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In a golden masterclass, Norway’s Klaebo extends Winter Olympics medal record

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TESERO, Italy (AP) — Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo’s golden run at Milan Cortina continued Wednesday as the Norwegian star secured his fifth gold at the Milan Cortina Olympics — and a record 10th overall — in the men’s team sprint. Klaebo beat back a challenge from the United States to improve on his own record tally, racing with Einar Hedegart to win in 18 minutes, 28.9 seconds. Americans Ben Ogden and Gus Schumacher were just 1.4 seconds behind for the silver, while Italy's Elia Barp and Federico Pellegrino pleased the home crowd and took bronze, 3.3 seconds back. 

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TESERO, Italy (AP) — Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo’s golden run at Milan Cortina continued Wednesday as the Norwegian star secured his fifth gold at the Milan Cortina Olympics — and a record 10th overall — in the men’s team sprint. Klaebo beat back a challenge from the United States to improve on his own record tally, racing with Einar Hedegart to win in 18 minutes, 28.9 seconds. Americans Ben Ogden and Gus Schumacher were just 1.4 seconds behind for the silver, while Italy’s Elia Barp and Federico Pellegrino pleased the home crowd and took bronze, 3.3 seconds back. 

“It’s obviously very satisfying to make this happen,” the 29-year-old Klaebo said. “The team sprint is one of the most fun events, but also one of the hardest.” Klaebo has won every race he has entered at these Games, breaking the Winter Olympics record in Sunday’s 4 x 7.5-kilometer relay. His final race will be in the 50-kilometer mass start at the weekend. “There are so many strong teams and so many fast skiers, so it always comes down to tight battles,” Klaebo added. “That makes it even more rewarding.” The U.S. racers fought hard for an upset, with Schumacher slipping back only on the final hill where Klaebo sealed victory. 

“Man, we kept the belief and I knew that Gus was not going to let up until the last second. And therefore I couldn’t let up to the last seconds. So it was pretty incredible,” Ogden said. 

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, of Norway, approaches the finish line to win the gold medal in the cross-country skiing men's team sprint free at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, of Norway, approaches the finish line to win the gold medal in the cross-country skiing men's team sprint free at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Mathis Desloges snapped a pole, in a setback for the strong French team that finished 12th. 

In the women’s competition, Jonna Sundling and Maja Dahlqvist continued Sweden’s winning form.

Switzerland’s Nadja Kaelin and Nadine Faehndrich took silver with Laura Gimmler and Coletta Rydzek of Germany taking the bronze. Norway was edged out to fourth place.

“It is just amazing, so happy and so relieved too,” Dahlqvist said after the Swedes won in 20 minutes, 29.99 seconds. “We have like five, six girls who could do the team sprint today. So we have a really strong team and I’m happy to bring a gold for the whole team.”

Jessie Diggins of the United States pushed the pace early in the race but finished fifth with partner Julia Kern, 11.54 seconds behind Sweden. 

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, of Norway, center, speaks with teammate Einar Hedegart after winning the gold medal in the cross-country skiing men's team sprint free at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, of Norway, center, speaks with teammate Einar Hedegart after winning the gold medal in the cross-country skiing men's team sprint free at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

During the heats, a dog ran onto the track while the women’s competition took place, running alongside athletes as they crossed the finish line. The incident did not disrupt the racing, and the dog was cheered on by spectators. It later wandered to the finish area, approaching skiers as they completed their runs.

Venue officials said the dog had been taken for a walk by its owner, who lives locally before it escaped into the race course. They had initially thought the incident resulted from a violation of the venue’s strict no‑pets policy for spectators.

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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Maja Dahlqvist, of Sweden, crosses the finish line to win the gold medal, ahead of Nadine Faehndrich, of Switzerland, in the cross-country skiing women's team sprint free at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Maja Dahlqvist, of Sweden, crosses the finish line to win the gold medal, ahead of Nadine Faehndrich, of Switzerland, in the cross-country skiing women's team sprint free at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Silver medalists Ben Ogden and Gus Schumacher, of the United States, gold medalist Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo and Einar Hedegart, of Norway, and bronze medalist Elia Barp and Federico Pellegrino, of Italy, pose after the cross-country skiing men's team sprint free at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Silver medalists Ben Ogden and Gus Schumacher, of the United States, gold medalist Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo and Einar Hedegart, of Norway, and bronze medalist Elia Barp and Federico Pellegrino, of Italy, pose after the cross-country skiing men's team sprint free at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, right, and Einar Hedegart, of Norway, pose after winning the gold medal in cross-country skiing men's team sprint free at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, right, and Einar Hedegart, of Norway, pose after winning the gold medal in cross-country skiing men's team sprint free at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
In this image taken from video provided by Olympic Broadcasting Services, OBS, a dog runs onto the track near the finish during the heats of the cross-country skiing women's team sprint free at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (Olympic Broadcasting Services via AP)
In this image taken from video provided by Olympic Broadcasting Services, OBS, a dog runs onto the track near the finish during the heats of the cross-country skiing women's team sprint free at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (Olympic Broadcasting Services via AP)
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