Nordic Skiing - FIS Nordic World Ski Championships - Trondheim, Norway - March 6, 2025 Norway celebrates after winning the men's team relay 4x7.5 km along with second placed Switzerland and third placed Sweden REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
TRONDHEIM, Norway (Reuters) - Norway won gold in the men's relay at the Nordic World Ski Championships on Thursday, capitalising on early chaos to seize control and never relinquished their advantage.
Erik Valnes, Martin Lowstroem Nyenget, Harald Ostberg Amundsen and Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo produced a flawless performance as Switzerland edged Sweden for silver.
The race, expected to be a fierce duel between the Swedes and Norwegians, with Finland as a potential spoiler, took an unexpected turn early on.
Finn Niko Anttola tumbled into the safety nets, and Sweden’s Truls Gisselman lost his footing, crashing into the snow, leaving Norway to take control.
As Klaebo prepared to tackle the final stretch for Norway, holding a 36-second lead over Italy and Switzerland, it was clear the 28-year-old was heading for his fifth gold of the championship.
Norway extended their lead as other nations, realising gold was out of reach, focused on securing silver and bronze with more tactical approaches.
Switzerland executed a perfect attack before the final stretch, overtaking Sweden to grab a stunning silver, while Finland finished 10th.
At the front, Klaebo glided to victory alone, holding the Norwegian flag aloft as thousands of fans cheered.
"This day is something I will remember until I go to the grave, 100 percent. I will capture as many of these moments as possible, both on my phone and in my memory book," Klaebo told Norwegian broadcaster NRK.
"It’s enormous. I got a perfect starting point. It was just about going out there and enjoying it. It was almost a bit disappointing to be on the final lap and know it was almost over."
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; Editing by Ken Ferris)
