Johannes Høsflot Klæbo of Norway claimed gold in the men's classic sprint at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, marking his second victory of the Games. American Ben Ogden earned silver, ending a 50-year drought for U.S. men in the event. The race featured a viral uphill sprint by Klæbo that showcased his dominance.
The men's classic sprint took place on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium in Val di Fiemme, Italy. Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, the 29-year-old Norwegian reigning world champion in all six cross-country events, surged ahead with an explosive uphill dash in the final, averaging around 17 km/h on a seven percent gradient. His time of 3:39.74 secured his seventh Olympic gold medal overall, one shy of the Winter Olympics record shared by three Norwegians. Klæbo eased off near the finish, waving to fans including his fiancée Pernille Doesvik, while building a lead that allowed him to bow to the crowd.
Ben Ogden of the United States finished 0.87 seconds behind at 3:40.61, claiming silver and the first U.S. men's Olympic medal in cross-country skiing since Bill Koch's silver in 1976. Ogden, a 25-year-old from Vermont, celebrated with a backflip off the podium, a tradition from his high school days. "Unbelievable, unbelievable. I just can’t put into words," Ogden said. He noted the challenge of racing Klæbo: "When you have to face Johannes in every single race, you know that you have to bring the best version of yourself."
Oskar Opstad Vike of Norway took bronze with a time of 3:46.55. Klæbo's performance, including a sub-six-minute mile pace uphill on skis, went viral on social media, amassing 14 million views on an NBC clip. The Norwegian, nicknamed the "King" for his five prior Olympic golds, aims for six golds at these Games, an unprecedented feat. Ogden hopes his medal will inspire a new generation of American skiers, including teammates J.C. Schoonmaker and Gus Schumacher. Conditions featured compact snow early, turning slushier later, but Klæbo praised his team's waxing: "It was amazing. My shape is good and I was a little bit more relaxed before this race."
Klæbo's win follows his gold in Sunday's skiathlon, positioning him to challenge records held by Marit Bjørgen, Bjørn Dæhlie, and Ole Einar Bjørndalen.
