Winter Olympics 2026 - cross-country skiing: Men's 50km Mass Start live comments today with Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo bidding for historic sixth gold
Updated 21/02/2026 at 12:44 GMT
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Winter Olympics 2026 cross-country skiing live comments today. Follow live updates as Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo takes on the men's 50km Mass Start Classic at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games. Klaebo has been a man on a mission during the 2026 Games, winning five golds so far, the joint-most of any athlete in any Winter Olympics. One more gold today and he will create history.
Klaebo wins fifth gold medal at Olympic Winter Games
Video credit: TNT Sports
How Klaebo made history and reached out for gold
For almost 45km the three Norwegians, Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, Martin Nyenget, and Emil Iversen skied in step, ripping the field to pieces and taking minutes out of every athlete except each other. Their collective and individual power and endurance was too much for the field, from which they were skiing away with more than half the distance still to cover.
The trio was determined to maximise their advantage, and secure all three medals, before beginning to think about fighting out the order. After many miles on the front, Emil Iversen was the first of the countrymen to crack, with 3km remaining, leaving Klaebo and Nyenget to fight it out for gold. Destiny was calling Klaebo. When he made his move within sight of the finish, his position as the greatest Winter Olympian of all time was assured. He gave a two-handed salute to the crowd for the sixth time this games, before turning to his team-mates, and wrapping themselves in the flag.
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Klaebo
Image credit: Getty Images
Watch: Exhausted Klaebo salutes crowd after making more Olympic history
Watch: Exhausted Klaebo salutes crowd after making more Olympic history
Video credit: TNT Sports
Watch: The moment Klaebo reached out for gold
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Klaebo wins fifth gold medal at Olympic Winter Games
Video credit: TNT Sports
Andew Musgrave equals his best ever Olympic result
But in a games when Matt Weston won two golds, maybe this is taking it a bit far.
Top ten across the line
1. Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (Norway) 2'07"07.1
2. Martin Nyenget (Norway) +17.5"
3. Emil Iversen (Norway) +46.2
4. Theo Schely (France) +2'37.4
5. Savelii Korostelev (AIN) +3'16.0
6. Andrew Musgrave (Great Britain) +3'36.04
7. Arsi Ruuskanen (Finland) +3'43.09
8. Victoire Lovera (France) +4'45.1
9. Gustav Berglund (Sweden) +5'13.7
10. Florian Notz (Germany) +6'53
10. Florian Notz (Germany) +6'53
A Norwegian 1-2-3!
Not for the first time, but still pretty rare. That was one of the most brutal 50km races you'll ever see.
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo wins the Men's 50km Mass Start!
The eleventh of his career. His sixth of this games - something no athlete has ever achieved before! If he was a country he'd be 9th on the medal table!
Olympics live: 300m left: Klaebo goes for it!
How does he have this left after so much racing!
Olympics live - 1km to go!
They're neck and neck on the last bit of climbing of the race!
Olympics live 48km - Klabeo matching Nyenget step for step!
He is about to make history, whichever step of the podium he stands on.
Olympics live 46.6km complete - Iversen has gone!
After three of them have skiied together for the best part of 45km, it's going to be two of them fighting it out for gold.
Olympics live 44.5km complete - Is one of these three going to go early?
Or are they going to leave it to the sprint? Nyenget has slipped to third and there are some indications that he's having to work a bit harder than the other two. Is he struggling with the skis?
Olympics live: 43.2km complete - Nyenget, Klaebo and Iversen take the bell
One final lap, on which we are sure to see somet fireworks. Amundsen roars them on from the sidelines.
Olympics live: 41.4km complete - Over four minutes separate the top ten
Florian Notz from Germany rounding out the top ten. We're not in Kansas anymore.
Olympics live: 39km complete - Little slip from Klaebo on the uphill
The dream is still on as they go up and over the mid-lap climb. 3-4-1 the order, with Nyenget leading the line.
Olympics live: 36km complete - No ski change as they go through lap 5
That's a suprise. We can only assume they're all saving it for the last lap. Korostelev is skiing on his own now, clawing back about ten seconds, but it's hard to imagine the independent athlete doing better than 4th from here. Andrew Musgrave has rallied and it looks as if 5th place is not completely out of reach.
Olympics live: 34.7km complete - Klaebo leads the way
And the chasers have slipped to two minutes. Just over 15km of this race to run. When will the Norwegians change skis? Will they all switch together? They do all seem to be struggling in the same way with the kick on the uphill section. Just about to go through 90 minutes of racing.
Olympics live: 32.2km complete - Reminder that Klaebo is the 50km world champion
Which, along with his astronomical success in this Olympics already, is why we all have him down as favourite, but you wouldn't get super short odds on him from this scenario. Korostelev and Lovera have fallen in together and found a rhythm, holding the gap at just under two minutes for the last couple of Ks.
Olympics live: 30.1km complete - Still nothing separating the rapid Norwegian skiers
They've traded a few punches but we're none the wiser as to which of them is going to crack first, and when.
Olympics live: 28.8km complete - Even the Norwegians are hurting
They're doing it to themselves, but this is nowhere near the smooth performance we've seen in previous races just in this Olympics. All three stick to the same skis as they complete the fourth lap.
Olympics live: 27km complete - Lapalus has had enough
He looked as if he was about to give up, but after a bit of encouragement from spectators he opts to battle on. Korostelev is now more than a minute down, with Lovera and Schely a further 30 seconds back. Andrew Musgrave has slipped to 8th, closer to two minutes than one.
Olympics live: 25km complete - A bit of club rivalry within this Norwegian trio?
Nyget is from Lillehammer, while Kalebo and Iversen are good mates from Trondheim, and obviously know each other particularly well. We've reached halfway.
Olympics live: 22.9km complete - Korostelev has collapsed
He was doing so well, but a small gap to the Norwegians has ballooned over the last kilometre. 20+ seconds we're seeing on the screen, as Nyenget, Iversen and Klaebo cruise through the feedzone.
Olympics live: 21.6km complete - 41 seconds to the Musgrave group
Korostelev isn't quite done, but Lovera is in no-man's land.
Olympics live: 20.5km complete - Lovera starting to struggle on the ascents
I think we're about to say goodbye to him from the front group. The grimace on his face tells you how hard this is. Korostelev is still there but he's struggling to match the glide of the Norwegians, who are looking unbeatable, even as it's too early to call them a lock for the medals.
Olympics live: 19.8km complete - It's warming up down there
The sun is coming out as antivipated, which may inspire a ski change or two, but no-one wants to make that switch too early, because the wrong ones could cost them minutes over the distance. Schely of France doing the heavy lifting among the chasers but this gap is drawing out.
Olympics live: 17.8km complete - Musgrave and the two French
Forming a chasing group of three, looking laboured but embattled, some 14 seconds back on the leaders.
Olympics live: 15.7km complete - Bang! Bang! Bang!
Niskanen has blown up, and stepped off the course. As has Amundsen of Norway, unable to handle the ferocious pace up the big hill at the start of the lap being set by his team-mates. Those three, along with Lovera of France and Korostelev have formed a breakaway from the breakaway.
Olympics live: 12.6km complete - Small gaps opening up as the front group strings out
Coming towards the completion of the second circuit, Canada's Thomas Stephen is the skier fighting hardest to keep in contact. All four Norwegians inside the top seven placings, with Great Britain's Joe Davies going well in 6th place at present.
Olympics live: 10.6km complete - Niskanen out in front
Savelii Korostelev, the neutral athlete, just tucking himself in behind. The Fin, though he's got nothing from this games, has three gold medals from Beijing, Peyongchang, and Sochi.
Olympics live: 8.5km complete - Approaching 24 minutes in
And we're seeing a bit of a breakaway forming, with maybe 20 skiers cutting themselves free of the rest of the field. Both British skiers are present, bit it's all four Norwegians right up front and setting the tempo.
Olympics live: 7.2km complete - Back into the stadium to complete the first lap
23 year-old Mathis Desloges of France leads them through. Spectacular scenes,.
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Athletes compete in the Men's 50km Mass Start Classic on day fifteen of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium on February 21, 2026 in Val di Fiemme, Italy.
Image credit: Getty Images
Olympics live: 5.4km complete - All back together
The field is as one as they go through a drinks station, with the Norwegians taking advantage while the Fins seems to be fuelling elsewhere on the course. The top twenty skiers are separated by less than ten seconds.
Olympics live: 3.4km complete - Klaebo closes the gap on his team-mate
Bringing Livo Niskanen of Finland with him, along with fellow Norwegian Emil Iversen.
Olympics live: 1.3km complete - Norway going hard
The Norwegians have taken control early, with Martin Nyenget setting out especially hard and achieving a visible early gap. Klaebo is following not far behind, at 8 seconds, with Hugo Lapalus of France locked on to Klaebo's skis.
Olympics live: Here they go!
A big acceleration from all of them to get off to as strong as start as possible, open up some space to ski into.
62 skiers set to take the start
Including Aberdeenshire's Andrew Musgrave, who is competing in his 5th Olympics for Great Britain.
35 nations are represented in this mass start, and conditions are looking okay, for these seven laps of a 7.2km loop, totally 1900m of elevation.. That should tell you this will be a real race of attrition.
Norway? Yes way!
They're competitive in practically every event, but when it comes to the endurance sports, the Norwegians have no equal.
Good morning
And welcome to live coverage of the men's 50km Mass Start Classic. You're going to hear a lot of talk of history today, and for that we make no apology. Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo is already the most decorated Winter Olympian ever across multiple editions of the games, but today he may stand alone as the athlete who has won more gold medals in one Winter Olympics than any other. We shouldn't get ahead of ourselves, but it's hard not to be excited about what might unfold over the next couple of hours. If you're unable to watch live, then this is the place to be.
The gun is set to go in ten minutes time.
Norway's Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo stands on the precipice of history before Saturday's men's 50km Mass Start Classic in the cross-country at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, having won five gold medals thus far.
Those five golds put him level with American speed skater Eric Heiden for the most golds won in a single Winter Olympic Games.
That means that should he triumph in today's mass start, he will create a new piece of history by becoming the only Winter Olympics athlete to win six golds across a single Games.
Klaebo has already made history during these Games by reaching 10 Winter Olympic golds in his career - more than any other athlete in history.
His success has helped fuel Norway to 17 golds overall, breaking their own record for the most golds won by a country in a Winter Olympic Games.
Olympics live:
Watch every event of Milano Cortina 2026 live on discovery+. Available across all subscription plans, starting at £3.99.
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