Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo accomplished his historic gold medal sweep of the boys’s cross-country snowboarding occasions by profitable his sixth race and setting the document for probably the most golds by one athlete in a single Winter Olympics.
Klæbo’s victory within the 50-kilometre mass begin race shattered the practically 50-year document set by American pace skater Eric Heiden, who received 5 golds within the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics.
All of Heiden’s wins have been in particular person races and two of Klæbo’s have are available in group occasions, so Heiden’s document for particular person wins nonetheless stands.
Johannes Høsflot Klæbo handed America’s Eric Heiden’s (pictured) document of 5 gold medals set on the 1980 Video games. (Getty Pictures)
“It feels superb,” Klæbo stated. “To crown every little thing right here with a 50K, it is unbelievable. In Norway, we are saying that for those who’re gonna turn into a person, it’s essential to win the 50K and at present we did, so it is an ideal option to finish two excellent weeks.”
The stable gold efficiency matched the feat he completed finally 12 months’s world championships in Trondheim, Norway, when he received all six occasions.
Klæbo’s teammates, Martin Løwstrøm Nyenget, took silver, and Emil Iversen received bronze in a Norwegian sweep.
The three Norwegians had a lead earlier than the midway mark and continued to construct the hole on their chasers.
4 of Klæbo’s golds at these Olympics have are available in particular person occasions, which means he nonetheless trails Heiden in that division. (Getty: Lars Baron)
Nyenget drove a quick tempo, attempting the complete race to shake his compatriot, understanding that if he did not, he’d fall sufferer to Klæbo’s trademark uphill dash.
Klaebo stated he was simply attempting to hold on and preserve vitality for the end.
Towards the tip, Nyenget and Klæbo pushed uphill and dropped Iversen. Klæbo stayed in second ready to launch his profitable transfer.
As the 2 reached the ultimate hill, Klæbo ran away from Nyenget.
Johannes Høsflot Klæbo of Norway is the best Winter Olympian of all time after profitable his eleventh profession gold medal. (Getty: Lars Baron)
As he glided towards the end, he pointed his fingers towards the sky, took one stride throughout the road, toppled over on his proper hip and rolled onto his again. He completed in 2:06:44.8.
Nyenget completed 8.9 seconds later and Iversen was 30.7 seconds behind.
ABC Sport Each day podcast
“I went exhausting from the beginning, so I managed to do away with everybody else, however the very best,” Nyenget stated. “So I am actually completely happy about my efficiency, however Johannes is the king.”
France’s Theo Schely completed fourth, practically three minutes again and Savelii Korostelev, a Russian competing as a person impartial athlete, completed fifth at 3:38.3 again.
The very best-placed US skier was Gus Schumacher, who received a silver in a group relay, in thirteenth place.
5 skiers, together with Iivo Niskanen of Finland and Harald Oestberg Amundsen of Norway, dropped out of the race and 14 rivals have been lapped.
The win extends Klæbo’s document for many profession Winter Olympic gold medals to 11 over three Video games. The earlier document had been eight, which Klæbo broke on February 15.
Solely American swimming icon Michael Phelps owns extra Olympic gold medals than Klæbo. (Marco Pakoeningrat – Flickr – (CC BY-SA 2.0))
Klæbo has the second-most Olympic golds total behind solely US swimming nice Michael Phelps, who has 23.
The win gave Norway a document 18th gold medal and additional elevated their lead within the complete medal depend in these video games to 40 total, additionally a Winter Olympics document, although the 116 medal occasions this 12 months is greater than previously.
The nation set the document on Friday for probably the most gold medals received by a nation at a single Winter Olympics when biathlete Johannes Dale-Skjevdal received the 15-kilometre mass begin race.
AP
