Winter Olympics 2026: Who is Johannes Hosflot Klaebo? Meet the Norwegian cross-country legend who can't lose
- - Winter Olympics 2026: Who is Johannes Hosflot Klaebo? Meet the Norwegian cross-country legend who can't lose
Chris Cwik February 11, 2026 at 7:39 PM
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Johannes Hosflot Klaebo needs no introduction in Norway. The cross-country skier is already among the country's most-decorated Olympians, as his nine medals rank as the fourth-most among Norwegian athletes over the course of the Winter Games.
But the Olympics give athletes like Klaebo a chance to receive recognition all around the world. That's exactly what happened with Klaebo after a clip from his gold-medal performance Tuesday went viral.
In the clip, Klaebo is charging uphill on his skis at a sub-six-minute mile pace. It's a truly impressive 12-second video, one that speaks to Klaebo's dominance in the sport.
Sub-six-minute mile pace uphill on skis: #WinterOlympics SPEED. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/trof9rs4zf
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 10, 2026
Turns out, that type of feat should be expected from Klaebo by now. The 29-year-old has proven to be a natural on skis. He first burst onto the Olympic scene in 2018, winning three gold medals at the event. He nearly repeated that performance in 2022, winning two more gold medals and taking home a silver and a bronze. The 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics played out similarly, as Klaebo picked up gold medals in his first two events, including the individual sprint, where the video of Klaebo running uphill originated. Klaebo has nine total medals since his first Olympics. Seven of those medals are gold, speaking to his utter dominance of the sport.
None of this seemed likely when Klaebo was a teenager. Despite skiing most of his life, Klaebo fell behind other athletes as a teen due to his lack of size. His under-15 coach Rune Sandoy shared Klaebo's training data from that period with the Athletic. It made the future skiing superstar look incredibly mortal.
Sharing his data with The Athletic, as a 15-year-old, Klæbo sat 18th of 25 in the 60-meter sprint, 20th in chin-ups, and 24th in uphill strides. A fifth place in sit-ups and a seventh in push-ups offered more signs of grit than talent.
But a new training method, combined with Klaebo hitting a growth spurt at 17, resulted in a breakout. Klaebo started winning events at a rapid pace during the 2016-17 season, paving the way for his first Olympic appearance in 2018.
During that period, Klaebo developed the uphill run that would go viral years later. It even has its own name — the Klaebo-kliv — per The Athletic.
Observers noticed a new technique as the young athlete strode uphill, a rapid turnover rate which produced huge power. The high-tempo movement quickly developed its own name — Klæbo-kliv (The Klæbo Run).
“It actually first happened because he didn’t have enough wax on his skis, so it was a little bit slippy,” [Klaebo's grandfather and coach] Kare explains. “And then he just found: ‘OK, if I run, I can make it.’”
Skiing is a family affair for Klaebo. His mother Elisabeth also skied. She was coached by her father Kare, who now coaches Klaebo. Despite his age, the 82-year-old Kare worked with Klaebo prior to the 2026 Winter Olympics. In a video highlighting their relationship, Klaebo called Kare, "One of the most important parts of my career, both my professional career and also in life."
Kare was responsible for Klaebo's love of skiing, giving his grandson a pair of skis when Klaebo was just 2 years old. Kare started taking a more active coaching role around the time Klaebo was 10. That relationship has continued to develop as Klaebo became a dominant force in the sport.
Following his early wins at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, Klaebo has a chance to continue adding to his legacy at the event. Klaebo will go for his third gold medal Friday, when he takes part in the men's 10km interval start free. He'll also compete in the men's 4x7.5km relay, men's team sprint free and men's 50km mass start classic at the 2026 Winter Olympics, giving Klaebo multiple chances to further cement himself as not just one of Norway's best Olympians, but as one of the most dominant Olympians of all time.
Source: “AOL Sports”
