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The Kingdom of Norway expects much of its sport heroes. Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo knows this . . . that may be why this naturally gifted sprinter may have long coveted the prize that a skier of his sort is least likely to earn: World Cup Distance Crystal Globe. If he could capture that prize, he could place his name among those of revered strong men of cross-country skiing. But first he’d need to get past another Norwegian strong man: Harald Oestberg Amundsen, himself a past winner of both the Distance and All-Around Crystal Globes, and a skier who trails Klaebo by only 12 points heading into this final Distance race of the 2026 season. A Norwegian skier would go home from Lake Placid with the Distance Crystal Globe tucked safely in the overhead compartment of a chartered jet liner. But which Norwegian?
Twenty kilometers of mass-start racing through the forests and hills of Mt. Van Hoevenberg would answer the question. But the manner in which that question would be answered would have bearing on ski history, as well. That’s because Klaebo could choose to employ more than one strategy in today’s race. He could park himself behind Amundsen, presumably sprint past him at the end, and claim the Cup regardless of his placing in today’s race. Norwegian fans would love to see a Norwegian claiming the Cup, but they would prefer to see the victory be claimed in a different way. What Norway would love to see is dominance delivered at the hands of the sport’s most dominant skier. The “dominance” strategy is far more risky—it could backfire, it could get counter-attacked, it could conceivably allow Amundsen to overcome a self-exhausted Klaebo. But that’s what Norwegian fans long to see.
Back in 1983, Norwegian speedskater, Rolf Falk-Larssen won the World All Around Speedskating Championship by virtue of winning three of the championship’s four races. That was the rule back then—anyone who wins three of the four races is automatically crowned champion, regardless of their performance in the fourth race. Falk-Larssen won the 500 m, the 5,000 m, the 1500 m. Technically, all he had to do was finish the 10,000 (the final race of the championship) in order to wear the victor’s wreath and be proclaimed World Champion. He would finish that final race, but the way he raced it was also the reason that, to this day, few Norwegians are willing to even mention Falk-Larssen’s name. When Falk-Larssen had the chance to truly dominate, he chose, instead, to mail it in: he soft-pedaled the 10 k . . . finishing a full 37 seconds (that’s a lot) behind the race winner, Tomas Gustafson of Sweden, whose four-race performance actually accumulated a point-total that exceeded Falk-Larssen’s championship-winning total. Falk-Larssen was crowned champion, but the Norwegian crowd never forgave him.
Norway expects much of its champions. Witness the racing strategies of Marit Bjoergen, of Therese Johaug, of Bjoern Daehlie, of Thomas Alsgaard. They were dominators, setting a blistering pace from the very start of any race, heedless of the consequences, daring any other racer to challenge them. Consider the tactics of Norwegian athletes in other sports: World and Olympic champions like hurdler Karsten Warholm or middle distance runner Jakob Ingebritsen—both of whom race from the front in daring, victory-or-death style. Norwegian fans love this . . . seeing the champions who throw caution to the wind, who stamp their authority onto every race situation, who prove true dominance.
Fast-forward to Lake Placid New York, and the final race of the 2026 FIS World Cup cross-country ski season. At Mt. Van Hoevenberg, Klaebo could’ve been interested in only one thing: the World Cup Distance championship. In his long and illustrious career, it’s the one prize that has eluded him. He’s won the Overall Crystal Globe six times. He’s won the Sprint championship too many times to count. In this miraculous 2026, Klaebo has proven time and again that he is the man to beat. And though he is the world’s premier sprinter, he has shown that he can win from the front even when the world’s best Distance skiers are chasing him.
The stage was set for 20 kilometers of racing on the steep and rainy trails of Mt. Van Hoevenberg.
20 k Freestyle Mass Start
In the old days of racing—especially on the trails around Van Hoevenberg—racers in Distance events would disappear into the trees, emerging from the forest hours later with practically no one having seen what transpired out on the course. Not today . . . the final race of the World Cup season was designed for the fans: five laps of four kilometers/lap. The crowd would get to see plenty of the racers, and that crowd ha already proven its ability to shower the skiers with cheering and support.
The start order was determined by World Cup points; six of the top seven starting spots were claimed by Norwegian skiers (their total monopoly only prevented by the presence of the sixth starter, Italy’s Elia Barp). It’s been a long season, and the final 20 k is a long race. The field can be forgiven for taking it easy at the start. But Mika Vermeulen (AUT) is not an especially patient competitor . . he would go to the front in the second kilometer to give the race some honest pace. Vermeulen’s effort seemed to remind the Norwegians of what they were supposed to do; by the 4 kilometer mark, Amundsen had powered to the front, followed by Klaebo and Pellegrino. A crowd of Norwegians and French race suits followed them. The players were all in position.
Schumacher hovered around the top ten, continuing to show his skills as a mass-start racer. The field began to break up on the course’s challenging downhills; Schumacher continued to hold his own.
At eight kilometers, Klaebo moved forward to take control. That’s because racers were offered World Cup bonus points at 9 k and at 17 k, and Amundsen had admitted in pre-race interviews that he would plan to pursue those points. If he could snatch some of those points, he could close the gap on Klaebo. Huh . . . Klaebo grabbed those 15 bonus points for himself, followed by Amundsen’s 12 point second place consolation prize. Amundsen had hoped to narrow the gap. Instead it widened by three points.
Soon after the bonus sprint, five Norwegian race suits began inexorably to pull away: Andreas Fjorden Ree, Mattis Stenshagen, Emil Iversen, Klaebo, and Amundsen. Schumacher eased his way forward to seventh position, just three seconds behind the leaders. The pace was fast, but fans could wonder if the skiers were really leaving it all out there. Who could blame them? All season long, Klaebo’s teammates—his closest rivals—had done all they could to drop the guy. Usually, whomever attempted to do so would find themselves dropped and distanced by their own teammates. It looked as though no one was willing to make such a risky play. But in that lull, Einar Hedegart had rejoined the leaders.
At the 17 kilometer mark, Klaebo again moved forward to seize the bonus points. Klaebo 15 points, Reee 12, Amundsen 10. Barring any unforeseen disasters, Klaebo had the points-lead he needed to claim the Distance Cup. Now the Norwegian fans would eagerly watch how he would race to the finish.
After the bonus sprint, the course returned to the finishing stretch utilized inhte Sprint course . . . Klaebo knows this part of the course so well. And he used the same tactic that took him to a Sprint victory just two days ago. Resplendent at the front, Klaebo turned on the jets up the final slope, jump-skating away from his rivals. Amundsen followed gamely, but the gap widened just enough to deprive Amundsen of the draft on the subsequent downhill. Klaebo was not to be denied in the final sprint, gliding across the line for his 113th World Cup victory, and the first Distance Crystal Globe of his career.
Hedegart held on for third, perhaps inspiring the young biathlete to continue competing as a skier in seasons to come. Pellegrino would finish his final race in 13th place, securing his place on the third step of the World Cup Overall podium. Schumacher would race in the main chase group throughout the race, but would fade to 20th at the finish.
Dominance, indeed
Not every Norwegian ski hero has been a front-runner. Norwegians began to learn of—and begrudgingly to accept—the strategic brand of racing that Pettter Northug employed during his brilliant career: sitting in and sprinting, snatching mass-start Distance races from Distance specialists. Perhaps Northug’s strategy became acceptable because it was so obvious that he was killing himself to hang on to the pace set by the Distance skiers just so he could have a chance to sprint at the end. Norwegian fans admired the effort, the tenacity, the fight. And they wanted a Norwegian skier to win, too. Northug delivered repeatedly, but Northug was an athlete of a different sort—spending off-season weeks gambling lavishly in Las Vegas, and getting into all sorts of trouble in Norway on account of his love of fast cars and strong drink. Northug definitely earned his place in the skiing Pantheon, but even his Norwegian countrymen remain unsure of him.
The only real way to capture the love of the Norwegian ski fans is to dominate the competition. Klaebo knows this . . . and what he delivered was a season that included a Tour de Ski, a Sprint Globe, a Distance Globe, an Overall Globe, and six Olympic gold medals. Dominance, indeed.
Referring to his haul of Crystal Globes, Klaebo said, “It’s going to be overweight getting back home, that’s for sure.
“I always try to focus on a part of the course where I can use a different part of tracks to get an advantage,” Klaebo said. “Today I felt like I was pushing hard up the last uphill, and Harald was right behind me all the way. I managed to get a small gap at the end!
“I saw it coming!” said Amundsen. “I tried to find his back and stay there. I knew that he would go fast on the last uphill. I just tried to follow.”
“We had a great team effort,” said Amundsen. “And second place, in the end, was quite good.”
Now, Team Norway will pack up its trophies and its flowers and its wheels of Gruyere cheese, and head back home to the land of Nordic skiing, and the cheering hordes of Nordic skiing fans.
“I’m glad the season is over now,” said a smiling Klaebo after the race. “It’s time to rest a little bit.”
And a well-deserved it will be. We’ve watched a remarkable season scripted by the greatest of all time. We’re unlikely to see such a season again.
World Cup Final—Men’s 20 k Mass Start RESULTS
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John Teaford
John Teaford has been the coach of Olympians, World Champions, and World Record Holders in six sports: Nordic skiing, speedskating, road cycling, track cycling, mountain biking, triathlon. In his long career as a writer/filmmaker, he spent many seasons as Director of Warren Miller’s annual feature film, and Producer of adventure documentary films for Discovery, ESPN, Disney, National Geographic, and NBC Sports.
