Skier smashes record for most gold medals in a Winter Olympics

MILAN – Eric Heiden’s record for most gold medals won at single Winter Olympics has fallen.

It’s a record that stood for 46 years, with the American speed skater having won five golds at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, the men’s cross country skier from Norway, won his sixth medal of the 2026 Winter Olympics with a victory in cross country men’s 50 km Saturday, Feb. 21.

On the final lap, he overtook teammate Martin Loewstroem Nyenget and collapsed after he crossed the finish line in a time of in 20:07.07, 17.5 seconds ahead of Nyenget.

It was a Norwegian medal sweep, with Nyenget winning the silver and Emil Iversen taking bronze.

Klaebo, 29, prevailed here in all six men’s races of the men’s races: 10K interval start, 4×7.5 km relay, skiathlon, sprint and team sprint and 50km mass start at the Milano Cortina Winter Games.

He increased his Olympic record total to 13, including 11 golds he collected at the Winter Olympics in 2018, 2022 and 2026.

Heiden, by contrast, competed only at the 1980 Games.

Americans set record, excel at Olympics

The U.S. cross country team also made history, winning their first-ever men’s Olympic medal.

Americans Ben Ogden and Gus Schumacher did it when they paired up and win a silver medal in the men’s team sprint. Ogden also won a silver medal in the individual sprint.

In the 50km mass start Saturday, Americans Schumacher finished 13th and Hunter Wonders finished 35th.

In the women’s competition, American Jessie Diggins won a bronze medal in the 10km interval start. In 2018, Diggins became only the second American cross country skier to win an Olympic gold medal. She won a silver and bronze in 2022 and now has four Olympic medals.

Diggins, 34, will compete Sunday, Feb. 22 in the final race, the women’s 50 km mass start. She has announced she will retire after the 2025-26 season.

The three Olympic medals is the most won by the Americans in a single Winter Games.