‘Six out of six, it’s crazy’ – Klaebo crowned cross-country skiing’s GOAT after completing golden sweep in Trondheim

Is Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR) the greatest cross-country skier of all time? Few would argue otherwise after he won the 50km Mass Start Freestyle at the FIS Nordic Ski World Championships on Saturday in Trondheim.

Victory for the hometown hero made it six gold medals from as many events, an unthinkable achievement at the beginning of these championships – even for the GOAT.

The enormity of the feat was not lost on the 100,000 fans who descended on the Granasen Ski Centre to create a party atmosphere as the sun finally came out after a week of wind and rain in central Norway.

Nor was it lost on the 28-year-old. Normally so cool and calm in victory, Klaebo slumped against the advertising hoardings after winning his 15^th world title, head bowed, elbows on his knees, seemingly unable to comprehend his history-making haul.

Having come into the championships with no distance victories in the Olympics or world championships, Klaebo leaves with a clean sweep, having also won the sprint, 10km, 20km and two team events.

“I don’t have any words,” he said. “This is way more than I expected and dreamed of, so it’s unbelievable.

“I feel like I’ve been working so hard to just be here and be in by best shape and managing that and being able to win six out of six… it’s just crazy.

“I feel like the crowd really helped me out there. I was struggling on lap three there. But I managed to stay on the back of the pack and was helped by the thousands of people out there. I feel like I’ve said this every day, but this has been the best day so far. Winning the 50K – I was so close two years ago, disqualified four years ago – it’s been a crazy journey.”

Previously known for his sprint prowess, Klaebo would have to win cross-country skiing’s marathon event to make history. That would require two hours of gruelling racing; six laps of an 8.3km course that had to be firmed up by salt because of mild temperatures in Trondheim.

But with the sun beating down, certain sections were already starting to cut up as the race began, creating treacherous corners on some parts of the course.

This would cost Martin Loewstroem Nyenget (NOR) who, for the second time in the championships, fell when he was in medal contention, his skis slipping from under him as he came into the stadium section of the race for the final time.

“Right now, I feel kind of empty,” the 20km Skiathlon silver medallist said. “I’ve been training the whole year to be strong at the end of this race, and today I’m not able to show what I’ve been training for, so that’s really disappointing.”

By this point in the race, the lead group was down to five, with Klaebo and Nyenget joined by compatriots Harald Oestberg Amundsen and Simen Hegstad Krueger as well as Sweden’s William Poromaa.

It was Amundsen, the reigning World Cup champion, who had done most of the front-running, but it cost him halfway through the final lap. “I tried everything I could to make the other guys tired and make a bit of a gap,” he admitted. “I was all-in to fight for the gold medal or nothing, and I’m standing here with nothing.

“Of course, it takes energy to be at the front but I decided today to try, and I did my best, but on the last long uphill I was totally finished. Four other guys were stronger.”

With Nyenget falling soon after, the medallists were all but decided – the three positions less so.

Knowing Klaebo would be the firm favourite in a sprint finish, Krueger tried to push the pace, but Klaebo responded, hitting the front for the first time on the penultimate climb, only to slow things down again in order preserve energy. This seemed to break Krueger, and by the final climb it was a two-horse race with Poromaa 0.2s ahead of Klaebo. But as the Norwegian moved ahead going into the final corner, the fairytale ending seemed inevitable. A fine 50km racer, with bronze in Planica at the 2023 world championships, 24-year-old Poromaa wasn’t about to outsprint Klaebo and spoil the home party.

Klaebo smoothly accelerated away, raising both index fingers to the crowd as he crossed the line 2.1 seconds ahead of the Swede, who was more than happy with silver.

“It was only me and four Norwegians for the best part of the race so it was only a good vibe out on the tracks,” Poromaa said. “The only time the crowd were angry was on the fifth lap when I was out in front. But it was amazing.

“I feel really good, I knew I had a good chance today. haven’t done it so many times in skating [freestyle] but this is my type of distance.”

Olympic 50km bronze medallist, Krueger, who bowed down to Klaebo at the finish line, had been a controversial selection ahead of Jan Thomas Jenssen, but justified his selection with another third place.

“It was an experience of a lifetime to ski out there with the crowd today,” the 31-year-old said. “This race was the main goal for me this championship, so to take a medal today means everything.

“It means even more after the [health] troubles I had earlier in the championships. This was the day I’ve been looking forward to the most. I know there were a lot of people who said I shouldn’t race today and I wanted to prove them wrong. I put down everything out there today. I struggled a lot but I’m really happy to finish with a medal.

The final word, though, inevitably goes to the immortal Klaebo. “I think it’s going be hard to motivate myself for the upcoming weekends, that’s for sure,” he said of the three remaining World Cup events of the season.

The cross-country skiing at the FIS Nordic Ski World Championships concludes on Sunday with the Women’s 50km Freestyle.

For the full results from Trondheim, click here.