Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo is having a cross-country skiing world championships for the ages
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, the world's top male cross-country skier for much of the last decade, went into the world championships in his hometown of Trondheim with a shot at the greatest major competition performance in the sport's modern history.
Klaebo is now just one (very long) race away from perfection.
He has five gold medals in five events after anchoring the Norwegian men's relay to gold on Thursday with King Harald and Queen Sonja in attendance.
"Just look at the atmosphere here and all the spectators," Klaebo, who lives 10 minutes from the Granasen Ski Center, said last week after being cheered on by 25,000 strong. "It's for sure something else and by far the coolest experience of my life."
There is one event left for Klaebo to complete the first six-for-six world championships: the 50km on Saturday, a 31-mile endurance test and the only event that Klaebo has never won at an Olympics or world championships.
Klaebo took 50km silver at the last worlds in 2023, one second behind countryman Pal Golberg after two hours on the snow. In 2021, Klaebo crossed the 50km finish line first, then was disqualified for obstructing another skier near the start of the final straight.
Verdens Gang, Norway's largest tabloid newspaper, set (or echoed) the tone for these worlds after Klaebo won the first event, the sprint, last Thursday.
On the sports section cover was Klaebo, standing on the top step of the podium, with a checklist graphic underneath him: One race down, five to go.
That graphic was updated with second, third and fourth green checks on front pages following Klaebo's wins in the 20km skiathlon on Saturday, the 10km on Tuesday and the team sprint on Wednesday.
Klaebo said he was 'living in a dream right now," according to the International Ski and Snowboard Federation.
Then in Thursday's relay, he broke a tie with Petter Northug, Klaebo's predecessor as the sport's Norwegian king, for the most world titles for a male cross-country skier with the 14th of his career.
He also became the second cross-country skier — male or female — to win five golds at a single worlds. Nobody has gone six for six since the program was expanded from five events to six starting in 2001 for men and 2003 for women.
Klaebo, a 28-year-old coached by his grandfather, already owns five Olympic titles from 2018 and 2022. He is three shy of the career Winter Olympic gold medals record across all sports.
It is too early to start dreaming about the Milan Cortina Games. He still has 31 miles left to ski at a world championships for the ages.
"I'm not thinking much about 2026 right now," Klaebo said last week. "The main goal now is what we are doing here now, and what we're trying to accomplish here."
NBC Sports' Dan Meyer contributed to this report from Trondheim.
Jessie Diggins, Julia Kern take silver in cross-country skiing world championships team sprint
Jessie Diggins and Julia Kern won a team sprint medal for a second consecutive world championships.
Nick Zaccardi,
Nick Zaccardi,
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘Third-best season ever': Over 6.5 million skiers visited Utah's resorts during the season
SALT LAKE CITY () — 'Greatest snow on Earth,' Utah's long-running slogan, is proving itself true after another successful season at Utah's ski resorts. According to Ski Utah, this last season was the third-best in state history. There are 15 ski resorts across Utah, and together they recorded 6,503,635 visitors during the 2024-25 season, which has just wrapped up. According to a press release from Ski Utah, this is the third-highest number of skier visits in state history. This season's skier visits were down 3.6% from last year, the press release says, but the more than 6.5 million visitors this year show a 3.3% increase over Utah's five-year average. Utah's economy benefits greatly from recreation at the ski resorts. Ski Utah's president and CEO, Nathan Rafferty, emphasized skiing's impact on Utah. EXCLUSIVE: Utah man who underwent 120 surgeries advocates for rare disease awareness in Washington, D.C. 'To hit our third-best season ever and generate $2.51 billion for Utah's economy is a major win,' Rafferty is quoted in the release. 'The ski industry in Utah supports approximately 25,000 jobs, and with the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games on the horizon, the eyes of the world will be on us once again. We're excited about the opportunities ahead and grateful to all who helped make this season a success.' Ski Utah says that ski resorts are already hard at work to prepare for the upcoming 2034 Winter Olympics. In the next two years alone, 13 new lifts are expected to finish construction and open, and many resorts are planning upgrades to their mountain areas. 'Utah's future as a global winter destination remains as promising as ever,' Ski Utah concluded. Arizona man drowns along San Juan River in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Charges for trespassing on border military zones 'not going away' Former Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice Gordon Hall dies at 98 Two women charged with felonies after late-night assault in Logan, charges say Death penalty expert weighs in on Menzies competency ruling and appeal Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Newcastle, Spurs & Villa eye Sancho - Thursday's gossip
Premier League trio interested in Jadon Sancho, Everton and Newcastle lead Jack Grealish race, Bayer Leverkusen considering Jarell Quansah move. Aston Villa, Newcastle and Tottenham are monitoring developments with Jadon Sancho, 25, after the England winger's return to Manchester United following his loan spell at Chelsea. (Sun) Advertisement Everton and Newcastle are leading the race to sign England forward Jack Grealish, 29, from Manchester City this summer. (Football Insider) Bayer Leverkusen are considering a move for Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah, 22. (Athletic - subscription required) Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez is likely to leave Liverpool this summer, with Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal making contact about the 25-year-old this week. (Talksport) Nunez, though, is understood to favour staying in Europe, with a move to Spain or Italy his preference. (Mirror) Athletic Bilbao hope to agree a pay rise and contract extension with 22-year-old Spain winger Nico Williams, to stave off interest from Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Chelsea. (Marca - in Spanish) Advertisement Williams has told Bayern he is open to a move to Germany and his management is in talks with the Bundesliga champions. (Sky Sports Germany) Germany winger Leroy Sane, 29, has rejected an offer from Al-Hilal and agreed to join Galatasaray after talks over a new contract with Bayern Munich failed. (Sky Sport Germany) Everton, Wolves and Fulham are eyeing a move for 32-year-old Czech Republic right-back Vladimir Coufal, who is a free agent after leaving West Ham. (Football Insider) Nottingham Forest are rivalling Leeds and Sunderland for 31-year-old Mozambique left-back Reinildo Mandava, who is out of contract with Atletico Madrid this summer. (Teamtalk) Advertisement Real Betis have offered a three-year deal to Dominican Republic left-back Junior Firpo, whose Leeds contract is set to expire, although the 28-year-old is also considering an offer to stay at Elland Road and another from Lyon. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish) Chelsea have put Serbia goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic up for sale, with Leeds among the clubs interested in signing the 25-year-old. (Teamtalk) Petrovic asked to be left out of Chelsea's Club World Cup squad so he can focus on securing a move. (Telegraph - subscription required) Manchester City are close to reaching an agreement to sign Rosenborg's 18-year-old Norwegian midfielder Sverre Halseth Nypan. (Athletic - subscription required) Advertisement River Plate's Argentina midfielder Franco Mastantuono, 17, has agreed to join Real Madrid in August. (AS - in Spanish) Brazil forward Rodrygo, 24, wants to stay at Real Madrid and establish himself under new coach Xabi Alonso. (Marca - in Spanish)
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
LPGA Hall of Famer calls for more to speak out against trans athletes in girls sports
LPGA Hall of Famer calls for more to speak out against trans athletes in girls sports Betsy King grew up on 30 acres of land in Reading, Pennsylvania, where she honed a golf swing that would eventually land her in the LPGA and World Golf halls of fame. But golf wasn't her only passion. When older brother Lee left the house, mom often said, 'Take your sister.' And that's how King wound up playing baseball, basketball, hockey and, in elementary school, and tackle football with the neighborhood boys. Those memories come flooding back when King, a six-time major winner, sees biological males competing against females across the country. 'You know, when I was playing with the boys,' said King, 'I mean, it definitely helped my competitiveness to play then against other girls. But I was just trying to play well enough that that they would let me play. Obviously, even at that age, there was a physical difference.' Last week, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles made headlines when she called NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines a 'bully' and 'sore loser' for her criticism of biological boys competing in women's sports – in this particular instance, a high school state championship. Four days later, Biles apologized for her comments. 'In my mind, all I could think about is if a transgender woman started competing in what she (Biles) does, I think they could dominate,' said King, 'without a doubt.' Last December, the LPGA and U.S. Golf Association announced changes to their transgender policies that prohibit athletes who have experienced male puberty from competing in women's events. The move came as transgender golfer Hailey Davidson earned status on the LPGA's developmental Epson Tour. Sources say only a handful of LPGA players were in favor of allowing transgender athletes to compete. Even so, for King, the fight is far from over. Now she'd like to see a federal law put into place that would restrict the participation of biological males in female sports. In February, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that called on the government to "rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities." But that hasn't kept it from happening at high school competitions across the country. President Trump said last week that California would face large-scale fines after a transgender athlete won two medals in the state's track and field championship. 'I just feel badly for the high school girls that have to face it,' said King. 'You know, I've seen a couple of them on TV talking about it. And it really bothers me that the adults haven't stood up for these girls as much as they should.' As for the LPGA's new policy, King would like to see the tour return to a female-at-birth mandate, calling the trend of childhood transitions frightening. "I don't know that at 7 years old, if you really know what you are, who you are, or know what you want to do, to make a decision that will impact you the rest of your life," said King. "We don't listen to many 7-year-olds about a lot of things, right? That you would decide to listen to them about this is kind of frightening." A New York Times/Ipsos survey released in January 2025 found that 79 percent of Americans polled were against allowing biological males who identify as women to participate in women's sports. And yet, so few Hall of Fame-caliber female athletes have come out publicly against it. King, 69, posts frequently about the topic on social media and was especially disheartened recently when, during a floor debate on the Save Women's Sports Act, Pennsylvania state senator Lindsey Williams said, 'I want all girls to know that there are elected officials like me who believe female bodies are just as strong and fast and capable as male bodies.' King said she found Williams' comments to be ridiculous and went searching to confirm they weren't a parody. Five years ago, tennis icon Billie Jean King joined World Cup champion Megan Rapinoe, the WNBA's Candace Parker and nearly 200 athletes in supporting transgender youth participation in sports as part of a response to Idaho legislation that banned trans girls from competing in schools. 'There is no place in any sport for discrimination of any kind,' Billie Jean King said in a Women's Sports Foundation release. 'I'm proud to support all transgender athletes who simply want the access and opportunity to compete in the sport they love. The global athletic community grows stronger when we welcome and champion all athletes – including LGBTQI+ athletes.' Another tennis icon, Martina Navratilova, however, sees it differently than Billie Jean and has been vocal about the subject for years. She's one of the few decorated female athletes to do so. Growing up, Betsy King didn't have the same opportunities as her brother to play organized sports. As a three-sport athlete at Furman, King recalled going to the president's office each year with other female athletes to ask for more money. Female athletes stood up more back then, she noted, out of necessity. Some in King's circle and beyond have commented that there are more pressing issues currently facing the country. Her response: It's possible to be concerned about more than one subject. For example, in September, she'll head back to Africa for the umpteenth time (26th or 27th, she's not sure) to check in on some schools her Arizona church funds in Tanzania. After winning 34 times on the LPGA, King launched her Golf Fore Africa foundation in 2007 and raised roughly $20 million for World Vision, enough to fund 400 wells, at least 50 mechanized water systems and eight maternity wings for local hospitals. Though her work with the foundation has come to an end, she's finding more ways to use her platform. 'You know, I have nothing to lose,' said King on the divisive gender topic. 'I don't have any sponsorships at this stage. I've always been kind of outspoken and strong about values that I think even if I were playing, I would speak up.' Her mother, Helen Szymkowicz King, graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 1940 and was elected into the university's Athletic Hall of Fame as a three-sport athlete. King looks at how much the landscape has changed for women's sports in recent decades and views the transgender debate as a step backward. 'Many of us fought for places to compete when none existed,' King said. 'We cannot surrender our sports or our spaces.' Put another way by one of golf's most decorated American players: It's simply not fair.
