Einar Hedegart won Olympic gold in the Team Sprint despite an illness, and kept the symptoms hidden from the team. Now he is heading home.

Hedegart raced the Olympic team sprint while sick — without the team knowing. He now says it was a gamble. On Friday, he will leave the Olympics.

It was on Monday that Hedegart was selected for Wednesday’s team sprint together with Johannes Høsflot Klæbo. As is well known, the Norwegian duo won gold.

Also Read: Norway powers to men’s Team Sprint gold at Milano-Cortina 2026

But now Hedegart reveals that it was a major gamble. The day after being selected, he began feeling symptoms of illness but chose to keep it to himself.

Drama before the start

It was not until Tuesday evening that it was finally decided whether Hedegart would race.

“There was some drama about whether I should go or not. We ended up deciding that I would race, and of course, I was afraid it could turn out badly. But it went incredibly well, and there’s a big difference between coming away with one gold and a bronze and two golds and a bronze. I’m grateful for the opportunity and glad that I took it,” Hedegart told HBO Max.

“In conversations with Ove (Feragen, national team doctor), Arild (Monsen), and Harald, we agreed that I actually had the best cards at the moment, and we weren’t entirely sure what the symptoms were,” he said.

Heading home

According to HBO Max, the plan is for Hedegart to travel home on Friday. There has been little time for celebrating the gold.

“It’s been good, but I’ve mostly just stayed in my room, because now I can feel that I’m getting more congested. So, I have to keep my distance from the rest of the group. I don’t want to be the one who infected the rest of the team,” Hedegart said.

For the cross-country skiers, only the final event remains: the 50km. The men race their 50km on Saturday, and the women on Sunday.

Also Read: Program for cross-country skiing at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics

FACTS 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games – Cross-Country Skiing

• When: Saturday 7, to Sunday, February 22, 2026
• Who: Elite national skiers – women and men
• Where: Val di Fiemme, Italy
• What: Milano-Cortina 2026

Saturday, February 7: 20km Skiathlon C/F Women (More information can be found HERE)

• 13:00 CET: 20km Skiathlon C/F, Women

Sunday, February 8: 20km Skiathlon C/F Men (More information can be found HERE)

• 12:30 CET: 20km Skiathlon C/F, Men

Tuesday, February 10: Sprint C Women and Men (More information can be found HERE)

• 9:15 CET: Sprint Quali C, Women
• 9:55 CET: Sprint Quali C, Men
• 11:45 CET: Sprint Final C, Women
• 12:15 CET: Sprint Final C, Men

Thursday, February 12: 10km Interval Start F Women (More information can be found HERE)

• 13:00 CET: 10km Interval F, Women

Friday, February 13: 10km Interval Start F Men (More information can be found HERE)

• 11:45 CET: 10km Interval F, Men

Saturday, February 14: 4×7.5km Relay C/F Women (More information can be found HERE)

• 12:00 CET: 4×7.5km Relay C/F, Women

Sunday, February 15: 4×7.5km Relay C/F Men (More information can be found HERE)

• 12:00 CET: 4×7.5km Relay C/F, Men

Wednesday, February 18: Team Sprint Women and Men (More information can be found HERE)

• 9:45 CET: Team Sprint F Quali, Women
• 10:15 CET: Team Sprint F Quali, Men
• 11:45 CET: Team Sprint F, Women
• 12:15 CET: Team Sprint F, Men

Saturday, February 21: 50km Mass Start C Men (More information can be found HERE)

• 11:00 CET: 50km Mass Start C, Men

Sunday, February 22: 50km Mass Start C Women (More information can be found HERE)

• 10:00 CET: 50km Mass Start C, Women

The complete program for the Winter Olympic Games can be found HERE

Val di Fiemme, a classic Nordic skiing venue, promises thrilling racing on courses steeped in Olympic history. Fans around the World will have the chance to cheer on athletes across all distances, from explosive sprints to grueling marathons.

Are you interested in traditional cross-country skiing? Click HERE and read more about it.