Johannes Klaebo secured a record ninth Olympic gold medal after leading Norway to victory in the men’s 4×7.5km cross country relay at the Winter Games on Sunday.
The 29 year old skier delivered the anchor leg with Norway holding a 12.2 second advantage and extended the margin to 22.2 seconds by the finish line. France claimed silver, while Italy secured bronze.
The gold medal places Klaebo ahead of fellow Norwegian Olympic champions Marit Bjoergen and Bjorn Daehlie, as well as biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, with whom he previously shared the national record for Olympic gold medals.
Klaebo has won four gold medals at these Games and is scheduled to compete in the men’s team sprint and the 50km classic race later this week.
The relay gold was also awarded to teammates Emil Iversen, Martin Loewstroem Nyenget and Einar Hedegart. It marked Norway’s 11th gold medal of the Games. The country currently leads the medal table in both gold medals and total medals, with 22 overall.
“We have a strong team. This is really important for all the waxers, coaches and everyone, including the teammates sitting back at the hotel, who also could have been a part of this team. It’s a team win and for me to do that as a ninth one is perfect,” Klaebo said after the race.
Norway maintained control for much of the relay. France moved into medal contention during the third leg through Mathis Desloges, who had already won two silver medals at these Games. France’s team also featured Theo Schely, Hugo Lapalus and Victor Lovera.
“This French team is very strong, and today we wrote some history,” Desloges said.
Italy secured bronze after Federico Pellegrino overtook Finland during the anchor leg. Pellegrino, competing at his final Olympic Games on home soil, was joined by Davide Graz, Elia Barp and Martino Carollo.
“It is something I’ve been dreaming about for a long time. But two years ago, when I started to think about the home Olympics, seeing the teammates increase their level, the dream became a goal. And today we achieved it,” Pellegrino said.
Klaebo’s performances throughout the Games have drawn recognition from fellow competitors. Zak Ketterson said after the race: “We’d all love to beat him, but you have to admit he’s probably one of the greatest athletes in any sport, summer or winter, maybe ever. Just the level of dominance is hard to believe.”
Klaebo crossed the finish line with a clear advantage, acknowledging Norwegian supporters in the crowd as he secured another Olympic title.
