TESERO, Italy (AP) — Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo cruised to a sixth Olympic gold medal in his opening race of the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics in men’s skiathlon Sunday.
The 29-year-old was in the lead pack throughout, hammering competitors in the sprint to end in 46 minutes, 11 seconds, ahead of Mathis Desloges of France and Norwegian pacemaker Martin Loewstroem Nyenget, who were 2.0 seconds and 2.1 seconds behind.
The French escaped instant disqualification after skiing through the cones to cut a corner, with judges expected to review the race.
Challengers Edvin Anger of Sweden and Norway’s Harald Oestberg Amundsen suffered falls in the icy course.
Klaebo entered as the clear favorite in the 20 kilometer skiathlon, that splits the race between classic and freestyle techniques, with athletes switching skis midway. This year marks the first Olympic Games where both men and women race an equal 20 kilometer distance, with men reducing the distance from 30 kilometers.
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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
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