Hailing from a nation of only 5.2 million people, Norway’s squad is outperforming teams from much bigger countries – and, no, it’s not just because they have so much snow

Eleven days into the competition, Norway sit top of the medal table, out-performing much larger nations such as Canada, Germany and the US. How have they pulled it off? Here are some of the elements that have gone into their successful performance.

Long, long winters and lots of snow



From the middle of November until the end of January, the northernmost parts of Norway don’t see any sun. Much of the winter also brings sub-zero temperatures and snowfall – but that’s not enough to explain winter sport prowess on its own.

A nation born with skis on

“In Norway we are born with skis on our feet” is a folk saying with a ring of truth to it. Away from urban centres, even a trip down the road to the shops might involve a bit of cross-country skiing.

High GDP

There are only 5.2 million Norwegians, but what Norway lacks in population it makes up for in per capita GDP. Consistently listed as one of the wealthiest nations on the planet – alongside tiny nations such as Qatar, Brunei and Singapore – Norway has invested in the infrastructure and the training facilities to back up its Olympic ambition.

Brooding Nordic introspection

Norway endured a terrible 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, securing only two golds. Worse than that, they fell behind Sweden in the medal table, a moment of national shame. This led to an intense period of contemplation, with some of the Norwegian press reduced to claiming “partly Norwegian” medals for foreign competitors with Norwegian ancestry. As a nation, Norway vowed: never again.

A beautiful team experience

“We believe there is no good explanation or justification for why you have to be a jerk to be a good athlete,” Norwegian silver-medal-winner Kjetil Jansrud said this week. The Norwegian skiing team spends about 250 days of the year together, enjoys taco night together every Friday, and has been sweeping all before them at the Games. The emphasis on teamwork and a star-free team culture has paid dividends.