Norway first participated at the Summer Olympic Games in 1900, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Games since then, except for the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow when they participated in the American-led boycott and, as previously thought, the 1904 Games in St. Louis, United States. However, at the beginning of the 21st century, it was discovered that wrestlers Charles Ericksen and Bernhoff Hansen, 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 and heavyweight events respectively.

Norwegian athletes have won a total of 169 medals at the Summer Olympics, with sailing and shooting as the top medal-producing sports. At the Winter Olympic Games, Norway has won 447 total medals including 166 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 and speed skating (it used to be half the disciplines). Norway is one of only three nations (along with Austria and Liechtenstein) to have won more medals at the Winter Games than at the Summer Games.

The National Olympic Committee for Norway was created and recognized in 1900.

Disputed medals at the 1904 Summer Olympics

The International Olympic Committee originally considered Norwegian-American wrestlers Charles Ericksen and Bernhoff Hansen 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 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.

Since 2024, the IOC has considered the National Olympic Committee (NOC) affiliation of the club or team for which an athlete competed to be the decisive factor for the first three Olympic Games (1896–1904), attributing participation and medals accordingly. In the case of Ericksen and Hansen, both medals are attributed to the United States, as both competed for the American club Brooklyn Norwegier Turnverein.

Hosted Games Norway has hosted the Games on two occasions. Games Host city Dates Nations Participants Events1952 Winter Olympics Oslo 14–25 February 30 694 221994 Winter Olympics Lillehammer 12–27 February 67 1,737 61

Medal tables

Medals by Summer Games

Source:

Notes Norwegian Charles Ericksen and Bernhoff Hansen competed at the 1904 Summer Olympics, winning gold medals in the welterweight and heavyweight wrestling events, respectively. As representatives of an American club, their participation and medals were attributed accordingly. Art competitions (1912–1948) are not included in the medal table above, as they were non-sports events formerly part of the Olympic Games. Norway won its sole art competition medal, a silver, at the 1920 Summer Olympics.

Medals by Winter Games

Source:

Medals overall GamesTotalRankSummer Olympics 63 53 53 169 21Winter Olympics 166 146 135 447 1 Total 8

Records The most gold and total medals in the history of the Winter Olympics (166 and 447) The most gold medals won in a single Winter Olympics (18 in 2026) The most total medals won in a single Winter Olympics (41 in 2026)

Medals by summer sport

*This table does not include three medals – two silver and one bronze – awarded in the figure skating events at the 1920 Summer Olympics.

Medals by winter sport

*This table includes three medals – two silver and one bronze – awarded in the figure skating events at the 1920 Summer Olympics.

Summary by sport Athletics Norway's Olympic debut in 1900 included two track and field athletes; Carl Albert Andersen won a bronze medal in the pole vault.

Games Athletes Events Gold Silver Bronze Total 1900 Paris 2 4/23 0 0 1 1 Total 9 6 8 23

Sailing Norway made its sailing debut in 1908.

Games No. Sailors Events Gold Silver Bronze Total Ranking 1896 Scheduled but event wasn't held 1900 0 0/13 0 0 0 0 1904 Not Scheduled 1908 5 1/4 0 0 0 0 1912 18 3/4 2 0 0 2 1 1916 Games Cancelled 1920 59 11/14 7 3 1 11 1 1924 9 3/3 2 1 0 3 1 1928 10 3/3 1 1 0 2 1 1932 0 0/4 0 0 0 0 1936 14 4/4 0 2 0 2 5 1940 Games Cancelled 1944 Games Cancelled 1948 13 4/5 1 0 0 1 3 1952 12 4/5 1 2 0 3 2 1956 6 2/5 0 0 0 0 1960 9 4/5 1 0 0 1 4 1964 9 4/5 0 0 0 0 1968 11 5/5 0 1 0 1 5 1972 13 6/6 0 0 0 0 1976 6 3/6 0 0 0 0 1980 0 0/6 0 0 0 0 1984 7 4/7 0 0 0 0 1988 7 4/8 0 1 0 1 9 1992 14 8/10 1 0 0 1 6 1996 8 5/10 0 0 1 1 19 2000 9 5/11 0 0 1 1 13 2004 8 5/11 1 0 0 1 8 2008 9 6/11 0 0 0 0 2012 6 5/10 0 0 0 0 2016 6 5/10 0 0 0 0 2020 8 6/10 0 0 1 1 16 Total 17 11 4 32 3

Shooting Norway made its shooting debut in 1900. Ole Østmo earned medals in two of the free rifle positions, contributing to an individual three-position bronze and a team silver.

Games Shooters Events Gold Silver Bronze Total 1900 Paris 5 5/9 0 2 2 4 Total 13 8 11 32

Medals in art competitions

In addition to its accomplishments in sport, Norway has also earned recognition in Olympic art competitions—one of the three non-sports events once included in the Olympic Games. The country won its sole art competition medal, a silver, at the 1920 Summer Olympics. These events were part of the official Olympic program in seven Summer Games, from 1912 to 1948. In 1952, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) formally discontinued all non-sport events (including art competitions), as well as awards for feats (such as alpinism and aeronautics). These were subsequently removed from official national medal counts.

Medalists Medal Name Games Event Piece Holger Sinding-Larsen Architecture Project for a gymnastics school

See also List of flag bearers for Norway at the Olympics :Category:Olympic competitors for Norway Norway at the Paralympics

Notes

References

External links