Johannes Høsflot Klæbo overshadowed in Ruka 20 km: “I’m really pissed off”

RUKA/OSLO — The men’s cross-country World Cup weekend in Ruka ended with high drama and another strong showing by Norway, but star Johannes Høsflot Klæbo was far from his best.

Klæbo, 29, finished down in 15th place in Sunday’s 20 km and was visibly disappointed at the finish. “It was terrible. Nothing more to say than that,” he told HBO Max. Asked what went wrong, he added: “I don’t know. It just didn’t work. I’m going home now.”

At the front, Harald Østberg Amundsen made the decisive move on the final climb from a five-man lead group and could not be followed. “It’s completely crazy and a bit surreal. I was defensive and a little nervous during the race, and I struggled to move up. That makes it all the more fun when you still manage to solve it,” Østberg Amundsen said.

Einar Hedegart continued his breakthrough form with second place, backing up his win at Norway’s season opener in Beitostølen and strengthening his case for a spot on the Norwegian Olympic team. Sweden’s Edvin Anger took third, with Martin Løwstrøm Nyenget in fourth. Other Norwegians included Mattis Stenshagen in 7th, Jan Thomas Jenssen 12th, Andreas Fjorden Ree 17th and Iver Andersen 50th.

The result capped a weekend that underlined Norway’s depth while leaving Klæbo searching for answers early in the season.