Johannes Kläbo etched his name further into cross-country skiing history on Sunday, February 15, 2026, surpassing Norwegian legends Marit Bjørgen, Ole Einar Björndalen and Björn Dählie with his ninth Olympic gold medal. This victory came in the men’s 4x10km relay, marking Kläbo’s fourth gold of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games.
The Norwegian star has two more opportunities to add to his medal haul in Tesero, with the team sprint and the 50km race still to come. He is considered the favorite in both events, and a successful showing would see him replicate his six-gold performance from the 2022 Nordic World Ski Championships in Trondheim.
While the women’s relay on Saturday was hampered by challenging, rainy conditions, the men enjoyed perfect weather on Sunday. A significant temperature drop overnight packed the snow, providing excellent grip and a stark contrast to the softer conditions that led to several falls the previous day.
Norway Lives Up to Expectations
Unlike the women’s race, where Sweden’s favorites settled for silver after a dramatic fall, the Norwegian men’s team delivered on their billing as the gold medal favorites, leading from start to finish. This result secured gold for Norway in both the men’s and women’s relay events.
Emil Iversen, a somewhat surprising choice over Harald Östberg Amundsen, led off in the classic technique and handed over to Martin Löwström Nyenget after 7.5km. The bronze medalist in the skiathlon extended the lead to ten seconds, sending newcomer Einar Hedegart out on the freestyle leg.
The Olympic debutant was unable to significantly increase the advantage, despite a strong challenge from France’s Mathis Desloges, a two-time silver medalist. However, Hedegart passed the baton to Kläbo with a roughly twelve-second lead. The Games’ standout performer then sealed the victory, comfortably managing his final lap and allowing fans to celebrate his impending triumph.
France secured silver with a time 22.2 seconds behind Norway, while Italy claimed bronze after a thrilling final leg. Finland had been in third place after the third exchange, but Italy’s Federico Pellegrino closed the gap and overtook Niko Anttola on the final kilometer, securing the bronze for the host nation with a 9.2-second margin.
Austria Unable to Field a Relay Team
Only ten teams participated in the event, in part as some nations did not have the required four athletes to form a relay team. This was also the case for Austria, who nominated Mika Vermeulen, Benjamin Moser, and Michael Föttinger – three athletes short of the necessary four for the Winter Games.
The next cross-country skiing event is the team sprint on Wednesday (qualification begins at 9:45 AM, final at 11:45 AM), with Austrian participation expected. Vermeulen, however, will not compete further at these Winter Games, having already returned home after two disappointing races and will not participate in the 50km event next Saturday.
