Norway’s Klaebo makes history on skis, ties all-time Winter Olympics gold record

TESERO, Italy (AP) — Friday the 13th will be remembered as a lucky day for Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo. Norway’s cross-country skiing star won an eighth gold medal at the Milan Cortina Olympics Friday, tying an all‑time Winter Games record. The 29‑year‑old claimed victory in the men’s 10 kilometer interval‑start race, for his third gold at the 2026 games.

Will three races still ahead of him, Klaebo now shares the record with three other Norwegian athletes who have all retired: Marit Bjoergen and Bjoern Daehlie in cross-country skiing and Ole Einar Bjoerndalen in the biathlon. Klaebo again gained vital ground in the final hill and clocked 20 minutes, 36.2 seconds, showing rare signs of fatigue as he collapsed at the finish line of the race considered to be his toughest challenge.

He was 4.9 seconds head of Frances’s Mathis Desloges and 14 in front of his main challenger Einar Hedegart also of Norway who lost momentum on the last hill.

“It's a special day,” Klaebo said. “This one means a lot for sure … I'm lost for words.”

The Norwegian said he was happy with his tactics, racing the first half of the course with a controlled pace, saving energy for a burst up the last hill and home stretch.

“It was really hard out there today so I'm very proud,” he said.

Over at the French camp, athletes and team officials celebrated as if they had one the race, linking arms and dancing on the snow after underdog Mathis Desloges won his second silver medal, competing at his first Olympics at Milan Cortina. “I trained incredibly hard for these races,” Desloges said. “I told people I was at this level — and now we are delivering.” The 23-year-old Frenchman, like many other top racers in the interval start, was mostly unaware of his position during the race.

“I don’t really pay attention to what’s being shouted from the sidelines,” he said. “Honestly, I don’t listen to them. I just focus on my race. I know what I have to do and I give it everything.” On a blue-sky day in northern Italy, with the race track surrounded by the snow-capped Dolomite mountains, temperatures hovered around 5 degrees Celsius (41 Fahrenheit). A few racers chose to compete wearing only their race bibs.

Organizers had treated the course with salt Thursday to harden the surface but left it untouched Friday — a decision that favored Klaebo, who started early among the seeded skiers. Celebrations were led by Norwegian fans: national flags — red with a blue cross outlined in white — were draped over athletes and the railing on the spectators' area. Klaebo's grandfather, Kare Hoesflot, who helped launch his career traveled to northern Italy to watch the race, while messages of congratulations poured in from back home, where cross-country skiing is a prime time sport.

“Another show of strength from Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo. What a performance in a thriller of a race! Congratulations on gold number three in these Olympics!,” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere wrote on social media. Finn Dahl, a retired marketing manager from Norway, watched Klaebo win, and credited his success to relentless hard work.

“He's so dedicated. He sacrificed everything in terms of training, how he eats, how he sleeps and calms down after races,” he said.

“It's fantastic … he's up to eight now,” Dahl said. “I hope he'll be the biggest winner ever.” —-

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Silver medalist Mathis Desloges, of France, from left, gold medalist Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, of Norway, and bronze medalist Einar Hedegart, of Norway, pose after the cross country skiing men's 10km interval start free at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, of Norway, poses after winning the gold medal in the cross country skiing men's 10km interval start free at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, of Norway, stands on the podium after winning the gold medal in the cross country skiing men's 10km interval start free at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, of Norway, reacts after crossing the finish line in the cross country skiing men's 10km interval start free at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, of Norway, sits on the leader's chair after crossing the finish line in the the cross country skiing men's 10km interval start free at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, of Norway, competes in the cross country skiing men's 10km interval start free at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans may be willing to stick with President Donald Trump through almost anything, but his recent push to seize control of Greenland has turned off many in his own party, according to a new AP-NORC poll.

The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that about 7 in 10 U.S. adults disapprove of how Trump is handling the issue of Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark. That's higher than the share who dislike how he's handling foreign policy generally, suggesting that Trump's Greenland approach has created a weak spot for the administration. About 24% of American adults approve of Trump's Greenland approach.

Even Republicans aren't thrilled. About half disapprove of his attempt to turn the icebound landmass into American territory, something that Trump has insisted is critical for national security in the Arctic, while about half approve.

The poll was conducted Feb. 5-8, which is after Trump had made the decision to scrap tariffs designed to pressure European countries into supporting U.S. control of Greenland, but after his weeks-long push for American intervention over the island.

Trump's base is normally unwavering behind him, so Greenland stands out as an exception.

The marks represent Trump's lowest ratings among Republicans on a list of key issues in the poll, including the economy and immigration — where about 8 in 10 approve — and foreign policy generally. About 7 in 10 Republicans approve of his overall foreign policy approach.

Trump has argued that the U.S. needs Greenland to counter threats from Russia and China in the Arctic region, despite America already having a military presence there.

Other recent polls, including a Pew Research Center survey conducted in January, found that Republicans were largely divided on whether the U.S. should take over Greenland, while Americans overall were opposed.

Ayman Amir, a 46-year-old Trump supporter from Houston, Texas, said he agrees that Greenland holds strategic importance for the United States' military. But that doesn't mean he thinks Trump should claim it.

“We can't take it by force. We don't have a right to do that,” Amir said. “You can't blame Russia for what they do in Ukraine and then do the same thing. You can't do this.”

The president dropped his threats to seize the territory by force late last month after saying a framework for a deal over access to Greenland was reached with help from NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

The clash represents just one of the moves Trump has made to strain relationships with key allies over the last year. Western leaders are focusing on trans-Atlantic tensions this week at the Munich Security Conference.

On Greenland, Trump has few vocal supporters at home or abroad.

Even as Trump made significant moves to obtain control of Greenland, his overall approval on the issue of foreign policy has remained steady. About 4 in 10 U.S. adults approve of Trump’s approach to foreign policy, a measure that's been unchanged in recent months.

Younger Republicans are especially likely to disapprove of how Trump is handling the situation.

About 6 in 10 Republicans under 45 say they disapprove of his leadership on Greenland, compared to about 4 in 10 older Republicans.

That 4 in 10 who approve of Trump’s Greenland actions is much lower than young Republicans' approval on issues of foreign policy, the economy, or immigration.

Independent voter Aaron Gunnoe, 29, an engineer from Marion, Ohio, was baffled by Trump's aggressive posture on the NATO ally.

“It’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” he said. “It’s owned by somebody else. That should be the end of it.”

The AP-NORC poll of 1,156 adults was conducted Feb. 5-8 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points. The margin of sampling error for Republicans overall is plus or minus 6.1 percentage points.

FILE - A Danish serviceman walks in front of Joint Arctic Command center in Nuuk, Greenland, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File)

FILE - People protest against President Donald Trump's policy towards Greenland in front of U..S consulate in Nuuk, Greenland, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File)