Most gold medals in Olympics history: How Norway's Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo's record compares to Michael Phelps

After storming to his fourth gold medal of the Milano Cortina Games on Sunday, Norwegian cross-country skiing sensation Johannes Hosflot Klaebo continued to add onto his stardom at the summit of Winter Olympic history.

Norway won the team cross-country skiing relay on Sunday, allowing Klaebo to win a record ninth gold medal, the most in Winter Olympics history. Then, on Wednesday, he added another gold in the team sprint, his fifth in the Milan Games alone.

That mean that he surpassed compatriots Bjorn Daehlie, Marit Bjron, and Ole Einar Bjorndalen on the all-time list.

Here's how Klaebo has extended his Winter Olympics record for gold medals.

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Most gold medals in Olympics history

The list of athletes with eight or more Olympic gold medals has expanded to include 18 legends from both Summer and Winter competitions.

With Klaebo's most recent triumph, he has become just the second athlete to win at least 10 gold medals, putting him in second-place all time across the Summer and Winter Games.

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Who has the most Winter Olympics gold medals?

There was previously a four-way tie for the most gold medals in Winter Olympics history, but Johannes Hosflot Klaebo has now taken the lead with his dominance in Milan.

He officially holds the most golds in Winter Olympics history with 10.

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (Norway)

Klaebo is the youngest member of this elite club and the only one still actively competing. He officially reached 9 gold medals on February 14, 2026, after winning the team cross-country skiing relay at the Milano Cortina Games.

He then added a 10th gold medal on Feb. 18, 2026, in the team sprint for Norway.

Klaebo has redefined cross-country skiing with his ability to dominate both short sprints and grueling distance races. He now sits alone in Winter Olympic history after winning a whopping five gold medals in the 2026 Games alone.

Marit Bjoergen (Norway)

Often referred to as "Iron Marit," Bjoergen retired in 2018 as the most decorated Winter Olympian of all time with 15 total medals (8 gold, 4 silver, 3 bronze). Her career spanned five Olympic Games, beginning as a sprint specialist and evolving into a dominant distance skier. Her longevity and consistency are legendary; she famously won five medals at the 2018 PyeongChang Games at age 37, including a gold in the final 30km mass start—the final race of her Olympic career.

Ole Einar Bjoerndalen (Norway)

Bjoerndalen amassed 13 total medals, including 8 golds, across six Olympic appearances. His most iconic performance came at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, where he achieved a perfect clean sweep by winning gold in every single men’s biathlon event (sprint, pursuit, individual, and relay). He remained competitive well into his 40s, winning his final Olympic gold in the mixed relay at the 2014 Sochi Games at age 40.

Bjorn Daehlie (Norway)

The original king of the Winter Games, Daehlie was the first athlete to reach the 8-gold milestone, a record that stood for 16 years until Bjoerndalen tied it in 2014. Dominating the 1990s, he won 12 total medals over just three Olympics (1992, 1994, and 1998). Daehlie was famous for his incredible aerobic capacity and his "never-say-die" attitude, exemplified by his final gold in the 50km race at the 1998 Nagano Games, where he collapsed in exhaustion after skiing for over two hours to win by just eight seconds.

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Who has the most Summer Olympics gold medals?

Michael Phelps holds the undisputed record for the most Summer Olympics gold medals, with a staggering 23 career golds.

Phelps' 13 individual gold medals alone would place him ahead of every other athlete in history for total gold medals.

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Who has the most gold medals in one Olympics?

Phelps holds the absolute record for the most gold medals won in a single Olympic Games. He won 8 gold medals at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics, surpassing the previous record of seven set by Mark Spitz in 1972.

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Winter Olympics

Winter records are generally lower because there are fewer events and team relays per sport compared to the Summer Games. Eric Heiden’s feat was especially rare, as he swept all five individual speed skating distances in a single year.

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo joined Heiden in 2026 by winning five cross-country skiing gold medals in Milan.

Summer Olympics

legendary Summer performances are dominated by swimmers who leveraged multiple events and relays to reach high gold counts. Phelps' perfect eight-for-eight run in Beijing remains the absolute pinnacle of Olympic dominance.

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