This third gold medal for Johaug, after the inaugural skiathlon and the 15 km, allows Norway to definitively consolidate its first place in the medal table of the Beijing Olympic Games with 16 titles.

"I was so happy 15 days ago when I received my first gold medal and I didn't expect to get two more," reacted the 33-year-old Norwegian cross-country skier.

"It's perfect to end my Olympic career."

Johaug easily beat American Jessie Diggins and Finland's Kerttu Niskanen.

The Frenchwoman Delphine Claudel took seventh place.

The 25-year-old Vosgienne took the lead at the start of the race by inviting herself into a leading group of four, including the Norwegian

"I didn't really pay attention to those who were leaving, I saw that there were four of us with Jessie (Diggins), Ebba (Andersson) and me. I said to myself + wow, you are having a great start to the race + “, describes the French.

"The pace was very, very high with a Therese on fire."

Norwegian Therese Johaug, during the 30 km cross-country skiing at the Beijing Games, February 20, 2022 on the track of Zhangjiakou Odd ANDERSEN AFP

Claudel let go after eight kilometers of racing but could have become the first French Olympic medalist in cross-country skiing since her chasing group fought for the bronze medal.

"Put the Watts"

"I made myself a little cherry, I took the opportunity to stay safe and we slowly returned to Ebba (Andersson)", she says.

"I missed it in the head, confidence in my finish, in my ability to put the watts until the end."

Johaug, who has dominated the distance races unchallenged, joins the very closed circle of triple Olympic champions in these Games alongside another cross-country skier, the Russian Alexander Bolshunov, the Norwegian biathlete Marte Roeiseland and the Dutch speed skater Irene Schouten.

The Norwegian biathlete Johannes Boe will remain the only athlete titled four times in Beijing.

But this is only the sixth medal of the career of the Norwegian, deprived of the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang due to a positive control on steroids (attributed to a lip balm) sanctioned by 18 months of suspension by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The first Olympic champion of these Games, Johaug would also have been the last had it not been for the 55km/h gusts of wind sweeping the Zhangjiakou track and which should strengthen during the day.

Faced with these extreme conditions, the organizers had decided the day before to bring the race forward by two and a half hours.

The joy of the Norwegian Therese Johaug, Olympic champion in the 30 km in cross-country skiing at the Beijing Games, on February 20, 2022 on the track of Zhangjiakou Christof STACHE AFP

Not that what to shake up the plans of Norwegian who crushed the 30 km in a remake of the inaugural skiathlon.

Johaug gave way to her last two pursuers a third of the race and relegated Jessie Diggins, who became Olympic vice-champion, nearly two minutes away.

A margin having given her time to parade in the last hectometres with a Norwegian flag which she had the worst difficulty deploying under the gusts of wind.

© 2022 AFP