Norway sets new Winter Olympics gold record at Milan Cortina 2026

2026-02-23 - 07:13

MILAN CORTINA – Norway etched its name in Winter Olympic history on Friday after Johannes Dale-Skjevdal captured gold in the men’s biathlon mass start, securing the country’s 17th gold medal at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics — the highest number ever won by a nation at a single Winter Games. The triumph surpassed Norway’s previous record of 16 gold medals set at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Dale-Skjevdal delivered a flawless performance on the shooting range, hitting all 20 targets — a personal first at the Olympic level. Speaking after the race, he described the victory as a perfect conclusion to his debut Games, saying the achievement felt extraordinary. Sport Gold Medals Cross-country skiing 6 Biathlon 3 Nordic combined 3 Freestyle skiing 2 Ski jumping 2 Speed skating 1 Total 17 Norway’s dominance at the Winter Olympics has been a consistent trend over the past decade. Since the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, the Scandinavian country has led the gold medal standings at every edition of the Games, aside from a tie with Germany in 2018. Despite its population of just 5.6 million, Norway tops the all-time Winter Olympic medal table across gold, silver and bronze categories. A central figure in Norway’s sustained success is cross-country skiing star Johannes Høsflot Klæbo. After contributing two gold medals in 2022, Klæbo has elevated his legacy in Milan Cortina with five gold medals so far. His career tally now stands at 10 Winter Olympic golds, placing him among the most decorated athletes in Winter Games history. Norway’s campaign is still ongoing. Klæbo remains a strong contender in the men’s 50km mass start, while several Norwegian athletes are in medal contention in upcoming events. As of Friday evening, Norway leads the overall medal standings with 37 medals — nine ahead of the United States — and maintains an eight-gold advantage at the top of the table. Norway’s gold medals at Milan Cortina 2026 have come across multiple disciplines, including cross-country skiing (6), biathlon (3), Nordic combined (3), freestyle skiing (2), ski jumping (2) and speed skating (1), underscoring the breadth of its winter sports excellence.