Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo from Norway secured his 10th gold medal in cross country skiing at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Wednesday, setting a new record for the Winter Games.
The 29-year-old Klaebo, teamed with Einar Hedegart, clinched the men’s team sprint, marking his fifth gold at the 2026 Games with a time of 18 minutes, 28.9 seconds.
This achievement makes Klaebo only the second Olympian, alongside the legendary swimmer Michael Phelps, to earn at least 10 gold medals. Phelps achieved a remarkable 23 golds across four Olympics from 2004 to 2016, including eight at the Beijing Games in 2008.
“It feels incredibly rewarding to achieve this,” said Klaebo. “The team sprint is not just one of the most enjoyable events; it’s also quite challenging.”
Ben Ogden and Gus Schumacher from the United States finished just 1.4 seconds behind, securing the silver medal, while Italy’s Elia Barp and Federico Pellegrino snagged the bronze, finishing 3.3 seconds back.
Klaebo has triumphantly won every race he has participated in at these Games, having already shattered the Winter Olympics record in Sunday’s 4×7.5-kilometer relay. He aims to maintain his perfect record at Saturday’s 50-kilometer mass start. If successful, Klaebo would join three swimmers—Phelps (twice), Mark Spitz, Kristin Otto—and gymnast crucialy Scherbo as the only athletes with at least six golds in a single Olympics.
“There are numerous formidable teams and rapid skiers, which leads to intense competitions,” Klaebo explained. “That makes each victory even more gratifying.”
The U.S. team pushed hard for an upset, but Schumacher slipped back on the final hill, where Klaebo secured his victory.
“We kept our belief alive, and I knew Gus wouldn’t give up until the very end,” Ogden stated. “That pushed me to keep going until the last moments. It was an incredible experience.”
Mathis Desloges experienced a setback when he broke a pole for the strong French team, which ultimately finished in 12th place.
In the women’s team sprint, Sweden’s Jonna Sundling and Maja Dahlqvist upheld their winning streak.
Silver went to Switzerland’s Nadja Kaelin and Nadine Faehndrich, while Laura Gimmler and Coletta Rydzek of Germany took home the bronze. Norway narrowly missed a medal, finishing fourth.
“I am thrilled and so relieved,” Dahlqvist expressed. “We have a very strong team, with five or six girls capable of competing in the team sprint today, and I’m happy to bring home a gold for all of us.”
Jessie Diggins, racing for the United States, set an early pace but ultimately finished fifth alongside partner Julia Kern.
An unexpected moment occurred when a dog ran onto the track during the women’s heats, playfully following athletes as they approached the finish line. Fortunately, the incident did not disrupt the competition, and the dog was met with cheers from spectators. It later wandered to the finish area to greet skiers as they completed their runs.
DOG ON THE COURSE AT OLYMPIC SKIING. 🚨
The late entry closes strong at the cross country finish line! pic.twitter.com/o4mO28tXXW
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 18, 2026
“I gained notoriety thanks to a dog that ran across the finish line, and now everyone wants to interview me,” recounted Greece’s Konstantina Charalampidou. “He was chasing the camera that was filming the finish line. He was adorable but not aggressive. I wanted to pet him, but I didn’t have time and couldn’t find him after.”
Officials at the venue explained that the dog had been taken for a walk by its local owner before it inadvertently entered the racecourse. Initially, they feared the incident might breach the venue’s strict no-pets policy for spectators.
The Associated Press and PA contributed to this report.
