Cross-country skiing in Norway is not only a popular sport but represents a way of life that connects man to the wilderness, the mountains and the white winter wonderland well beyond Bing Crosby’s beloved Christmas tune. In fact, a popular national expression declares that “Norwegians are born with skis on their feet.”
Within the great Norwegian skiing tradition, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, 29, has emerged as the greatest cross-country skier of all time: He has won a total of 11 gold Olympic medals, including six out of six at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. He is also the greatest winter Olympian of all time, having surpassed compatriots such as Marit Bjørgen – who earned 8 gold, 4 silver, 3 bronze Olympic medals – Ole Einar Bjørndalen (8 gold, 4 silver, 1 bronze) and Bjørn Dæhlie (8 gold and 4 silver).
The Norwegian has won gold at the following distances at Milano Cortina:
- Gold in Men’s 20 km skiathlon.
- Gold in Men’s sprint.
- Gold in Men’s 10 km freestyle.
- Gold in Men’s 4×7.5 km relay.
- Gold medal on men’s team sprint with Einar Hedegart.
- Gold in 50 km classic.
His speed is upwards to 85km per hour.
“Klæbo is a perfectionist who has lived in practical isolation for months leading up to the Olympics so that he wouldn’t catch any cold or other illnesses,” says Gudbrand Matthias Hatfield Lunde, a Norwegian skiing enthusiast and coach. “No one has better technique than Klæbo who also happens to have the fastest acceleration ever seen in the sport.” The Norwegian has hardly lost a sprint throughout his storied career.
Klæbo has, in fact, dominated international sprint and distance events since his breakthrough in the 2017 season. At the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, he won three gold medals where the Norwegian – who was 22 at the time – also became the youngest male cross-country Olympian in history. It was at Pyeongchang that Klæbo first demonstrated publicly his impressive speed and tactical awareness.
Klæbo’s technique centers on the fact that “he’s the best skier on downhill slopes where he often gains ‘easy’ effortless seconds on his competitors,” Lunde says. Lunde also points out that despite Klæbo’s dominant stature within society as the greatest skier of all time, he is known for being calm and friendly with an accessible personality. “He is a big role model for the next generation of young skiers, including my two children.” Klæbo – along with other top skiers – are considered “sporting superstars in Norway on par with the best soccer players,” Lunde adds.
The skier hails from a Norwegian middle-class family from Trondheim. “He wasn’t a star in his youth but started to dominate the sport when he was 18/19 years old. There is nobody like him.”
On what makes the Norwegian stand out, Lunde doesn’t mince words, pointing out that it is Klæbo’s attention to detail combined with technique which enables him to be the absolute best in all types of terrain ranging from uphill to downhill. “He has the fastest maximum speed. No one can beat him.”
He also finds time to attend children’s sporting events.
Beyond his 9 Olympic medals, Klæbo has won multiple overall titles in the FIS Cross-Country World Cup, including sprint and overall World Cup crystal globes.
The FIS Cross-Country World Cup is an annual cross-country skiing competition, arranged by the International Ski Federation (FIS).
In a feature article, The Wall Street Journal wrote: “In recent years, the Norse cross-country god has left home during the summers and headed to Park City and the nearby Soldier Hollow cross-country ski venue. While the elevation, weather and infrastructure are major draws, he has another reason for choosing the mountains of Utah: near-total anonymity.”
On what’s next for the Norwegian, Lunde notes that Klæbo may attend next year’s World Cup – slated to take place in Falun, Sweden – where he is expected to win everything. Lunde predicts that he will gradually steps down after Falun but remain within the sport as either a coach or television commentator.
Klæbo is coached by his grandfather, Kåre Høsflot, who has played a crucial role in his development ever since childhood. The grandfather is a former cross-country skier and physical education teacher, bringing both experience and technical knowledge to Klæbo’s training. Klæbo has even described his grandfather as his “secret weapon.”
Gudbrand Matthias Hatfield Lunde, a Norwegian skiing enthusiast and coach, points out that despite Klæbo’s dominant stature within society as the greatest skier of all time, he is known for being calm and friendly with an accessible personality. Photo credit: Courtesy.
Women
Norway, however, does not have any dominant female cross-country skier at the moment. Therese Johaug, who had overcome a 2016 doping scandal, staged a comeback from which she emerged even stronger: At the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, Johaug won three gold medals.
Johaug announced last year that she would retire from the sport. “With her departure, a vacuum has emerged within Norway’s women’s cross-country skiing.”
“The best female skier at the moment is undoubtedly Frida Karlsson of Sweden who has won two gold medals at Milano Cortina,” Lunde says.
But the American Jessie Diggins has also done well at the Olympics where she won bronze in the 10-kilometer freestyle. “While Diggins is expected to retire next year, she has demonstrated – along with Ben Ogden who won silver – that Americans have a lot to offer the world of cross-country skiing that is typically dominated by Scandinavians.” Ogden became the first American to win an Olympic medal in cross-country skiing over the past 50-year period. Ogden – together with Gus Schumacher – won a second silver medal on the men’s team sprint.
Diggins, for her part, has dominated the sports ever since Johaug’s retirement and has in fact become “a superstar” over the past five years, Lunde adds.
Cross-country skiing in the United States remains popular in Minnesota, Michigan, Utah, Colorado, and Vermont where Ogden hails from. Diggins is from Minnesota. “We want to see more Americans join the sport,” a reference Lunde is making to Ogden who he characterizes as “a coming star.” The Americans, he adds, “can become a positive force within cross-country skiing.”
Skiing culture in Norway
“Cross-country skiing is our national sport with deep roots in our national history and culture. It is also part of our identity and who we are.” In fact, modern cross-country skiing was invented in Norway 150 years ago, but the first traces of skiing go back 10.000 years in time.
“Most Norwegians today practice some sort of skiing on a regular basis and mostly for leisure purposes, especially in the eastern, middle and northern parts of the country where heavy snow conditions are prevalent throughout the winter.” But the capital of Oslo has also established itself as what Lunde describes as “the world’s skiing capital” known for its “fantastic tracks on the wooden hills above the city.”
One can, in fact, find up to 2500km (1553.428) of slopes close to Oslo that are available free of charge. The upkeep of the slopes is made daily by Oslo and its surrounding municipalities and voluntary organizations.
“On a sunny winter Sunday, a large part of the population ventures out on the slopes to enjoy nature together with family and friends. It is also immensely popular to visit one of the many local ski-huts for hot drinks and pastries, especially waffles.”
But global warming has already created a dent within the Norwegian winter experience: “We have significantly shorter winters than 30-40 years ago. More unstable conditions, which forces more of a dependence on artificial snow, is impacting skiing conditions in big parts of the country.” The change is forcing Norwegians to have to travel further away from the big population centers to find stable conditions. “The future could be uncertain as I don’t know whether cross-country skiing will remain a central part of the upbringing of future generations. “
Climate change is impacting the Norwegian winter, including skiing conditions.
‘Dugnad’
In Norway, sporting activities – from coaching to competitions – are mostly organized on a volunteer basis with the brunt carried out by parents. The volunteer tradition is known as ‘dugnad.’
“Nothing happens without dugnad! All children’s sports in Norway are organized by parents through sport clubs on a voluntary basis. More than 50 percent of the country’s youth -between 6–17-year-olds – are members of a sports club,” Lunde says. It is because of this tradition, he concedes, that “Norway is one of the best sporting nations in the world.”
Lunda, for his part, has been coaching cross-country skiing for the past seven years and serves on the board of directors of the local skiing club where his children belong. “Being a member of a club serves as an important purpose to pass on the passion for skiing to the next generation.”
Training sessions are usually three to four times per week with at least one race. “During the winter months almost every single minute of my spare time is about skiing either as a coach, club board meeting, or organizing races and exercising myself. “
Editor’s note: The article has been updated on Thursday February 19, 2026 to include Klæbo’s fifth gold medal and Ogden’s second silver medal. The article was updated again on Friday February 27, 2026 to include his sixth gold medal.
