After weeks of uproar and scandal, Norwegians at least have a lot to cheer about at this year’s Winter Olympics in Italy. Both Crown Prince Haakon and Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre were on hand to celebrate more historic gold medals over the weekend, not least all those tied to cross-country skiing star Johannes Høsflot Klæbo.
“It was a fantastic day,” claimed Støre after watching both the men’s cross-country relay and the women ski jumping on the big hill formerly reserved for the men. Norway took gold in the relay and both gold and silver in the ski jumping.
Støre raved about the warm sunshine and four Norwegian skiers in the relay who all had “a perfect run,” but none moreso that Klæbo. He grabbed his ninth gold medal in the event, more than any other athlete in any Winter Olympics ever. Crown Prince Haakon was mightily impressed, after the Norwegian team with Klæbo skiiing the final leg managed to finish fully 22.2 seconds ahead of the second-place France. Host nation Italy took the bronze.
“How he manages to find his top form in the manner he does,” marvelled the crown prince, who’s in the midst of family scandals at home. “He is a great athlete.”
Klæbo is now able to call himself the greatest Winter Olympian of all time, but was characteristically taking it all in calmly, with a big smile and the precautions he always takes to avoid falling ill. He jokingly referred to his resistance to hugging and use of face masks, while teammate Emil Iversen gushed over with praise for Klæbo and how much help he’d received from Klæbo over the years when he went through low periods of his own.
Congratulations were also pouring in for Klæbo from former Olympic heroes who had held records of their own for winning eight gold medals each. Now skiers Bjørn Dæhlie, Marit Bjørgen and former biathlon champion Ole Einar Bjørndalen have been beaten by Klæbo. In addition to his nine Olympic gold medals, he also holds one silver and one bronze. The rest of the world has also woken up to Klæbo’s heroics, not least after a video of him powering up at hill in an earlier race got broad international coverage.
“This is hugely impressive … you are strong both mentally and physically,” Bjørgen told Klæbo in a video greeting from Oslo. Dæhlie, who’s become a wealthy man since his Olympic accomplishments that began at the 1994 Games in Lillehammer, also congratulated Klæbo in a video as did Bjørndalen: “Finally alone at the top with nine Olympic gold medals, but the Olympics aren’t over yet. I have faith you can take even more gold, you’re still young.”
The 29-year-old Klæbo took it all in stride, telling Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) “that’s nice,” adding that he could share the honour of eight medals with his predecessors “for two days” and enjoyed it. “Now I’ll enjoy standing at the top alone,” at least in winter sports.
As of Monday morning, Norway continued to top the medals race with 12 gold medals, seven in silver and seven in bronze.
NewsinEnglish.no/Nina Berglund
