Klaebo compared to Phelps as he goes for sixth Milano Cortina gold

Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo will attempt to win his sixth gold medal out of six events at Milano Cortina 2026 as he enters the Men’s 50km Mass Start Classic at the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium on Saturday.

Klaebo has already become the most decorated Cross-Country skier of all time after succeeding fellow Norwegian Bjoern Daehlie’s previous record of eight golds. After winning his 10th total Olympic gold in the Team Sprint with Einar Hedegart on Wednesday, he then rose up the rankings of all Olympic athletes, second only to American swimmer Michael Phelps, who has 23 gold medals.

This has drawn obvious comparisons to Phelps, who won eight golds out of eight events at a single Olympic Games at Beijing 2008, which Klaebo is now attempting with six at Milano Cortina.

“He is just incredible and in an enormous shape. He deserves all credit that he gets,” said Hedegart when asked about Klaebo coming second to Phelps in the gold medal rankings. “He has such a high level and the way that he is the world’s best at sprint but also, probably, the 50k, that says something about his versatility.”

Klaebo said after winning his 10th gold: “It’s crazy. It’s hard to put it into words, it feels unreal.” He will attempt to win his 11th in Saturday’s 50km Mass Start Classic which he said will be a hard race, particularly given his busy programme compared with some other athletes at the Games.

Athletes from France and USA will be among those fighting for podium places in the form of silver medalist in both the Skiathlon and Interval Start Free, Mathis Desloges (FRA), and Sprint Classic silver medalist Ben Ogden (USA). Their respective team-mates Hugo Lapalus and Gus Schumacher will also be in the mix and share the feeling of settling for silver behind Klaebo, having also been beaten by Norway in the team events.

Norway will have a strong showing in the 50km, with Harald Oestberg Amundsen, Martin Lowestroem Nyenget and Emil Iversen joining Klaebo on the start line. Iversen and Nyenget won gold alongside their star team-mate in the 4 x 7.5km Relay, with Nyenget also winning bronze in the Skiathlon.

The host nation’s veteran Federico Pellegrino, who won two bronze medals in the team events behind Klaebo at Milano Cortina, will hope to end the Games on a high in the 50km, especially in what will be his last Winter Olympics.

While the 35-year-old has also had a busy schedule at the Games and will be managing an injury after sustaining a problem with his arm in the Skiathlon, made worse by two collisions in the Team Sprint, he will retire at the end of the World Cup season having passed the mantle on to his Italian team-mates.

“To win two Olympic medals at a home Olympics, and helping the whole delegation I was carrying the flag in front of, is the biggest satisfaction I could expect,” said Pellegrino.

“Now I know we have a legacy after ‘Chicco’ Pellegrino. I can retire satisfied, and watch these guys from the sofa. Now they know they are able to reach the hardest and most important podium in a Cross-Country ski race.”

For the full Cross-Country schedule for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games click here.