2026 Olympics | Eighth Olympic title for Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo: “Everyone said it wasn’t my race”.
For a long time, everyone thought that young Einar Hedegart was going to deny Norwegian legend Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo his eighth Olympic title in the individual skate event. In the end, it was the unbeatable Norwegian who won his very first 10km, at the very best of times.
It’s special and huge,” says the winner of the NRK race. It’s probably the distance I’ve thought about the most and that I wanted to win the most. I was the least favourite over this distance, and some people even wondered whether I should run it and whether I deserved my place. When I can finally arrive at a race with fresh legs, it’s great to succeed.
Maurice Manificat shared this sentiment with France TV. ” I’m not going to lie to you, you weren’t my number 1 favourite,” admitted the former French cross-country skier to the Norwegian. After his first three titles in Italy, the Scandinavian admits to being in excellent form: “In the last few days, I’ve been a bit tired. But today I felt pretty fresh and my sensations responded well. It’s always difficult to compare medals, but this one has a special meaning. I can’t really put it into words .
“This is real cross-country skiing”.Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo’s father
At the end of the race, his father told NRK that he felt he was much more involved than in other formats. “He was nervous. I know it means a lot to him. Finishing an individual race is something special. It’s not a sprint,” he explained. It’s a formidable discipline where the best skiers never lose. ” It’s real cross-country skiing,” he concluded.
Now it’s time for a little celebration and recovery for the 29-year-old cross-country skier. ” I’d like to celebrate more, but there are still competitions to come. The next race is on Sunday. We have to stay smart for the rest. In just over a week’s time, we’ll really be able to celebrate,” he told Eurosport.
