympics, it’s special.”nbcolympics

Path to the Record

Klaebo arrived in Italy having swept all six events at the 2025 FIS Nordic Ski World Championships in Trondheim, a feat never before accomplished. He opened these Games with a commanding victory in the skiathlon on February 8, followed by another gold in the individual sprint classic on February 10.bleacherreport

Hedegart, a biathlete who transitioned to cross-country skiing and was considered one of Klaebo’s primary challengers, started aggressively but faded on the final climb. “I’ve never experienced this kind of dizziness,” Hedegart said. “I had nothing left in the tank.”thestar

Breaking the Record

With three events remaining in the cross-country skiing program—the men’s relay on Sunday, the team sprint on February 18, and the 50km mass start classic on February 21—Klaebo has multiple opportunities to become the sole holder of the Winter Games gold medal record.proxcskiing

“I’m going to focus on one race at a time, and we’ll see what happens,” Klaebo said earlier in the Games. “But this is a fantastic start.”reuters