Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo won a record ninth gold medal at the Winter Olympics Sunday by leading his country to victory in the cross-country relay, while Canada’s Mikael Kingsbury capped his Olympic career with gold in the men’s dual moguls for his fifth career medal.
Klaebo anchored the favoured Norwegian quartet, which also included Emil Iverson, Martin Lowstrom Nyenget and Einar Hedegart to gold in the 4x7.5-kilometer race ahead of France and hosts Italy.
The ninth gold moved Klaebo ahead of three compatriots who won eight gold medals in their career: Marit Bjorgen, Bjorn Daehlie (both cross country) and Ole Einar Bjorndalen (biathlon).
The 29-year-old won five golds in 2018 and 2022 and now has four more from four starts at the Milan/Cortina Games.
Klaebo has two more starts in the team sprint and 50-kilometer and if he wins those as well – like in his six-gold sweep at last year's world championships – he will be the first Winter Olympian to get six golds at one Games.
That record currently stands at five golds, from American Eric Heiden's speed skating sweep in 1980.
Klaebo was handed a 12-second lead by 10-kilometer bronze medallist, Hedegart, after Nyenget had put them ahead on the second leg.
Klaebo took no major risks and celebrated on the home straight to the finish line, where his teammates were waiting.
The world champions returned to the top of the podium, after being beaten by a quartet of Russian athletes in 2022, with a comfortable margin of 22.2 seconds over France.
The French got silver after three straight bronze medals in the event and their Mathis Desloges won a third Milan/Cortina silver.
Veteran Federico Pellegrino anchored Italy to bronze, their first relay medal since gold at the Turin Games 20 years ago.
Sweden, meanwhile, were never in contention, falling behind in the first leg and finishing almost three-and-a-half minutes back in 10th place.
Kingsbury bows out on top
Also Sunday, Canada's "king of the moguls," Kingsbury, signed off his Olympic career in style, winning the men's dual moguls to collect his fifth overall Winter Games medal.
The 33-year-old fell marginally behind Ikuma Horishima early in the super final in Livigno, but his Japanese opponent lost control, flying over the second jump with no tricks to cross the line first.
Kingsbury, who took silver in the individual event earlier in the Milan-Cortina Games, kept his cool to become the first-ever winner of the men's dual moguls – the discipline is making its Olympic debut in Italy.
He knew he had won as he crossed the line to win Canada's first gold of the 2026 Winter Olympics, spreading out his arms in triumph.
The judges gave Kingsbury a decisive 30-5 victory, with Australia's Matt Graham taking bronze.
"It's the cherry on top of five Olympic starts and five medals," said the Canadian. "I got to win it in 2018 (in Pyeongchang) in singles and I got to win it (today) in duals. It's tough to find the words.
"I gave everything, this is extra special. I'm the oldest guy in the field. They keep me young in what I do, I love skiing. I'm very proud of myself."
He added: "I knew it was my last Olympic performance ... I had no regrets. I didn't feel too nervous. I trusted my plan, I trusted the work that I put in with my team and just went for it. I'm really happy with the outcome.
"It wasn't easy today. We had good conditions but the piste was not easy. But I just trusted my years of experience and the work of my team. I gave it my all, everything I had in my body, to go for this medal."
Dual moguls is a freestyle skiing event in which two athletes compete side by side on a bumpy course, featuring two jumps, where they perform aerial tricks.
Judges choose the winner of each contest based on speed and style.
Kingsbury won moguls gold at the 2018 Games and has taken three silvers in the event – in 2014, 2022 and earlier in these Games.
In all his Olympic and world championship appearances, he has been absent from only one podium – dual moguls at the 2017 world championships.
He is also the only moguls skier in history to claim a century of World Cup victories.