The numbers don’t lie: Norway has the most total and gold medals in Winter Games history. National systems, culture and elite performance meet consistently strong results.(Store norske leksikon)
Winter Games Medal Summary, Top 3 Nations
(Most total medals unless noted)
Here is how the top three countries have placed at the last five Winter Olympics, with Norway’s leading numbers:
Games | Host | 1st | Medals | 2nd | Medals | 3rd | Medals
2010 Vancouver, Canada: United States | 37 | Germany | 30 | Canada | 26 (Wikipedia)
2014 Sochi, Russia: Russia | 33* | Norway | 26 | Canada | 25 (TIME)
2018 PyeongChang, South Korea: Norway | 39 | Germany | 31 | Canada | 29 (TIME)
2022 Beijing, China: Norway | 37 | ROC | 32 | Germany | 27 (Wikipedia)
2026 Milano-Cortina, Italy: Predicted Norway | 69 | Predicted Germany | 60 | Predicted Canada | 57 (Topend Sports)
But how does this small country top the Olympic tables?
Norway’s success comes from strong participation in winter sports from youth levels through elite competition. Athletes train on snow and ice from early ages, building deep skill in skiing, biathlon and nordic disciplines. Norway’s sports development system emphasises athlete wellbeing and sustained long-term performance rather than pressure on children.(TIME)
Norwegian success also reflects focus on Nordic skiing and biathlon, where many medal opportunities exist. Coaches, science teams and funding structures support athletes across the Olympic cycle. Events like cross-country skiing and biathlon contribute many medals each Games, and athletes like Marit Bjørgen have become among the most decorated in Winter Olympic history.(Store norske leksikon)
*Russia shown as host nation medal leader in 2014. †ROC refers to Russian Olympic Committee athletes. ‡2026 figures are predictions prior to competition.
Sources and references
Official medal table data from Olympic reports and medal standings for 2010, 2018 and 2022. Predictions for 2026 come from pre-Games projections.(Wikipedia)
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