Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo from Norway sets a new 46-year Winter Games record by winning his sixth gold medal.

Historic Win for Norway’s Johannes Hesfrod Klaebo

Johannes Hesfrod Klaebo is making a significant mark at the Winter Olympics in Northern Italy.

On Saturday, he claimed victory in the men’s cross-country skiing event, snatching his sixth gold medal at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games.

Klaebo showcased his prowess by winning gold in every event he participated in. His victories include the men’s 10k free, 10k skiathlon, sprint classic, team sprint free, 7.5k relay, and the recent 50k mass start classic, where he finished with a time of 2:07:07.1.

“I can hardly believe it,” he remarked after his impressive win. “Competing is always exhilarating for me, and I genuinely look forward to battling for a medal.”

Fellow Norwegian Martin Lødström Nyenget expressed admiration for Klaebo’s stamina and dominance on the course. “I’m starting to wonder if he’s a machine,” Nyenget said, who himself ended up in second place that day. “It’s nearly impossible to beat him at the finish line.”

At one point in the race, it looked like Nyenget might pull off an unexpected victory as they approached the final stretch.

However, Klaebo surged uphill with impressive speed, a hallmark of his racing style. It’s worth noting how he can ski uphill faster than many can run a mile. In fact, during the men’s Sprint Classic final on February 10, he was clocked at a breathtaking speed of 11.4 mph on a 240-meter climb towards the race’s conclusion.

With this achievement, Klaebo broke the 46-year-old record for the most gold medals in a single Winter Games, previously held by American speed skater Eric Heiden, who won five golds at the 1980 Lake Placid Games.

Klaebo now stands alongside elite athletes like Michael Phelps, Mark Spitz, Kristin Otto, and Vitaly Scherbo, as one of the few who have earned at least six gold medals at a single Olympics.

Earlier this month, he had already set a Winter Olympic record by securing his ninth gold medal in cross-country skiing.

By the end of these Games in Northern Italy, Klaebo will walk away with a remarkable total of 11 gold medals accumulated across three different tournaments.