Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, the 30-year-old Norwegian cross-country skiing star, captured his third gold medal at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics by dominating the men’s 10km individual start freestyle race.
Record-Breaking Performance
On February 13, Klæbo crossed the finish line at the Tesero stadium in Italy with a time of 20 minutes, 36.2 seconds, shattering the previous Olympic record in the event. This marked his first victory in this discipline, despite prior participations in World Cups and World Championships.
Prior to this Olympics, Klæbo had tied the all-time Winter Olympics record with eight career gold medals. His perfect record continues, having swept all three events entered so far: the skiathlon on February 8, the sprint classic on February 10, and now this individual start race.
Tied for Most Golds
With these three triumphs, Klæbo now shares the record for the most Winter Olympic gold medals with eight. A single additional win in his remaining three events would make him the outright leader.
The previous record stood jointly held by three Norwegian legends: Marit Bjørgen (cross-country skier, 46, retired), Ole Einar Bjørndalen (biathlete, 52, retired), and Bjørn Dæhlie (cross-country skier, 59, retired). Bjørgen herself boasts eight golds, four silvers, and three bronzes in cross-country events.
Looking Ahead
Klæbo eyes more success on February 15 in the 4×7.5km relay, where another victory could etch his name solely atop the medal standings.
Reflecting on his achievement, Klæbo stated, “Even on the shortest distance, achieving an Olympic record felt incredible. It was special to deliver peak performance in Olympic competition.” He added, “I focused solely on the Olympics. Training intensified after tough high-altitude pursuits, and now my condition is spot-on.”
