Klaebo Wins 6th Gold of Games

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo has pushed an Olympic benchmark into new territory. The Norwegian cross-country skier claimed his sixth gold medal of the Milano Cortina Olympics by winning the men's 50-kilometer mass start on Saturday, overtaking teammate Martin Loewstroem Nyenget on the final lap. Klaebo finished in 2:07:07, 17.5 seconds ahead of Nyenget, then collapsed after crossing the line. American speed skater's Eric Heiden's set the record of five gold medals in 1980, all individual victories; two of Klaebo's gold medals this time were won in team events. Emil Iversen took bronze, giving Norway a sweep of the podium, USA Today reports.

"It feels amazing," Klaebo said afterward, per the AP. "To crown everything here with a 50K, it's unbelievable." He called his victory "a perfect way to end two perfect weeks." Klaebo, 29, has now won all six men's cross-country events at these Games—the 10K interval start, 4x7.5K relay, skiathlon, sprint, team sprint, and 50K mass start. Klaebo's career Olympic tally now stands at 13 medals, including 11 golds from the 2018, 2022, and 2026 Games. The win gave Norway a record 18th gold medal and further increased the team's lead in the total medal count in the 2026 Games to 40 overall. Norway set the record Friday for the most gold medals won by a nation at a single Winter Olympics when biathlete Johannes Dale-Skjevdal won the 15-kilometer mass start race.

The US also logged a landmark performance in cross-country skiing, per USA Today. Ben Ogden and Gus Schumacher earned the country's first men's Olympic cross-country medal with silver in the team sprint; Ogden added another silver in the individual sprint. On the women's side, Jessie Diggins took bronze in the 10K interval start, bringing her career Olympic total to four medals. Diggins, 34, who previously won gold in 2018 and silver and bronze in 2022, is scheduled to race the women's 50K mass start on Sunday and has said she plans to retire after the 2025-26 season. The three medals earned by US cross-country skiers in Milan mark the nation's best output in the sport at a single Winter Games.