Moments after coming second in the men's 10 km interval start free at the 2026 Winter Olympics, French cross-country skier Mathis Desloges threw down the gauntlet to Norway's Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo who had also taken gold ahead of him a day earlier in the 10km + 10km skiathlon.
"I've been telling everyone that I've been training hard for these races," said the 23-year-old. "Here's a second silver so I'm clearly at a high level. Another silver gives me the hope and belief that one day I will be ahead of him [Klaebo].
"I train really hard every day with the aim of becoming the best skier in the world," Desloges added. "I'm not saying that I will be that one day but I am training hard for that objective and we'll see what the future brings."
Victory for Klaebo in the 10 km interval start race brought the 29-year-old Norwegian a third title at the Milan Cortina Games and a record eighth gold medal to emulate the exploits of his compatriots Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, Marit Bjoergen and Bjoern Daehlie
On Sunday, it was déjà vu anew for Mathis as Klaebo anchored Emil Iversen, Martin Lowstrom Nyenget and Einar Hedegart to glory ahead of France in the men's 4 x 7.5km relay.
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That success made Klaebo the first athlete to brandish nine Olympic golds.
"It feels amazing to do this," said Klaebo who is competing in his third Winter Olympics.
"I am proud of what I have achieved and it is amazing to get to that point with a team medal. I don't feel that there's any better way to do it.
"The fact that I'm at the top by myself ... I'm going to try to enjoy that. But I'm not done yet."
On Wednesday, Klaebo will vie for a 10th gold medal when he pairs up with Hedegart for the cross-country skiing team sprint.
Klaebo is also among the favourites for the men's 50km mass start classic on Saturday.
"He has showed the best version of himself," said Bjoerndalen.
The 52-year-old added: "He has been incredible at these Olympic Games. He's a complete skier now. Before, he was a good sprinter, good in the mass start but not so good in the rest.
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"Of course, me Bjoergen and Daehlie were operating in a different era," he added. "There are a lot more competitions now. When I started in 1993, we had three races in biathlon at the 1994 Lillehammer Games.
"But in whichever way you look at it, winning nine gold medals at the Olympic Games is difficult."
Mathis' three silvers helped France to 15 medals at the 2026 Games to equal the feats of the delegations that went to Sochi in Russia in 2014 and Pyeongchang in South Korea in 2018.
Hopes of eclipsing that high were put on hold on Monday when Clément Noël, the defending champion in the men's slalom, came off the course in his second run and rising star Paco Rassat failed to finish his first run.
Steven Amiez' 18th place completed a miserable day for the alpine ski team who finished without any medals for the first time since 2010 in Vancouver.
