Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
first participated at the
Summer Olympics
The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inau ...
in 1900, and has sent athletes to compete in every Games since then, except for the
1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics (russian: Летние Олимпийские игры 1980, Letniye Olimpiyskiye igry 1980), officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad (russian: Игры XXII Олимпиады, Igry XXII Olimpiady) and commo ...
in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
when they participated in the
American-led boycott and, as previously thought, the
1904 Games in
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. However, at the beginning of the 21st century, it was discovered that wrestlers
Charles Ericksen
Karl Fredrik "Charles" Ericksen (1875 – February 23, 1916) was a Norwegian-American wrestler who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics for the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the ...
and
Bernhoff Hansen
Bernhoff Otelius Hansen (August 17, 1877 – December 22, 1950) was a Norwegian wrestler who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics for the United States.
He was born in Rognan in the municipality of Saltdal in Norway. Originally he w ...
, who were Norwegian expatriates in America whose medals at the 1904 Summer Olympics were previously attributed to United States, still held Norwegian citizenship at the time of the games. They won the gold medals in the wrestling
welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify the ...
and
heavyweight
Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling.
Boxing Professional
Boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 3 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the Wo ...
events respectively.
Norwegian athletes have won a total of 160 medals at the Summer Olympics, with
sailing
Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (land yacht) over a chosen cour ...
and
shooting
Shooting is the act or process of discharging a projectile from a ranged weapon (such as a gun, bow, crossbow, slingshot, or blowpipe). Even the acts of launching flame, artillery, darts, harpoons, grenades, rockets, and guided missiles can ...
as the top medal-producing sports. At the
Winter Olympic Games
The Winter Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'hiver) is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were he ...
, Norway has won 405 total medals including 148 gold medals, both considerably more than any other nation in Winter Olympic history. More than half of these medals have come from
cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreation ...
and
speed skating
Speed skating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors racing, race each other in travelling a certain distance on Ice skate, skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marath ...
. Norway is one of only three nations (along with
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
and
Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein (), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (german: link=no, Fürstentum Liechtenstein), is a German-speaking microstate located in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is a semi-constitutional monarchy ...
) to have won more medals at the Winter Games than at the Summer Games.
The
National Olympic Committee
A National Olympic Committee (NOC) is a national constituent of the worldwide Olympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Olympic Committee, NOCs are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Olympic Games ...
for Norway was created and recognized in 1900.
1904 Summer Olympics
The International Olympic Committee considers
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
*Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
*Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including the ...
-American wrestlers
Charles Ericksen
Karl Fredrik "Charles" Ericksen (1875 – February 23, 1916) was a Norwegian-American wrestler who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics for the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the ...
and
Bernhoff Hansen
Bernhoff Otelius Hansen (August 17, 1877 – December 22, 1950) was a Norwegian wrestler who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics for the United States.
He was born in Rognan in the municipality of Saltdal in Norway. Originally he w ...
to have competed for the United States (both were Norwegian immigrants to the US); each won a gold medal. In 2012, Norwegian historians however found documentation showing that Ericksen did not receive American citizenship until March 22, 1905, and that Hansen, who was registered as an "alien" (foreigner) as late as 1925, probably never received American citizenship. The historians have therefore petitioned to have the athletes registered as Norwegians.
In May 2013 it was reported that the
Norwegian Olympic Committee
The Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports ( no, Norges idrettsforbund og olympiske og paralympiske komité; NIF) is the umbrella organization for sport in Norway. It is the largest volunteering organization in No ...
had filed a formal application for changing the nationality of the wrestlers in IOC's medal database. In July 2021, the IOC modified data in the official database, recognizing Ericksen and Hansen as having competed for Norway.
Hosted Games
Norway has hosted the Games on two occasions.
Medal tables
:''*Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.''
Medals by Summer Games
Medals by Winter Games
Records
*The most gold and total medals in the history of the Winter Olympics (148 and 405)
*The most gold medals won in a single Winter Olympics (
16 in 2022)
*The most total medals won in a single Winter Olympics (
39 in 2018)
Medals by summer sport
*''This table does not include three medals – two silver and one bronze – awarded in the
figure skating
Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are me ...
events at the
1920 Summer Olympics
The 1920 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1920; nl, Olympische Zomerspelen van 1920; german: Olympische Sommerspiele 1920), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIe olympiade; nl, Spelen van ...
.''
Medals by winter sport
*''This table includes three medals – two silver and one bronze – awarded in the
figure skating
Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are me ...
events at the
1920 Summer Olympics
The 1920 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1920; nl, Olympische Zomerspelen van 1920; german: Olympische Sommerspiele 1920), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIe olympiade; nl, Spelen van ...
.''
Summary by sport
Athletics
Norway's Olympic debut in 1900 included two track and field athletes;
Carl Albert Andersen
Carl Albert "Flisa" Andersen (15 August 1876 in Østre Aker – 28 September 1951 in Oslo) was a Norwegian pole vaulter, high jumper, and gymnast who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics, 1906 Intercalated Games and the 1908 Summer Olympics.
As ...
won a bronze medal in the pole vault.
Sailing
Norway made its sailing debut in 1908.
Shooting
Norway made its shooting debut in 1900.
Ole Østmo
Ole Østmo (13 September 1866 – 11 September 1923) was a Norway, Norwegian Shooting sports, sharpshooting champion who competed in top rifle shooting sports events during late 19th century and early 20th century.
Biography
Born in El ...
earned medals in two of the free rifle positions, contributing to an individual three-position bronze and a team silver.
See also
*
List of flag bearers for Norway at the Olympics
*
:Olympic competitors for Norway
*
Norway at the Paralympics
References
External links
*
*
*
{{National sports teams of Norway