Klaebo closes on Winter Games all-time gold tally and Sweden sweeps women’s cross-country sprint

TESERO, Italy (AP) - Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo blazed to his second consecutive victory at the Milan Cortina Games in the cross-country sprint Tuesday and his seventh gold medal closed in on the Winter Olympics record.

The Norwegian star separated from the field with a punishing late uphill run. He eased off in the home stretch, waving to supporters, and allowed Ben Ogden of the United States to finish 0.8 seconds behind for the silver. Another Norwegian, Oskar Opstad Vike, placed third, 6.8 seconds behind the leader.

Linn Svahn led a Swedish sweep in the women's final by edging defending Olympic champion Jonna Sundling by 1.5 seconds with Maja Dahlqvist in third place in a race watched by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.

Top-ranked Jessie Diggins of the United States was eliminated in the quarterfinals, compounding her disappointment after a fall in her opening race last weekend.

Klaebo could compete in four more individual and team events at Milan Cortina. His seven Winter Olympics gold medals are one shy of the all-time record shared by three retired compatriots: Marit Bjoergen and Bjoern Daehlie in cross-country skiing and Ole Einar Bjoerndalen in biathlon.

After his latest triumph, the world's top-ranked cross-country skier acknowledged that some of the pressure he felt at the start of the Games has lifted.

"It was amazing," Klaebo said. "My shape is good and I was a little bit more relaxed before this race than I was before Sunday." Ogden grabbed his country's first individual Olympic sprint medal in cross country but said it was Klaebo's race to lose.

"Unbelievable, unbelievable. I'm just so thrilled," the Vermont native said. "I'm proud to be the first in the sprint but there will be more, don't you worry." Klaebo high-fived and hugged Norway fans after his race, among them his fiancé Pernille Doesvik, who wore a jacket bearing a large image of the champion skier.

But it was the Swedish fans who had the most to celebrate, singing the national anthem while their women skiers stood on all three podium places. "I have the best team and the best teammates," Sundling said. "We always push each other to be better."