Mathis Desloges, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo and Martin Løwstrøm Nyenget (from left) after the Olympic skiathlon. © ANSA / FILIP SINGER

Klæbo is working on his gold record – silver medalist cuts corners.

In the first Olympic cross-country skiing competition, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo emerged victorious. The Frenchman behind him caused a stir: Mathis Desloges once cut the course.

February 08, 2026

From: apa/sn

As expected, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo took the victory. The Norwegian celebrated his sixth Olympic gold medal. He triumphed in his first individual gold in a distance race, ahead of Frenchman Mathis Desloges (+2,0 seconds) and his compatriot Martin Løwstrøm Nyenget (+2,1).

Competing under a neutral flag, Russian Savelij Korostelev and Frenchman Hugo Lapalus missed out on a podium finish in a five-man battle. Silver medalist Desloges cut the course by a few meters during one of the finish laps but escaped with a yellow card. World Cup series winner and record world champion Klæbo seemingly effortlessly broke away from his four companions on the final long climb and celebrated his next victory early on. Davide Graz (8th/+49,0 seconds) was the best of the four Italians. He was followed by his teammates Elia Barp (14th/+1:11.5), Federico Pellegrino (20th/+1:51.5), and Martino Carollo (23rd/+2:16.5).

Klæbo is aiming for a gold record at the Olympics

Over the next two weeks, Klæbo, who has a strong chance of winning five more events, could become the most successful Winter Olympian. The record holders are his compatriots Marit Bjørgen and Ole Einar Bjørndalen with eight gold medals and numerous other medals. The next race for the men is the sprint on Tuesday (starting at 11:45 a.m.).