Norwegian skier Johannes Høsflot Klæbo secured his 10th gold medal in cross-country skiing at the Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina, setting a new Winter Games record. Klæbo, alongside Einar Hedegart, triumphed in the men’s team sprint event, claiming his fifth gold at the 2026 Games with a time of 18 minutes and 28.9 seconds. The United States’ Ben Ogden and Gus Schumacher clinched the silver medal, trailing 1.4 seconds behind, while Italy’s Elia Barp and Federico Pellegrino settled for bronze, finishing 3.3 seconds off the pace.
Expressing his satisfaction, the 29-year-old Klæbo remarked, “The team sprint is one of the most enjoyable yet challenging events.” Klæbo has dominated every race he has participated in during the Games, including breaking the Winter Olympics record in the 4×7.5-kilometer relay.
Klæbo’s final event will be the 50-kilometer mass start over the weekend. Reflecting on the tough competition, Klæbo highlighted the intensity of battles among strong teams and fast skiers, making victories all the more rewarding. In the women’s category, Sweden’s Jonna Sundling and Maja Dahlqvist continued Sweden’s winning streak.
Switzerland’s Nadja Kaelin and Nadine Faehndrich secured silver, while Laura Gimmler and Coletta Rydzek of Germany claimed bronze, with Norway narrowly missing out on a podium finish. Dahlqvist expressed her joy and relief, emphasizing the strength of their team and the collective effort that led to their gold medal win.
Despite an unexpected interruption during the women’s heats when a dog entered the track and ran alongside the athletes, the competition continued smoothly, with spectators cheering on the unexpected participant. Venue officials later confirmed that a spectator had violated the no-pets policy by bringing the dog into the area, leading to the owner’s removal from the venue.
