STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Johannes Klaebo, a record-setting nine-time Olympic gold medalist, was hospitalized Thursday following a serious crash during a World Cup sprint race in Drammen.
The Norwegian sensation, who dominated the 2026 Winter Olympics, was competing in a homecoming event when he collided with American Ben Ogden in the semi-final. The incident sent four of the six racers to the ground.
Klaebo fell hard, hitting the back of his head on the snow. He was conscious but visibly affected, eventually being helped off the course and transported to a local hospital for evaluation.
"It's incredibly icy out there, I lost my balance, and I don't know, I just fell," Ogden stated after the race.
National team doctor Ove Feragen confirmed Klaebo was conscious, noting the severity of the fall but expressing optimism that the injuries were not serious, pending further assessment.
Klaebo's next scheduled event is Saturday's 50 km freestyle mass start race.