02/13/26 07:23:00
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02/13 07:22 CST Norway's Klaebo makes history on skis, ties all-time Winter
Olympics gold record
Norway's Klaebo makes history on skis, ties all-time Winter Olympics gold record
By DEREK GATOPOULOS and BRIAN MELLEY
Associated Press
TESERO, Italy (AP) --- Friday the 13th will be remembered as a lucky day for
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo. Norway's cross-country skiing star won an eighth gold
medal at the Milan Cortina Olympics Friday, tying an all?time Winter Games
record. The 29?year?old claimed victory in the men's 10 kilometer
interval?start race, for his third gold at the 2026 games.
Will three races still ahead of him, Klaebo now shares the record with three
other Norwegian athletes who have all retired: Marit Bjoergen and Bjoern
Daehlie in cross-country skiing and Ole Einar Bjoerndalen in the biathlon.
Klaebo again gained vital ground in the final hill and clocked 20 minutes, 36.2
seconds, showing rare signs of fatigue as he collapsed at the finish line of
the race considered to be his toughest challenge.
He was 4.9 seconds head of Frances's Mathis Desloges and 14 in front of his
main challenger Einar Hedegart also of Norway who lost momentum on the last
hill.
"It's a special day," Klaebo said. "This one means a lot for sure ... I'm lost
for words."
The Norwegian said he was happy with his tactics, racing the first half of the
course with a controlled pace, saving energy for a burst up the last hill and
home stretch.
"It was really hard out there today so I'm very proud," he said.
Over at the French camp, athletes and team officials celebrated as if they had
one the race, linking arms and dancing on the snow after underdog Mathis
Desloges won his second silver medal, competing at his first Olympics at Milan
Cortina. "I trained incredibly hard for these races," Desloges said. "I told
people I was at this level --- and now we are delivering." The 23-year-old
Frenchman, like many other top racers in the interval start, was mostly unaware
of his position during the race.
"I don't really pay attention to what's being shouted from the sidelines," he
said. "Honestly, I don't listen to them. I just focus on my race. I know what I
have to do and I give it everything." On a blue-sky day in northern Italy, with
the race track surrounded by the snow-capped Dolomite mountains, temperatures
hovered around 5 degrees Celsius (41 Fahrenheit). A few racers chose to compete
wearing only their race bibs.
Organizers had treated the course with salt Thursday to harden the surface but
left it untouched Friday --- a decision that favored Klaebo, who started early
among the seeded skiers. Celebrations were led by Norwegian fans: national
flags --- red with a blue cross outlined in white --- were draped over athletes
and the railing on the spectators' area. Klaebo's grandfather, Kare Hoesflot,
who helped launch his career traveled to northern Italy to watch the race,
while messages of congratulations poured in from back home, where cross-country
skiing is a prime time sport.
"Another show of strength from Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo. What a performance in
a thriller of a race! Congratulations on gold number three in these Olympics!,"
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere wrote on social media. Finn Dahl, a
retired marketing manager from Norway, watched Klaebo win, and credited his
success to relentless hard work.
"He's so dedicated. He sacrificed everything in terms of training, how he eats,
how he sleeps and calms down after races," he said.
"It's fantastic ... he's up to eight now," Dahl said. "I hope he'll be the
biggest winner ever." ----
AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
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