Cross-country skiing: second silver medal for Mathis Desloges
The world’s best cross-country skiers met up this Friday on the fearsome Tesero track (Italy) to battle it out for the Olympic title in the individual skate event. A total of 113 athletes took part in the 10-kilometre event. Once again, there was plenty to see under the Italian sun and on a brittle track.
Already a silver medallist in the skiathlon, Villardien Mathis Desloges was once again on the second step of the podium. The Isérois native started strongly and was in the lead at the first interval. A consistent effort, the 23-year-old then fluctuated between second and third place throughout the race. In the end, he managed to hold on to the silver medal, becoming the first double individual medallist in the history of French cross-country skiing. He also came within a whisker of gold, finishing just 4.9 seconds behind Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo.
The predicted duel between the king of cross-country skiing, Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo, and former biathlete Einar Hedegart lived up to all its promises. In his first start at the Games, Einar Hedegart took the lead from the second intermediate. He then held on to the lead until the final checkpoint, less than a second ahead of his compatriot after having had a lead of up to 5.5 seconds.
But in the final kilometre, Einar Hedegart exploded, finally finishing in third place, 14 seconds behind the winner Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo. This was Klæbo’sthird gold medal in three races in Milan/Cortina. It was alsohis eighth Olympic gold medal, making him the most successful Winter Games athlete.
“It’s the first time I’ve won an individual (skateboard) event. Winning it at an Olympic Games means a lot. Today, I was really motivated. I wasn’t one of the favourites, so I’m really pleased to have done it. […] The race was really tough today. The track was very difficult”, Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo told France Télévisions.
At the foot of the podium were two more Norwegians: Harald Oestberg Amundsen took fourth place and Martin Loewstroem Nyenget fifth. Great Britain’s Andrew Musgrave was sixth, just ahead of Italy’s Martino Carollo .
A fine group effort from Les Bleus
Behind the splendid silver medal won by Mathis Desloges, the French cross-country skiers put in another fine overall performance. Cluse Hugo Lapalus was unable to recapture the superb sensations of the skiathlon, according to his own admission, but still managed a solid eighth place.
“I’m where I should be today. My legs didn’t respond as well as they did in the skiathlon. This race was incredibly difficult. I’ve never seen anything like it,” he told France Télévisions.
Victor Lovera from Isère also had a great race, finishing tenth, just ahead of the surprising Canadian Thomas Stephen, who finished ninth. “I still can’t believe it. Mathis is five seconds away from the gold medal. Four Frenchmen in the sixteen and me in the top 10: we’ve never done that in a distance. It’s incredible”, Victor Lovera enthused on France Télévisions.
Chartrous’ Jules Lapierre finished a solid sixteenth.
Full results
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- “I’m confident and I feel ready”: Jules Chappaz, who was ill last week, is reassured ahead of the classic sprint
- After the disappointment of the skiathlon, Federico Pellegrino wants to get back on track in the classic sprint: “I’m going to give it my all”.
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- “One hell of a strong race”: Victor Lovera, 15th in the skiathlon, looks back on his first appearance at the Games for Nordic Magazine.
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- “I didn’t manage to get the finish I wanted”: the frustration of Cluse Hugo Lapalus, fifth in the Olympic skiathlon
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- Jessie Diggins misses her skiathlon after a fall
- Lapped during the skiathlon, Yelizaveta Nopriienko is a deaf athlete and triple gold medallist at the Deaflympics.
- The start list for the women’s skiathlon… with four French women lining up
- Change of skis and style… The skiathlon format explained
- “The plan was to add a bit of fun to the ceremony and have a laugh”: Jules Lapierre explains his fall during the opening ceremony
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- Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium: everything you need to know about the Val di Fiemme stadium, which will host the cross-country skiing events at the Milan/Cortina 2026 Olympic Games.
- The French team selection for the Milan/Cortina 2026 Olympic Games
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- “A dream”, “Looking forward to this crazy experience”, “A source of pride”: reactions from Clémence Didierlaurent, Cloé Pagnier and Justine Gaillard, selected for their first Olympic Games.
- Pierre Mignerey, FFS National Technical Director, outlines the French team’s ambitions for the 2026 Olympics: “The aim is to come back from the Games with medals”.
- Ill, Jules Chappaz won’t arrive in Italy until Saturday
