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Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Team Norway competes in the Men's 4 x 7.5 km Relay in Nordic skiing/cross-country skiing at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games. Daniel Karmann/dpa
Johannes Høsflot Klæbo cemeted his sporting greatness on Sunday when he claimed a record ninth gold medal at the Winter Olympics by helping Norway to gold the cross country relay.
Klæbo anchored the favoured Norwegian quartet which also included Emil Iverson, Martin Løwstrøm Nyenget and Einar Hedegart to gold in the 4x7.5 kilometres race ahead of France and hosts Italy.
The ninth gold moved Klæbo aheead of three compatriots who won eight gold medals in their career: Marit Bjørgen, Bjørn Dæhlie (both cross country) and Ole Einar Bjørndalen (biathlon).
"That’s cool. I’ve just tried to enjoy the moments today. Being able to do that and take the ninth one with the team is special and it couldn’t be a better way to do that," Klæbo said.
"We have a strong team. This is really important for all the waxers and coaches and everyone, including the teammates sitting back at the hotel, who also could have been a part of this team. It’s a team win and for me to do that as a ninth one is perfect."
The 29-year-old won five golds in 2018 and 2022, and has now has four more from four starts at the Milan/Cortina Games.
Klæbo has two more starts in the team sprint and 50km and if he wins those as well he will be the first Winter Olympian to get six golds at one Games. That record currently stands at five golds, from American Eric Heiden's speed skating sweep in 1980.
Klæbo started as a sprinter but confirmed for good that he has become an allrounder when he swept all six golds at last year's world championships.
His status as the greatest in the sport is also manifested by 15 world titles overall, more than 100 World Cup race wins, five overall World Cup titles and a record five titles at the Tour de Ski.
On Sunday, Klæbo was handed a 12-second lead by 10km bronze medallist Hedegart, after Nyenget had put them ahead on the second leg. Klæbo took no major risks and celebrated on the home straight to the finish line where his team-mates were waiting.
The world champions returned to the top of the podium, after being beaten by a quartet of Russian athletes in 2022, with a comfortable margin of 22.2 seconds over France.
"It was amazing. It’s always cool to win the relay, and as a Norwegian it’s kind of something we need to do," Klæbo said.
So it’s a lot of pressure but it’s very cool to be able to do it with these guys, with this atmosphere and weather and everything. It was perfect."
Nyenget agreed, saying: "It was an important win, we had to follow up the women’s win yesterday."
The French got a competition best silver after three straight bronze medals in the event, and their Mathis Desloges a third Milan/Cortina silver.
Veteran Federico Pellegrino anchored Italy to bronze, their first relay medal since gold at the Turin Games 20 years ago.
”It is something I’ve been dreaming about for a long time. But two years ago, when I started to think about the home Olympics, seeing the teammates increase their level, the dream became a goal. And today we achieved it," Pellegrino saais.
Sweden meanwhile were never in contention, falling behind in the first leg and finishing almost three-and-a-half minutes back in 10th place.
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