Klaebo already claimed his seventh gold medal at the Olympic Games, and this year he could go for four more. After the Games in Italy, he could be the most successful athlete in Winter Olympic history! Can anyone stop him? No. That’s the answer. You’re basically just racing for second place.
"I like to go into every race believing I can win. But these days, it often feels like we’re just fighting for silver," said American sprint specialist Ben Ogden, who ended a 50-year medal drought for the USA in men’s cross-country skiing at the current Olympics when he claimed silver.
No one could match Klaebo, though. He simply left everyone behind. And if Ogden finished less than a second behind him, it was only because the Norwegian was greeting fans on the home stretch - and maybe even considering crossing the finish line backwards, just like his compatriot Petter Northug once did.
But Klaebo probably wouldn’t dare do that, especially in an Olympic race.
Half-century-old technique
Maybe you’re already bored by his results. It was just another absolutely dominant victory. But this time, he spiced up his run with a truly exceptional uphill sprint. The impressive- and even amusing- section of the race went viral on social media within hours. And Klaebo only underlined his dominance.
He picked up his feet and climbed the key hill at a rate of 18 steps in 10 seconds. He ran up a steep slope on skis at an average speed of 17 kilometres per hour! That’s a pace of three minutes and 30 seconds per kilometre.
Never seen a style like that? These days, when skiers often rely on gliding even on the uphills, the 'herringbone' technique is rarely used. But this classic move was once mastered by legendary Finnish skier Juha Mieto, who won his first Olympic gold in 1976. Klaebo took inspiration from his style - and has surely perfected it even further.
Klaebo is flawless, racing with ruthless tactics. He gives no one a chance. And he’s incredibly strong.
It’s all thanks to grandpa!
When Johannes was a child, he grew up between Norway’s capital, Oslo, and the shores of the Trondheim fjord. He loved football, which was booming in Norway at the time. Rosenborg were successful in European competitions, and many young players were heading abroad. But from Byasen, the club he played for, the big stage seemed too far away.
"I loved the ball, but at some point I had to decide whether to pursue skiing or football. We talked about it for a long time, and I think we agreed that I’d be better off in a sport where I could only blame myself for my failures," he recalled of the moment when, at 16, he decided to focus solely on skiing.
The man he discussed his future with was his grandfather. "It was a tough decision, but grandpa really supported me. I know, for example, that if I’d stuck with football, he wouldn’t have been my coach," Klaebo told NBC about the man who gave him his first pair of skis for his second birthday.
"He was just the perfect grandfather. From the time I was 10, he started picking me up from training. Whether it was football or skiing, he always came for me and drove me there and back," he added.
Now 83, Kare Hosflot still accompanies the current superstar to his races in Tesero, Italy. He watches as his grandson conquers the world and becomes a living legend. Without old Mr Hosflot, Johannes surely wouldn’t have reached his now record-breaking 105 individual World Cup victories.
And it’s also very likely that Klaebo will soon become the athlete with the most gold medals in Winter Olympic history. He currently has seven, plus one silver and one bronze.
He has a clear advantage: he can do it all. That’s unique. He wins sprints and marathons alike. Imagine Usain Bolt running a 10-kilometre race. With all due respect, he might have called it quits after just one kilometre.
At the 2025 World Championships in Trondheim, Klaebo triumphed in both the sprint and the 50-kilometre distance… That's unbelievable.
Chasing legends, Klaebo could win four more golds
Only three of Klaebo’s fellow Norwegians have eight Winter Olympic golds: Marit Bjorgen (8-4-3), Bjorn Dahlie (8-4-0), and biathlete Ole-Einar Bjorndalen (8-4-2).
Klaebo has already won two at the 2026 Games, and in the coming days, he could add as many as four more, if the coaches put him in every race.
On Friday, February 13th, there’s the 10-kilometre freestyle race, and on Sunday, the 4x7.5-kilometre relay, where he could anchor the team. On Wednesday, February 18th, is the team sprint, and Saturday brings the classic 50-kilometre distance.
All in all, he has a chance at six golds from a single Games. If he won them all, that would mean 11 Olympic victories in total, with the most ever won by an individual being eight (a record shared by the three Norwegians mentioned above).
Only swimmer Michael Phelps, who tops the all-time charts with 23 golds from the Summer Olympics, is out of Klaebo’s reach. But never say never. After all, Klaebo's still only 29…