The 29-year-old Norwegian Johannes Høsflot Klæbo has officially etched his name into Olympic history. He is now the most decorated Winter Olympic athlete, with the most gold medals. He is only the second Olympian ever to reach 10 or more gold medals, joining the legendary Michael Phelps (23 gold medals). 

Klæbo is a cross-country skier, known for his all-around ability. Whether it’s sprint events, long-distance races, or team relays, he excels in all of them. Widely regarded as the greatest skier of all time, this latest achievement only strengthens the claim and puts him at the pinnacle of the sport. 

Who is Johannes Høsflot Klæbo?

Johannes Høsflot Klæbo is a Norwegian cross-country skier born on October 22, 1996, in Oslo, Norway. He started skiing at a very young age, under the guidance of his grandfather Kåre Høsflot, who serves as his coach to this date. 

Just at the age of 21, he made his Olympic debut in the 2018 PyeongChang Games. Klæbo won three gold medals in that Olympic campaign, making him the youngest ever cross-country skier to do so. His blend of pace and tactics quickly established him as the future of Norwegian cross-country skiing.

Apart from the Olympics, he has ruled the international skiing circuit for a decade now. With 15 World Championship gold medals, a record 107 World Cup victories, and securing five Crystal Globe titles, he has left no stone unturned.

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Who has won the most gold medals in Winter Olympics history?

The 29-year-old won his fifth gold medal of the campaign in the team sprint event on February 18. This takes him past his fellow compatriots Bjorn Daehlie, Marit Bjorgen, and Ole Einar Bjorndalen. All three of them are retired and were tied at 8 gold medals. 

Daehlie and Marit were also cross-country skiers, and Einar was a biathlon athlete. Marit has a total of 15 medals in the Olympics, which is the highest tally in the Winter Olympics, followed by Einar on 13 and Daehile on 12. 

While Klæbo has kept Norwegian pride alive, he has taken a significant lead ahead of his seniors in Milan. He eyes another medal, as the last event is set to take place on February 21, the 50km race. 

How many Olympic gold medals does Johannes Høsflot Klæbo have?

Johannes Høsflot Klæbo has won 10 gold medals as of now. He even won a silver medal and a bronze medal in the 2022 Beijing Olympics. In total, he has 12 Olympic medals, which can be changed by the end of this year’s Games. 

He stands alone at the summit with 10 gold medals in the Winter Olympics. If he manages to secure a win in the 50km event, he will be the first Olympian to win six gold medals in a single edition of the Winter Games.

How Johannes Høsflot Klæbo became the most gold-winning Winter Olympian

When Klæbo first burst onto the scene in 2017-18, he was not always good at long-distance races. Therefore, the skier did not even win those races in previous editions. But still, he was lethal in the sprint events. His pace and tactics make him unstoppable in the shorter format. With time and hours of training, he got better at the long distances as well, and the results are there for everyone to see.

The Norwegian has dominated the skiing competition in Milan, winning every race he has entered. It started on February 8, when he won his first medal at this year’s Games in the 20km Skiathlon. This was followed by the Classical Sprint event on February 10, a format which he has mastered.

On February 13, he clinched his 8th gold medal in 10km freestyle, tying with the other three Norwegian legends. He surpassed them on February 15, earning a 9th medal in the relay event. Finally, he became the second person to have 10 or more Olympic gold medals on Wednesday in the team sprint event. 

The mix of sheer hard work, discipline, and unreal talent has defined his journey to becoming the most gold-winning Winter Olympian. For the preparation of the 2026 games, he moved to the mountains of Utah. He stayed there in strict isolation to avoid any illnesses and trained rigorously. 

What started as a young boy training with his grandfather has now become one of the most decorated Olympians ever. Additionally, there are still more years left in his career, so maybe he is not done writing history yet.