Norway cross-country star Klaebo wins 9th gold medal, setting a Winter Olympics record

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TESERO, Italy (AP) — A wave to the crowd, a glide across the line — and a moment of Winter Olympic history.

Norway cross-country skiing star Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo won his ninth gold medal, setting a Winter Games record.

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

He had shared the record with three retired Norwegian athletes: cross-country skiers Marit Bjoergen and Bjoern Daehlie and biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen.

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.”

France continued its strong performance for second place, 22.2 seconds behind, while Italy placed third with a 47.9 second lag.

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.

Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre was at the stadium at Val di Fiemme, in north Italy's Dolomites, on his feet cheering as Klaebo crossed the line.

“With today’s team effort, Klaebo becomes the Winter Olympian of all time!” Støre wrote on social media.

“Today it’s fun to be Norwegian in Val di Fiemme! Congratulations on the relay gold to Emil Iversen, Martin Loewstroem Nyenget, Einar Hedegart and Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo,” he wrote.

Despite fierce rivalry in competition, fans from Sweden and Norway mingled in the stands and enjoyed a party atmosphere.

Norway fan Oddmund Haughness traveled to Italy to watch his team and cheer on his former school classmate Hedegart, who raced the third freestyle leg for the Norwegians.

“It's awesome. We're so glad!” Haughness said. “We knew we could count on Johannes when he started 12 seconds ahead of France. Johannes is just amazing — probably the best cross-country skier of all time.”

Squandering a strong start, the United States finished sixth behind Finland and Canada. Sweden suffered another setback in the relays finishing last, in 10th place after a slow start.

A first-leg crash in the women's relay Saturday cost Sweden more than a minute's delay but they fought back for second place behind main rival Norway.

Skies cleared overnight for the race Sunday, delighting 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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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics