Norwegian cross-country skiing phenomenon Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo claimed his sixth gold medal of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Friday by winning the grueling men's 50-kilometer mass start classic at the Tesero Cross-Country Stadium. The victory made Klaebo the first athlete in history to win six gold medals at a single Winter Olympic Games, surpassing the legendary record of five golds set by American speed skater Eric Heiden at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics.
Klaebo dominated the 50-kilometer race alongside his Norwegian teammates, with the trio building a commanding two-minute lead over the rest of the field by the one-hour mark of the race that lasted over two hours across six laps of the 8.3-kilometer course. In the final stages, Klaebo launched a decisive attack on the last uphill climb, deploying an unstoppable push that separated him from his compatriots. Fellow Norwegian Martin Loewstroem Nyenget took the silver medal, finishing 8.9 seconds behind, while Emil Iversen completed an all-Norwegian podium with the bronze, 30.7 seconds back.
The 50-kilometer triumph capped an extraordinary perfect run through all six of Klaebo's cross-country events at Milan Cortina. He began the Games by winning the skiathlon before claiming gold in the men's 10-kilometer freestyle. He then took the men's sprint classic title and added two team golds in the men's 4x7.5-kilometer relay and the men's team sprint freestyle. The 50-kilometer mass start classic served as the definitive punctuation mark on what is now widely regarded as the greatest individual performance in Winter Olympic history.
Klaebo's six golds at Milan Cortina bring his career Olympic gold medal tally to 11, placing him second only to American swimmer Michael Phelps among all Olympians with double-digit career golds. His total career Olympic medal count now stands at 13, further cementing his status as the most decorated Winter Olympian of all time. At just 29 years old, the Norwegian star has redefined what is considered possible in cross-country skiing, a sport that demands extraordinary endurance, technical versatility, and tactical intelligence across distances ranging from sprint events to ultra-endurance races.
The achievement is particularly remarkable because Klaebo won across the full spectrum of cross-country disciplines — from the explosive power required in sprint events to the brutal endurance demanded by the 50-kilometer classic. No previous cross-country skier had ever swept all available individual and team events at a single Olympics. His performance has drawn comparisons not only to Heiden but also to the greatest multi-event dominances in Summer Olympic history, including the legendary feats of Phelps in swimming and Usain Bolt in sprinting.
Klaebo's historic Games also contributed to Norway's dominant overall performance at Milan Cortina, where the Nordic nation has established itself as the clear leader in the medal standings. The 50-kilometer race itself showcased Norway's depth in cross-country skiing, with the country sweeping all three podium positions. Sports analysts and fellow athletes have hailed Klaebo's achievement as a once-in-a-generation feat that may never be equaled, given the physical toll and tactical complexity of competing at the highest level across so many different events in a single Olympic fortnight.
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