Johannes Kl忙bo鈥檚 journey to Olympic 鈥榢ing鈥�: Sometimes lonely, always disciplined
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Mark Sappenfield Senior global correspondent
| Milan
The greatest cross-country skier the world has ever known once admitted that, sometimes, he waits for the last moment to win.
There have been times, Johannes H酶sflot Kl忙bo has said, that maybe he could have taken the lead earlier. But the legendary sprinter says there is something particularly satisfying in waiting for that few hundred meters 鈥� an exciting little bit of sporting 鈥�revenge鈥� on those trying to beat him.
On Saturday, Mr. Kl忙bo got his revenge not against any racer, but rather the limits of what the world thought was humanly possible.
Why We Wrote This
Behind the fanfare of Johannes Kl忙bo鈥檚 feat is an extraordinary tale of focus and persistence that transcends his sport, or any sport. But he doesn鈥檛 see the tradeoffs as sacrifices, because it鈥檚 all in pursuit of something he loves.
With his trademark surge up the final incline to at last leave behind Norwegian teammate Martin L酶wstr酶m Nyenget, Mr. Kl忙bo won the men鈥檚 50km and his sixth gold medal in as many races at these Olympics.
The achievement creates a new standard of Winter Olympic perfection, breaking the record of five golds by American speedskater Eric Heiden in 1980. It also extends Mr. Kl忙bo鈥檚 record as the winningest Winter Olympian in history with his 11th gold medal, second only to American swimmer Michael Phelps鈥� 23 in the entire Olympic movement.
To anyone who witnessed Saturday鈥檚 race, where some of the fittest men on the planet were left gasping and retching over the course of the 31 miles, Mr. Kl忙bo鈥檚 achievement will seem a feat of astounding physical fortitude. Which, of course, it was.
But the story of Mr. Kl忙bo鈥檚 journey to this accomplishment speaks to something more than his unrivaled conditioning. It speaks to a 15-year-old boy who wanted to be the best in the world but wasn鈥檛 winning much of anything and what his journey since then says about the heart 鈥� and mind 鈥� of the champion he has now become.
Kl忙bo and his grandfather hatch a plan
The fact was, at 15, Mr. Kl忙bo was too small to beat the boys his age in the skiing hotbed of Trondheim, no matter his grand ambitions. But the grandfather who had given him his first skis at age 2 (which a young Mr. Kl忙bo had then used to ski around the living room) had a plan.
鈥淭hey decided to put a lot of focus on the technique, because they knew that, someday, he would grow up and get muscles,鈥� his mother, Elisabeth Kl忙bo, .
Some racers might wish Mr. Kl忙bo had grown faster and so would have put in less work. 鈥淗e鈥檚 so good in every technique and part of the race, and also tactically,鈥� said Swiss sprinter Valerio Grond to the website in 2024, when the Norwegian had won 10 sprint races in a row.
The best way to beat Mr. Kl忙bo? 鈥淢aybe break his poles or something? I don鈥檛 know,鈥� he quipped.
Those early habits became the foundation for the greatness that has followed. Mr. Kl忙bo and his grandfather K氓re still talk every day, and they鈥檙e still making plans. There鈥檚 even a Norwegian book called 鈥淛ohannes and Grandpa.鈥�
鈥淗e鈥檚 83 years old but still the most innovative guy that I know,鈥� Mr. Kl忙bo the International Ski Federation website. 鈥淗e鈥檚 reading books and all kinds of scientific material to see what we can improve all the time, and that鈥檚 special.鈥�
The two clearly aren鈥檛 afraid to try new things. When Mr. Kl忙bo found his skis were too slippery in one race, he abandoned his usual technique and just started running up the hill. It has since become his signature move, dubbed the 鈥淜l忙bo Run.鈥� Mr. Kl忙bo even with a video, evoking a classic scene from 鈥淔orrest Gump,鈥� in which he runs down a road on skis wearing khakis.
But it is Mr. Kl忙bo鈥檚 mental discipline that sets him apart, including eating and even sleeping with fanatical听rigor.
Those demands have at times been severe. Particularly, his determination to isolate himself from friends and family in preparation for big races, like the world championships in Trondheim last year, where he won all six races 鈥� setting the stage for this Olympic sweep.
On the podcast with two fellow racers, he talked about his girlfriend鈥檚 sister, who has 8- and 10-year-old kids. 鈥淭hey asked their mom last year whether I was still their uncle. That one hit a little bit,鈥� he said. He has also decamped to Utah in the summers to train, not just for its high altitude but the sense of solitude; few there recognize the world鈥檚 best cross-country skier.
He now says he is beginning to find some balance. For him, that meant allowing himself to stay up late two consecutive nights to be with family last year during the release of a biographical film about him, he told the podcast.
No word on whether he allowed himself to hit the snooze button the next morning.
Even on standout Norwegian team, 鈥楯ohannes is the king鈥�
No other human has won 11 gold medals at the Winter Olympics, so maybe he鈥檚 on to something.
For more than half of Saturday鈥檚 race, Mr. Kl忙bo was part of a red-suited convoy seemingly determined to put an exclamation mark on Norway鈥檚 Winter Olympic dominance.
He, Mr. Nyenget, and countryman Emil Iversen had left the rest of the field behind by the halfway point. By 28 miles (46 km) in, Mr. Kl忙bo and Mr. Nyenget had pulled away from Mr. Iversen, who finally accepted what all but one of the 63 other races knew: He was not beating Mr. Kl忙bo.
But Mr. Nyenget endured. Perhaps for dramatic effect. When Kl忙bo finally dropped him on the final incline, more than 30 miles into the most punishing event of the Winter Games, it was not quite the 鈥淜l忙bo Run.鈥� But it was close. And it then became clear to Mr. Nyenget that he, too, would not be winning gold.
鈥淚t seems like I managed to get rid of most of the best skiers in the world, but the best one was still there,鈥� said Mr. Nyenget after the race, in which he, Kl忙bo, and Iversen swept the podium for Norway. 鈥淚鈥檓 really happy about my performance but Johannes is the king.鈥�
For his part, Mr. Kl忙bo was in no doubt of what had happened, or why. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of sacrifices, but on the other hand, when you鈥檙e starting to feel that it鈥檚 sacrifices, I think it鈥檚 time to find something else to do,鈥� he said.
It鈥檚 not time.
He and his grandfather have already come up with a plan to get to 2030. The 2034 Olympics are not out of the question, either. They鈥檙e in Utah, after all, and he鈥檇 love to compete in his adopted summer home, he says.
Who knows, his neighbors might even recognize him now.
