A Norwegian cross-country skier has made Olympic history by achieving the most gold medals ever won by an individual athlete at a single Winter Olympics. Johannes Klaebo secured his sixth gold medal at the Milano Cortina Games on Saturday, setting a new benchmark for Winter Olympic excellence.
This remarkable feat surpasses the previous record held by American speed skater Eric Heiden, who claimed five gold medals during the 1980 Winter Olympics. Klaebo’s extraordinary performance places him at the top of an elite group of Winter Olympic champions.
The complete ranking of athletes with the most gold medals at a single Winter Games now shows Klaebo leading with six victories in cross-country skiing at the 2026 Olympics. Following him is Heiden with five speed skating golds from 1980.
Three athletes share the record for four gold medals at one Winter Olympics: Johannes Thinges Boe of Norway earned four biathlon golds in 2022, Soviet speed skater Lidiya Skoblikova captured four golds in 1964, and Norwegian biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen achieved four victories in 2002.
