Late Klaebo push earns relay gold for Norway's men

Norway retained their men's 4x10km relay world title in dramatic fashion, with Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo's late burst denying Russia a famous win in Oberstdorf, Germany.

Alexey Chervotkin flew out of the blocks to give the Russians a 44.7 second lead after the first leg, but Norway's Emil Iversen and Finland's Iivo Niskanen quickly caught Ivan Yakimushkin and the former earned the defending champions a slender lead at the halfway point.

Klaebo kicked off his final leg with a 25.5s advantage but was reeled in by Russia's Alexander Bolshunov, and the 24-year-old needed a burst of energy in the final climb to seal a 12-second win with an overall time of 1:52:39.0.

Paal Golberg and Hans Christer Holund joined Klaebo and Iversen in claiming gold, while Russia's Bolshunov picked up silver with teammates Chervotkin, Yakimushkin and Artem Maltsev.

French quartet Hugo Lapalus, Maurice Manificat, Clement Parisse and Jules Lapierre completed the podium in third.

Sportsbeat 2021