Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo accomplished an unprecedented sweep of all six cross-country snowboarding gold medals on the World Championships, capping it in Saturday’s grueling 50km race in entrance of tens of 1000’s in his hometown.
Klaebo, the world’s high male skier for a lot of the final decade, gained the 50km freestyle (at 31 miles, longer than a marathon) in 1 hour, 57 minutes, 47.1 seconds.
He pulled away from Swede William Poromaa within the closing dash by 2.1 seconds at Granasen Ski Heart in Trondheim, about 10 minutes from the place he lives. Commentator Chad Salmela stated round 50,000 followers have been anticipated to line the course.
Klaebo, 28, grew to become the primary cross-country skier to win all six occasions at worlds for the reason that program was expanded from 5 occasions to 6 beginning in 2001 for males and 2003 for ladies.
Russian Yelena Välbe gained all 5 occasions on the 1997 Worlds, additionally in Trondheim.
Klaebo started worlds by successful the dash (a race lower than three minutes) for a fourth consecutive worlds, then the 20km skiathlon (combining basic and freestyle snowboarding) and the 10km interval begin. He then anchored Norway’s workforce dash and relay to gold.
Klaebo’s race Saturday was his hardest. His greatest occasion is the shortest. He had by no means gained the 50km — the longest race — at a serious championship, although he did cross the end line first in 2021 earlier than being disqualified for obstruction.
Klaebo grew to become the third skier to win each the dash and the longest race at worlds for the reason that dash debuted in 2001. The others have been Norway’s Marit Bjoergen (2013) and Petter Northug (2015). Klaebo’s 15 profession World Championships gold medals throughout all occasions are second solely to Bjoergen’s 18.
Subsequent up for Klaebo is the end of the World Cup season. He leads the World Cup total standings and might win a fifth profession total season title, one shy of countryman Bjorn Daehlie’s document.
Extra historical past beckons subsequent February.
Klaebo already owns 5 Olympic titles from 2018 and 2022. He’s three shy of the profession Winter Olympic gold medals document throughout all sports activities.
“I’m not pondering a lot about 2026 proper now,” Klaebo stated final week. “The principle objective now’s what we’re doing right here now, and what we’re making an attempt to perform right here.”
NBC Sports activities’ Dan Meyer contributed to this report from Trondheim.
Jessie Diggins and Julia Kern gained a workforce dash medal for a second consecutive world championships.
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