On a winning run at the Winter Games, Klaebo joins an elite group of golden Olympians

TESERO, Italy (AP) — Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo’s victory Sunday places him in an elite group of Olympians who remain dominant figures in their sport.

The Norwegian has won all four cross-country skiing races so far at the Milan Cortina Games. His latest triumph in the men’s relay gave him a Winter Olympics record of nine gold medals.

That result also pushed him into the top tier of Olympic athletes — summer and winter — tying him with greats such as American track-and-field athlete Carl Lewis and swimmer Mark Spitz.

The 29-year-old Norwegian, with two races remaining at these Games, could soon move beyond that group and inch closer to the greatest of them all: American swimmer Michael Phelps, who has won 23 Olympic gold medals.

Competing in his third Olympics, Klaebo has evolved from a standout sprinter into a dominant all-around skier. Races are often sealed with a “Klaebo run,” his feared burst uphill that leaves competitors out of contention.

How good has he become? Just ask his teammates.

Norway’s Martin Loewstroem Nyenget skied the second leg of Sunday’s relay as the favorites began to look unstoppable.

“We went out carrying a lot of expectations, so it feels really good to deliver,” he said. “And for me, this is my first one, so it’s really special. For Johannes, this is almost a hobby by now. But for me, it’s something truly big.”

With Klaebo in the race, the loudest celebrations often come from those feeling fortunate just to share the podium with him.

France was ecstatic with second place Sunday.

“Others were behind me and I had really tired legs. But we got the silver medal and it’s crazy,” French anchor Victor Lovera said, adding with a laugh: “I tried my best, but I think (Klaebo) was a little bit too strong for me today.”

On a historic day, Klaebo was pleased to win a team event and share the credit.

“I’m really proud of what we all achieved today, and it means a lot — not only for the team, but also for the guys back at the hotel who could have been part of the team, and for the waxers and the coaches,” he said.

Klaebo’s races were cheered by traveling Norwegian fans, including many close to him: his mother, Elisabeth, and fiancée Pernille Doesvik, as well as his grandfather and longtime mentor, Kare Hoesflot.

“He has been my coach since I was 15, and we have really, really worked for it. For me to have him here and to see this and what we have achieved over the years, it’s unbelievable,” Klaebo said, adding that the 83-year-old remains a major influence in his life.

“Every time we talk about training, he always has a plan,” he said. “He always has something to say, which gives me the confidence that we are on the right path.”

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

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, of Norway, gives his Tina mascot tooth to fans on the stands after winning the gold medal in the cross country skiing men's 4 x 7.5km relay at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, of Norway, waves from the podium, with teammates Einar Hedegart, Martin Loewstroem Nyenget and Emil Iversen, after winning the gold medal in the cross country skiing men's 4 x 7.5km relay at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, of Norway, approaches the finish line to win the gold medal in the cross country skiing men's 4 x 7.5km relay at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, of Norway, skis uphill during the cross country skiing men's 4 x 7.5km relay at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — American Lindsey Vonn was preparing to fly back to her home country on Sunday after her terrifying head-over-heels crash in the Olympic downhill, the U.S. Ski Team's chief told The Associated Press.

Sophie Goldschmidt, president and CEO of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, said the team’s medical staff has been coordinating Vonn’s recovery since the crash and subsequent helicopter evacuation at the Milan Cortina Games and would try to accompany her home. Vonn has had multiple surgeries in Italy to repair a complex tibia fracture in her left leg.

“We’re working through all of that at the moment,” Goldschmidt said. “We’ve got a great team around helping her and she’ll go back to the U.S. for further surgeries.”

Spectators tuning in to see Vonn attempt to win a medal at age 41 with a torn ACL in her left knee and a partial titanium replacement in her right knee were stunned when she clipped a gate 13 seconds into her run, resulting in a spinning, airborne crash that sent her careening down the Dolomite mountain.

“The impact, the silence, everyone was just in shock. And you could tell it was a really nasty injury,” said Goldschmidt, who was there. “There’s a lot of danger in doing all sorts of Alpine sports but it gives more of an appreciation for how superhuman these athletes are.

“I mean, putting your body on the line, going at those speeds, the physicality. Sometimes actually on the broadcast it’s really hard to get that across,” Goldschmidt added. “Danger sometimes brings fans in and is pretty captivating. We obviously hope we won’t have injuries like that but it is unfortunately part and parcel of our sports.”

Vonn herself said she has no regrets.

“When I think back on my crash, I didn’t stand in the starting gate unaware of the potential consequences,” Vonn said in an Instagram post late Saturday. “I knew what I was doing. I chose to take a risk. Every skier in that starting gate took the same risk. Because even if you are the strongest person in the world, the mountain always holds the cards.

“But just because I was ready, that didn’t guarantee me anything. Nothing in life is guaranteed. That’s the gamble of chasing your dreams, you might fall but if you don’t try you’ll never know,” Vonn added.

Goldschmidt visited Vonn at the hospital twice and said, “She’s not in pain. She’s in a stable condition.

“She took an aggressive line and was all in and it was inches off what could have ended up a very different way,” Goldschmidt said. “But what she’s done for our sports and the sport in general, her being a role model, has gone to a whole new level. You learn often more about people during these tough moments than when they’re winning.”

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

General view of Ca' Foncello Hospital in Treviso, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, where U.S. skier Lindsey Vonn is hospitalized with a broken leg after crashing during the women's downhill competition at the Milan-Cortina Olympics. (Paola Garbuio/LaPresse via AP)

United States' Lindsey Vonn is airlifted away after a crash during an alpine ski women's downhill race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

United States' Lindsey Vonn crashes during an alpine ski women's downhill race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)