Skier's Record Gold Is a Party

A wave to the celebrating crowd, a glide across the line—and a moment of Winter Olympic history. Norway cross-country skiing star Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo won his ninth gold medal on Sunday, setting a Winter Games record. The 29-year-old anchored the 4 x 7.5-kilometer relay in the men's competition for his fourth gold of the Milan Cortina Olympics, the AP reports. He had shared the record with three retired Norwegian athletes: cross-country skiers Marit Bjoergen and Bjoern Daehlie and biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen. Klaebo now stands alone at the top. "I like the sound of that! It's a pretty nice title," he said after the race.

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, 24.5 seconds. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre was at the stadium at Val di Fiemme, in north Italy's Dolomites, on his feet cheering as Klaebo crossed the line. "With today's team effort, Klaebo becomes the Winter Olympian of all time!" Støre wrote on social media. Despite fierce rivalry in competition, fans from Sweden and Norway mingled in the stands and enjoyed a party atmosphere. "It's awesome," said Oddmund Haughness, adding, "Johannes is just amazing—probably the best cross-country skier of all time."

Squandering a strong start, the US finished sixth behind Finland and Canada. Sweden came in last, in 10th place, after a slow start. France continued its strong performance for second place, 22.2 seconds behind, while Italy placed third with a 47.9 second lag. Klaebo acknowledged the team effort afterward, saying the athletes have "had so much fun" through training and at the Olympics. "It's special to do this together with this group," he said. "In Norway, winning the relay is what really matters—and today we all delivered."