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02/15 07:21 CST Norway's Klaebo wins 9th gold medal in cross-country skiing,
setting a Winter Olympics record
Norway's Klaebo wins 9th gold medal in cross-country skiing, setting a Winter
Olympics record
By DEREK GATOPOULOS and BRIAN MELLEY
Associated Press
TESERO, Italy (AP) --- Norway's Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo has won his ninth gold
medal in cross-country skiing, setting a Winter Games record, at the Milan
Cortina Olympics.
The 29?year?old anchored Sunday's 4 x 7.5-kilometer relay in the men's
competition for his fourth gold of the 2026 Games.
He had shared the record with three retired Norwegian athletes, Marit Bjoergen
and Bjorn Daehlie in cross-country skiing and Ole Einar Bjoerndalen in the
biathlon. He now stands alone at the top.
"I like the sound of that! It's a pretty nice title," Klaebo said after the
race.
"But it's special to do this together with this group. In Norway, winning the
relay is what really matters --- and today we all delivered," he said.
"We've had so much fun --- both here and at training camps throughout the year.
It's been a great season. Today, even though everyone was nervous, there was
still a relaxed atmosphere." Klaebo put in a flawless but casual-looking race,
slowing down before the finish to wave to cheering supporters before finishing
in 1 hour, 4 minutes and 24.5 seconds. France continued its strong performance
for second place, 22.2 seconds behind, while Italy placed third with a 47.9
second lag.
Despite a strong start, the United States finished sixth behind Finland and
Canada.
Cheered on by the home crowd, Italy finished with Federico Pellegrino who is
racing in his final season. He celebrated with fans, dancing to Italian pop
classics played on a trumpet. "This is something that I was dreaming of for a
long time," Pellegrino said. "I think two years ago, when I started to think
about the home Olympics and see teammates increase in their level, the dream
became a goal and today we achieved it. It's something! Maybe the thing that
I'm the most proud of in my career."
___
AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
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