What’s Behind Norway’s Success in the Winter Olympics?

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As the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games officially closed on Sunday. The land of the fjords is once again in pole position sitting at the top of the medal table, keeping Norway’s domination in the major winter sports events.

I’ll let you know if you have yet to hear of Norway. Please make no mistake. It’s one of the most prosperous countries per capita for the Winter Olympic sport since the inauguration of the Games in Chamonix 98 years ago.


So how do they do it? The Norwegian system is based on investment in grassroots sports. The emphasis is on participation. The Norwegians’ goal is to encourage and motivate all citizens to participate in sports as much as possible rather than having only a few elite athletes under state support.

With just 5.4 million people, Norway has won 16 medals in Beijing. It’s more than Great Britain, France, and Sweden combined, with 11 of them won by cross-country skiers.


This blog examines why Norway has been so successful in the Olympics and what lessons other nations can learn from them.

The Norwegian Way!

Major Sports Event | The Winter Olympic Games, Beijing, China 2022

FIS Cross Country Ski World Cup – Tour de ski 2020 in Val Di Fiemme, Italy on January 5, 2020; Final climb, Norway’s Therese Johaug (NOR) wins the Tour. ©Pierre Teyssot.   
         

Suppose sports fans in Norway have been experiencing a fairytale-like time of top athletic performance. That is likely the case. Although, of course, China might’ve claimed the most gold medals at this year’s Olympics Games (including the historic moment when they topped the medal table). Still, Norway has managed to take home an unprecedented amount of Olympic glory in recent months.


The Norwegian newspaper VG analysed the number of golds won during this year’s Olympics and found Norway’s most successful Olympic nation per capita.

If we’re only considering gold medals, VG has compiled a list of the top 5 nations by population for the Summer and Winter Olympics. The basic premise of their analysis was that Norway is not just winning more than ten golds but achieving its goals in perfect harmony with its mission and values as an Olympic nation.


Norway has amassed 20 Olympic gold medals in just six months between the Tokyo summer and Winter Olympics in Beijing. Moreover, VG claims have ranked them among the best Olympic nations in terms of performance level compared to population size. Norway (20 gold – 5.4 million), ahead of Sweden (11 gold – 10.4 million), and the Netherlands (18 gold – 17.4 million inhabitants). The United States and China have both won 47 gold medals at the Summer and Winter Olympics. However, they must catch up when we consider their population’s size. https://www.vg.no/sport/i/Kz2l84/209-dager-20-gull-naa-er-norge-verdens-beste-olympiske-nasjon.


But how does this small Scandinavian country continually out-power much bigger nations like USA, Russia, and Sweden, more great skiing nations?


Norwegian success lies behind a well-structured system focused on fun from a young age, attracting 93% of youngsters. Dedication, excellence, commitment, and hard work lead to success.

They have created a culture where athletes can thrive and thrive without undue distraction from family life or other concerns (at least for athletes). This culture makes them so successful repeatedly— something that other countries would do well to emulate.

Why are Norwegians so good at winter sports?

Norway has been at the forefront of winter sports related to the Olympics. As an avid cross-country skier, I know the number of Norwegians competing in such events.

The answer is simple. In Norway, it’s not about money and fame. Instead, it is about spirit and pride.

It’s about having a great team atmosphere and a culture that values individual success over numbers and being at the top of your game.


When your team has one more gold medal than everyone else, it doesn’t matter who you are or what your country calls you as long as you are good enough for your country.

Norwegian people are passionate about their sport and want to be a part of it. They love showing off their skills and, in turn, showing others around them that they can do it, too. This passion comes from within their community and results in the strong support of those who excel at their chosen sport. They are not looking for fame or money; they seek something far more valuable: inspiration and self-confidence.


As  Chuck Culpepper wrote in The Washington Post, and I quote: “ Even with its national anthem containing the word “rugged,” plus the lyric, “Sure, we were not many, but we were enough,” and with that pulmonary superiority over others forged from a lifelong inhalation of frigid air while cross-country skiing from ages such as 2, Norway still can trail”.

Norway has produced several athletes on the level of Olympians, such as Ole Einar Bjørndalen, nicknamed the “King of Biathlon”. Marit Bjørgen, Bjørn Daehlie, Johan Grøttumbråten (1899-1983), Grete Waitz (1953-2011), Magnar Solberg. And many more who have won medals in different events most recently, Johannes Thingnes Bø, his brother Tarjei Bø, Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen, and Marte Olsbu Røseland in the Biathlon, Johannes Høsflot Klaebo, an extraordinary cross-country athlete, and Therese Johaug which was sensational by winning gold in the women’s mass start cross-country race on the final day of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

How does Norway do it?

According to Tom Farrey, the Norwegian Youth program encourages young people to participate in non-competitive sports and sports for health, physical fitness, and well-being. It makes them more aware of their environment and the importance of environmental protection. He has been studying the subject for over a decade. In Norway, Farrey wrote recently in The New York Times, “93% of children in Norway grow up playing organised sports. Where costs are low, the economic barriers to entry are few. The team do not travel until the teenage years. And adults don’t start selecting the weak from the strong until children have grown into their bodies and interests. Then the most promising talents become the most competitive athletes globally, on a per-capita basis”.  


And this is not all. Norway has invested in a scheme to keep most athletes within the industry when they retire from competing. They’ve set up a “Norwegian Youth in Sports Leadership Program” scheme. The program’s target group is 15-19 years old. It aims to provide young Norwegians with the opportunity to stay in sports after their career as athletes. As an example, one of the options is to recruit and develop a new generation of volunteers.

Conclusion

As a country, Norway has a very long, proud tradition of winter sports. Their achievements in the sport are phenomenal, especially in cross-country skiing. You always hear the Norwegians saying as a joke that there were born with skis on their feet. That explains the commitment and the love for winter sports.  


It is essential to encourage and motivate all people to participate in sports to get the most out of them. Many people are highly motivated to pursue sports but need the proper framework, infrastructure, and support designed & tailored made for the community from the grassroots to the elite level.


This blog post will help you understand how Norway successfully reached its target and beyond. We hope you enjoyed the article, and if you have any other questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact us anytime!

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