Gigantic Olympic success for Norway

In a few hours, the “Arena di Verona” will be the venue for the Closing Ceremony of the “XXV Winter Olympic Games”, where 116 medal sets are distributed in 16 different sports. The 2026 Olympics in Milan Cortina were a gigantic success for Norway with a total of 41 medals, including 18 gold medals. Norway thus set a new Olympic record and underlined its position as the world’s absolute best winter sports nation – a position that has been expanded over the past decade.

Norway – overwhelming winner of the international competition

Norway’s total number of Olympic medals was 41 (18 gold, 12 silver and 11 bronze), which is four more than the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing (16 gold, 8 silver and 13 bronze) and two more than the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang (14 gold, 14 silver and 11 bronze), where Norway also won the international competition. The Norwegian Olympic medals were won in 7 different sports; 14 medals in cross-country skiing, 11 in biathlon, 5 in ski jumping and 4 medals in both speed skating and Nordic combined (ski jumping and cross-country skiing).

The biggest Norwegian Olympic profile has undoubtedly been the cross-country skier Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo with 6 gold medals (4 individual and 2 relay). The 29-year-old Klæbo from Trondheim now has the status of the most winning athlete in the history of the Winter Olympics with a total of 11 gold medals. In addition, the likeable Norwegian has won 15 World Championship gold medals and more than 100 individual World Cup victories over the past decade. In addition to Klæbo, Jens Oftebro in Nordic combined with 3 gold medals and biathletes Sturla Holm Laegreid with 5 and Maren Kirkeeide with 3 medals contributed greatly to the impressive Norwegian medal harvest.

Sweden – fantastic performances by female cross-country skiers

Sweden has strong traditions in many winter sports. The Swedish athletes and teams also showed this at the 2026 Olympics, where they won a total of 18 medals (6 gold, 6 silver and 4 bronze) and thus ranked 7th in the international competition. Sweden achieved exactly the same results at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, where Sweden also achieved 18 medals (8 gold, 5 silver and 5 bronze). The Swedish medals were won in 5 different sports and the female cross-country skiers in particular – Frida Karlsson, Jonna Sundling, Ebba Andersson, Linn Svahn and Maja Dahlqvist – have impressed greatly with a total of 9 Olympic medals. Sweden also won two gold medals in curling by the women’s team and mixed doubles. The biggest disappointments for Sweden are undoubtedly the failure to win medals in ice hockey, neither for women nor men.

Finland – 6 medals, but none of them gold

Finland was very close to matching the medal tally at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, where it won 8 medals (2 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze). However, it won 6 medals, but none of them were gold and only one was silver. The Finnish medals (1 silver and 5 bronze) were won in 4 different sports: ice hockey, biathlon, cross-country skiing and Nordic combined. Finland will not be able to repeat the Olympic gold medal from 2022 in the national sport of ice hockey. The team lost in the semi-finals to the USA, but subsequently won the bronze medal match against Slovakia. The Finnish results only reached a modest 23rd place in the international competition after nations such as the Czech Republic, Australia and Slovenia.

Denmark – first individual Olympic medal and two positive debutants

Denmark is not a winter sports nation, but there were still Danish athletes and teams in 7 sports at the 2026 Winter Olympics – the largest number ever. Sensational success for 31-year-old Viktor Hald Thorup in winning the silver medal after a tactically brilliant final race – the first individual Olympic medal for Denmark. In addition, surprising success for both 18-year-old Olympic debutant Maja Voigt, who came in 9th in monobob and biathlete Anne de Besche, who came in 16th in sprint. The men’s ice hockey team failed to qualify for the quarterfinals despite good performances against, among others, the USA and the Czech Republic, while the women’s curling team came in 7th place.

Best Nordic Winter Olympics ever

It is very impressive that the Nordic countries, with Norway and Sweden among the biggest medal winners and a relatively small population, are able to win a total of 66 medals (26 gold, 20 silver and 20 bronze) at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The number of Olympic medals is thus … higher than at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, where a total of 63 medals were won, of which 26 were gold for the Nordic countries. There are many reasons for Nordic optimism towards the “French Alps 2030”.

Sources:

Felt