Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo came away with the gold medal in the men’s cross-country skiing sprint while Team USA’s Ben Ogden won silver on Tuesday. A dominant performance from the Norwegian saw him win his second gold medal of the 2026 Winter Olympics, while Ogden made history with his second-place finish.
Klæbo won with a time of 3:39.74, while Ogden finished in 3:40.61. Finishing third behind Klæbo and Ogden was Norway’s Oskar Opstad Vike.
Who is Cross-Country Skiing Legend Johannes Høsflot Klæbo?
Klæbo is a cross-country skiing legend and will go down as one of the sport’s all-time greats. The 29-year-old began his World Cup career all the way back in February 2016, under the tutelage of his grandfather, Kåre Høsflot, and father, Haakon Klæbo. Ten years later, he is regarded as one of the greatest cross-country skiers of all time.
The 2016/17 season proved to be his breakthrough year, and Klæbo earned his maiden World Cup win in February 2017. A spot in the Norway roster for the 2018 Winter Olympics followed, where the Oslo native won three gold medals.
The Norwegian has won five overall FIS World Cup titles and also has more than 100 wins and 100 podium places to his name. In addition, he has now won seven Olympic gold medals, as well as one silver and one bronze.
Klæbo now has his sights firmly set on Bjørn Dæhlie’s record of most Olympic gold medals by a male cross-country skier. He is now one gold medal shy of his compatriot’s record, and will have the opportunity to match it on Friday when he competes in the men’s 10km interval start free.
Who is Ben Ogden?
Ogden is regarded as one of the leading cross-country skiers in the United States. He began his career in the juniors, helping Team USA make history at the FIS Junior World Ski Championships in 2018, where he won the nation’s first medal in the men’s relay.
Ogden was born in New Hampshire and grew up in Vermont, where he learned to ski from his father, alongside his sister, and professional skier Katharine.
The 25-year-old’s breakthrough came in 2019 when he helped Team USA win gold in the 4 × 5 km relay at the Junior Worlds. A senior World Cup debut followed, and Ogden has since recorded two individual podium finishes.
Ogden made his Olympic debut at the 2022 Games in Beijing, finishing 12th in the freestyle sprint race, Team USA’s best-ever finish in a men’s individual sprint event. In addition, he is also a two-time NCAA champion.
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He then went on to end a 50-year drought by winning silver for Team USA, the nation’s first medal in the sport since Bill Koch in 1976.
