Klaebo leads Norwegian clean sweep in Goms Mass Start

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo won the Men’s 20km Mass Start Classic at the Coop FIS Cross-Country World Cup in Goms, Switzerland, on Sunday, earning the best possible send-off to the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

After crushing the competition in Saturday’s Sprint Classic, the 29-year-old pulled off another dominant display in the 20km Mass Start as he and compatriots Emil Iversen and Harald Oestberg Amundsen shook off the rest of the field to claim the three podium spots.

In the final World Cup race before the main event of the season, Klaebo finished 5.6 seconds ahead of Iversen, with Amundsen completing the podium seven seconds back.

”It feels really good,” Klaebo said.

”I think we had amazing skis and I feel my body is in good shape.

Just before the second half of the race, Klaebo, Iversen and Amundsen opened up a gap to the rest of the pack and set off by themselves, increasing their lead. After 10km, the chasing pack was about 13 seconds behind. At the 15km mark, the lead had increased to about 38 seconds.

With about 2km left to ski, Klaebo made a move at the top of a hill, breaking away from his teammates who were unable to respond. At the 19.2km mark, Klaebo was more than 18 seconds ahead of the Iversen and Amundsen, who were left to fight for the second place as Klaebo cruised to victory.

Klaebo has won all four races he has started in Goms, including the Sprint and 20km Mass Start in January 2024, but said his fondness for the Swiss Alpine region goes beyond results alone.

”It’s amazing,” Klaebo said.

”If this had been in Norway, there would have been so much snow and not even close to these conditions, so it’s amazing. The crowd is unbelievable, so we really enjoy Goms.”

Klaebo’s training partner, Iversen, who was given one of Norway’s final Olympic tickets on Tuesday, responded with his best result of the season.

”It was an exciting race, the first race after Tour de Ski,” said the 34-year-old, whose previous three World Cup podiums this winter had been third places.

”’Hannes’ (Klaebo) and I have been training in Lavazè (Italy) and have done a good job.

Before this season, Iversen’s last individual World Cup podium had come in January 2021. Now the Beijing 2022 Relay silver medallist looks ready for more Olympic glory.

"Everything is at the top. I think my confidence should not get better than this because then I’d turn into a douchebag,” he said.

"I’m just training well and doing my work at the competitions, and my shape is even better now so this is a dream season for me.

After the top trio had broken away, the race split into two; the front skiers going for the victory and the chasing pack fighting for the fourth place.

Haavard Moseby (NOR) won that battle, crossing the finish line more than 50 seconds after the winner. Andreas Fjorden Ree (NOR), Erik Valnes (NOR) and Mattis Stenshagen (NOR) completed a clean sweep for Norway in the top seven spots, all finishing within two seconds of each other. The result list could serve as a reminder of the fierce competition for Olympic starts that awaits the Norway Men’s team at Milano Cortina.

”We have like eight super good skiers from Norway and some of us are chosen for the Olympics,” Iversen said.

After Goms, Iversen said he, Klaebo and Klaebo’s father Haakon are off to Austria to get even stronger ahead of February’s Olympic races in Val di Fiemme.

”We have some top secret plans,” Iversen said, before revealing them:

”We are going to Seefeld now – me, ’Hannes’ and Haakon – and we are just going to dominate Seefeld, train well and come to the Olympics in even better shape.”

Amundsen has had a solid season with five individual podiums and a Team Sprint victory with Einar Hedegart in Goms on Friday, but the Overall World Cup No.2 was not as enthusiastic as Iversen about the race.

”It felt terrible because it’s hard to race here – the tracks in Goms are quite tough and the conditions were challenging,” he said.

”But I’m very happy with this podium spot because I haven’t been that good in Classic style this year so this was important for me, to get a good Classic result before the Olympics.”

The 2023/24 season’s Overall Crystal Globe winner said he also feels the challenge from his teammates as the Olympic Games are coming closer.

”It’s such a tough competition, the Norwegian guys are so strong, but to be on the podium today was quite important,” Amundsen said, adding that there are other tough competitors who did not race on Sunday.

”Iivo Niskanen (FIN) and Martin Loewstroem Nyenget (NOR) are at home and will be ready for the Olympics and fight for the podium.

Neutral athlete Savelii Korostelev was best non-Norwegian in eighth place as he crossed the line 0.8 seconds after Stenshagen. Mathis Deslodges of Switzerland and Beda Klee completed the top 10.

Klaebo goes into the Olympic break as the Overall World Cup leader, with his sixth – and second consecutive – Crystal Globe within reach. With 1,539 points, he is 381 points ahead of Amundsen in second place. Stenshagen is in third place with 1,008 points.

The Milano Cortina 2026 Men’s Cross-Country competitions start with the 20km Skiathlon Classic/Free on 8 February. Click here for the full schedule.

Click here for full results from the Men’s 20km Mass Start Classic, here to see the Men’s World Cup standings and here to follow FIS Cross-Country on Youtube.