Norway’s Klaebo sets Olympic record with 9th gold medal

TESERO, Italy (AP) — Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo has won his ninth gold medal in cross-country skiing, setting a Winter Games record, at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

The 29‑year‑old anchored Sunday’s 4 x 7.5-kilometer relay in the men’s competition for his fourth gold of the 2026 Games.

He had shared the record with three retired Norwegian athletes, Marit Bjoergen and Bjorn Daehlie in cross-country skiing and Ole Einar Bjoerndalen in the biathlon. He now stands alone at the top.

“I like the sound of that! It’s a pretty nice title,” Klaebo said after the race.

“But it’s special to do this together with this group. In Norway, winning the relay is what really matters — and today we all delivered,” he said.

“We’ve had so much fun — both here and at training camps throughout the year. It’s been a great season. Today, even though everyone was nervous, there was still a relaxed atmosphere.” Klaebo put in a flawless but casual-looking race, slowing down before the finish to wave to cheering supporters before finishing in 1 hour, 4 minutes and 24.5 seconds. France continued its strong performance for second place, 22.2 seconds behind, while Italy placed third with a 47.9 second lag.

Despite a strong start, the United States finished sixth behind Finland and Canada.

Cheered on by the home crowd, Italy finished with Federico Pellegrino who is racing in his final season. He celebrated with fans, dancing to Italian pop classics played on a trumpet. “This is something that I was dreaming of for a long time,” Pellegrino said. “I think two years ago, when I started to think about the home Olympics and see teammates increase in their level, the dream became a goal and today we achieved it. It’s something! Maybe the thing that I’m the most proud of in my career.”

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