BREAKING: Norwegian star Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo has made history at the 2026 Winter Olympics, clinching his sixth gold medal in the men’s cross-country skiing events, shattering the long-standing record for most golds by a single athlete in one Olympics. This landmark achievement occurred during the 50-kilometer mass start race on Saturday at the Milan Cortina Games, where Klaebo surged ahead to break the previous record of five golds set by American speed skater Eric Heiden in 1980.
Klaebo, who now holds a total of 11 Olympic gold medals across three Games, extended his record after dominating the event with a stunning performance. He was joined on the podium by his fellow Norwegians, Martin Loewstroem Nyenget earning silver and Emil Iversen taking home bronze, marking a remarkable sweep for Norway.
NO GOLD FOR STOLZ: In a surprising turn of events, American standout Jordan Stolz fell short of his goal to become the first man since 1994 to win three gold medals in long track speedskating at a single Olympics. Stolz finished in fourth place in the mass start, with Jorrit Bergsma of the Netherlands, at 40 years old, capturing gold.
The women’s mass start also saw a Dutch victory, with reigning world champion Marijke Groenewoud taking gold, while Ivanie Blondin of Canada secured silver and Mia Manganello of the U.S. won bronze.
U.S. MEDAL RECORD: The United States Olympic team celebrated a historic milestone, achieving its 11th gold medal of the Games in mixed aerials. The trio of Kaila Kuhn, Connor Curran, and Chris Lillis dominated the competition, surpassing the previous record of 10 golds set at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.
In women’s curling, top-ranked Canada defeated the U.S. 10-7 to claim bronze after the Americans’ semifinal upset against Sweden. The loss denied the U.S. women their first medal in the event.
SKIMO DEBUT: In a thrilling addition to the Winter Olympics, Emily Harrop and Thibault Anselmet brought home the gold for France in the mixed relay of ski mountaineering, marking its Olympic debut. They finished the Stelvio course in 26 minutes, 57.44 seconds, narrowly beating the Swiss team by 11.86 seconds.
ITALIAN CELEBRATION: The host nation, Italy, saw its freeskier duo of Simone Deromedis and Federico Tomasoni achieve a stunning 1-2 finish in the men’s skicross final. Deromedis triumphed with a commanding lead, while Tomasoni secured silver in a nail-biting photo finish, bringing Italy’s total gold medal count to 10 during the Milan Cortina Olympics.
As the Games continue, all eyes remain on the athletes for more thrilling competitions and potential record-breaking performances. Stay tuned for further updates and developments from the Winter Olympics.
