Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo. Kai Pfaffenbach-Reuters via Imagn Images

Three things you should know about record-setting Olympic cross-country skier Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Feb 15, 2026 2:50 PM ET

Norwegian cross-country skier Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo has become one of the biggest stars of the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.

Most fans know him as the skier who went viral after a clip of him running up a hill surfaced on social media. However, the 29-year-old should also be recognized as one of the most decorated athletes in Winter Games history. Here are three things you should know about "King Klaebo."

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo has won the most gold medals in Winter Olympics history

On Sunday, Klaebo won his ninth career gold medal at the Winter Olympics. He anchored the 4 X 7.5-kilometer relay in the men's competition, securing his fourth gold of the Milan Cortina Games. The Norwegian team won the event in 1 hour, 4 minutes and 24.5 seconds, ahead of France (1:04:46.7) and Italy (1:05:12.4).

The only Olympian with more gold medals than Klaebo is American swimmer Michael Phelps (23).

He sprinted a sub-six minute mile pace UPHILL... in SKIS

Johannes Høsflot Klæbo is UNREAL ‼️

(via @NBCOlympics)pic.twitter.com/l1LNqun3jx
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 11, 2026

"I like the sound of that, it's a pretty nice title," Klaebo said of his milestone after the race (per Derek Gatopoulos and Brian Melley of the Associated Press).

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo's grandfather is a central figure in his life

Klaebo's grandfather, 82-year-old Kare Hoesflot, serves as his coach. That has only strengthened their bond.

"He's been the perfect granddad," Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo said before the Olympics, via NBC's Nischal Schwager-Patel. "From when I was 10 years old, he started picking me up from practice. Either it was soccer practice, or if it was the cross-country skiing, he came and picked me up, drove me back and forth.

"He was the one helping me with different gear. If I needed new ski boots, he was the one buying them for Christmas for me. I've never had to call him 'coach' or anything. It's always been grandpapa from the very start."

His grandfather has been attending the Winter Olympics. He watched him win his eighth career gold medal on Friday (via The Athletic's Jacob Whitehead).

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo boasts a popular vlog

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo started posting on YouTube in 2017 to document his career. The vlog has since boomed in popularity. He has posted 281 videos and has 126,000 subscribers.

This has helped him secure sponsors, such as Uber and Craft, and partner with Toyota. It also helped him launch his own clothing line with his younger brother, Ola Hoesflot Klaebo, in November 2023.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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