Legendary Olympic Cross-Country Skier Had Everyone in Awe By Sprinting Up a Hill

Johannes Høsflot Klæbo won gold in the cross-country skiing men's sprint classic. | @NBCSports

One of the best parts of every Winter Olympics is when an athlete in a sport that you probably only check out once every four years does something that leaves you in complete awe of their athletic ability.

That happened in the men's cross-country 10km + 10km skiathlon when Norway's Johannes Høsflot Klæbo went viral while winning the gold medal.

I know what you're thinking—cross-country skiing might not be the most exciting sport, so what could this Klæbo fella do to wow everyone on social media?

Well, he was seen basically sprinting up a hill at a speed that would pace him for a sub-six-minute mile if he was running.

Just look at this:

Sub-six-minute mile pace uphill on skis: #WinterOlympics SPEED. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/trof9rs4zf

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 10, 2026

That right there is equal parts insane and exhausting. Klæbo made running up a hill while on skis look like a run through a flat local park.

On Tuesday, the 29-year-old Norwegian edged out Team USA's Ben Ogden by just under a second in the men's sprint to win his second gold medal at the Milan Cortina Games. The legendary cross-country skier now has seven gold medals in his Olympic career.

The internet was rightfully in awe of that video of Klæbo running up the hill.

This guy is such a beast. Immediately passes the eyeball test. If you don’t watch cross-country skiing regularly, you see him and can tell he’s the best at it. https://t.co/vfyWaKv9aU

— Mitch Goldich 🐙 (@mitchgoldich) February 10, 2026

1. This was incredible to watch.

2. If you liked this video, just remove the skis and that's what cross country would look like in the Winter Olympics. Looks pretty fun to me! https://t.co/h1YE0g4Djc

— Jonathan Gault (@jgault13) February 10, 2026

I’ve seen enough: Klaebo is the fastest man alive. https://t.co/rlemOLgWOJ

— Alex Predhome, Track and Field Enjoyer (@Predamame) February 10, 2026

I was watching this earlier today in awe. https://t.co/34AGvWkMAw

— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) February 10, 2026

I was watching Klaebo this past weekend and an involuntary laugh escaped me watching him accelerating up a hill. It's absurd https://t.co/BXGEN02ZXz

— Col My Friends Are So Depressed🪼 (@clacey24) February 10, 2026

is, like, "output" terms, is this the greatest athlete in the world? https://t.co/7iVTy3PFOa

— Matthew Zeitlin (@MattZeitlin) February 10, 2026

Wisconsinites getting to the bar after a blizzard. pic.twitter.com/MOJXyLHmGf

— Dives of Wisconsin (@DivesOfWI) February 10, 2026

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