Norway’s golden generation: Beyond the medals

By Axel Dabe

Editor’s Note: Norwegian-native and Flagler College runner Axel Dabe takes a look at why Norway had so much success at the recent Winter Olympics, and what we can learn from the smaller country’s approach to sports.

Forty-one medals – 11 bronze, 12 silver and a total of 18 golds is the fact after the 2026 Winter Olympics for Norway.

The Games were the most watched Winter Olympics in the United States since Sochi 2014, averaging 23.5 million American viewers per day. Chances are you noticed little Norway stand out.

Like Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo winning the cross-country skiing sprint, powering uphill at 11.4 miles per hour on a brutal 240m climb; or Sturla Holm Laegreid – the guy getting bronze in the biathlon 20k, then admitting he cheated on his girlfriend on live TV.

How did the United States’ impressive tally of 33 medals – surpassing their own record of 28 – somehow look modest compared to Norway’s 41, especially when those medals came from a population nearly 60 times smaller?

“There must be room for everyone”

Outsiders may say the reason for Norway’s success is simple: It’s because they got so much snow.

However, Norway’s success as a winter Olympics nation is not solely rooted in its role as the birthplace of cross-country skiing or its consistent snowy conditions.

According to the famous Norwegian running coach Gunhild Halle Haugen, the reason is as simple as it sounds: “There must be room for everyone,” she said. “Training is more enjoyable when there is space for personality and humor within the group.”

It’s fun, pride, longevity, knowledge and a sustainable training culture that make them thrive – qualities that don’t melt away when the temperature rises, and that help Norway thrive even in warmer sports.

Even outside winter sports, Norway proves the critics wrong. At the 2024 Summer Olympics, the country won four gold medals and eight in total, and the national soccer team qualified for its first World Cup since 1998.

World-class athletes such as Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Erling Haaland don’t just grow on trees – they grow in little Norway. Why is that?

“All Norwegians are born with skis on their feet”

It’s no coincidence people say that “All Norwegians are born with skis on their feet”.

Not just skiing, but sport is a fundamental part of Norwegians’ identity. A national pride. It shapes them, ties them together and keeps them occupied, motivated and social.

Someone who’s experienced this firsthand, is the French born Belgian skier Mathis Poutot. Currently living in Norway, he’s pursuing his career as a cross-country skier.

 “In skiing – especially cross-country skiing – there are a lot of people who do it, and from a very young age, everyone practices – either in clubs or with their family. So, that’s already a huge difference,” he said.

When asked where Norway stands out, Poutot doesn’t hesitate. “The biggest difference I’ve noticed between France and Norway for cross-country skiing is the number of cross-country ski trails,” he said. “In France, because of the snowfall, it’s really limited.”

Cross-country skiing trails are everywhere in Norway, maintained by locals and volunteers. At one point, there were even as many as thousands of ski jumping hills spread across the country.

The country’s unofficial day for outdoor activities

Society makes it easier for the population to engage in sports, by letting community facilities stay open to all, compared to the United States where a lot is privatized and access to training facilities usually are restricted to schools or teams at certain times.

The Norwegian wilderness is easily accessible, even in the bigger cities, where the roads to nature and ski tracks are short. It’s common to see forests during the winter packed with families skiing to open cabins (maintained by volunteers), where they buy a waffle or two before heading back at their own pace.

This phenomenon goes under the name of hygge and occurs especially on Sundays, which is the country’s unofficial day for outdoor activities.

“It’s typical Norwegian to be good.”

In 1992, the Norwegian prime minister Gro Harlem Brundtland delivered her annual New year’s speech. Following a difficult economical year for Norway, she enforced the very backbone of Norwegian culture by pointing to the nation’s athletic achievements, concluding with what has since become one of the most memorable quotes in Norwegian history:

“It’s typical Norwegian to be good.”

In which other countries do people put their results from a national ski race (Birken) on their resume when applying for high profile jobs? Or having their prime minister not just showing up to support the Olympic athletes, but to do a 10k loop in the Italian mountains on the gold-winner’s skis? “Taking part in sports also has a high social status in Norwegian society,” Halle said.

“Joy of sports for all” is the motto to The Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports (NIF). They’re responsible for everything sport related in the country.

They put a lot of pride behind their work in managing the way sport and society intervene. In Norway, sport and society are like ying and yang – they’re tied deeply together.

Every child that competes in any sort of sport is a winner. There is no tracking of results until the children are 13. There are always medals and juice waiting by the finish line or a trophy after a tournament for everyone participating.

This is all a part of making kids come back for more. “If young adults stay at least one year longer, it will make a huge impact – for both that one year and to create lifelong good sport and activity habits,” says NIF. “Committed youths and adults that are active in sport, contributes to development and becomes important resources for new generations.”

“My father wanted me to understand what we were training and why, and I always had a voice in the process.”

“My training and coaching philosophy is strongly influenced by what I learned from my father and coach, Per,” said Gunhild Halle Haugen.

She is one of the most decorated Norwegian runners with 12 Norwegian championship golds in long/middle distance and an Olympic Games participation under her belt. She’s currently coaching her own children, who also are runners.

Halle said when working with different ages and performance levels, she tries to individualize training rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach. “Some athletes come to practice mainly to spend time with friends, while others aim to become international-level runners,” she said.

Her father wanted to understand the why behind the what in the training by having a voice in the process, mirroring her training philosophy today. At the end of her career, she mostly planned her training herself. However, she still sees benefits by having a coach.

“I learned important lessons from Dag Kaas during the year he coached me in preparation for the Sydney Olympics through the Norwegian Olympic Training Centers,” she said.

“The training environment is the most important part to success”

A key to Norway’s success is not only training, but how they approach training. “Young athletes should train in a way that is enjoyable, varied, and well-rounded,” Halle said.

She believes it’s beneficial to participate in several sports for as long as possible and take advantage of the “golden age” of motor development to build both physical and mental skills.

Halle encourages children from a young age to learn to enjoy competition. “Many young athletes also need to establish good routines for sleep, schoolwork, and maintaining sufficient energy throughout the school day.”

A 2023 study from the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences followed groups of 12-year-olds using different training philosophies. One group focused on interval training, another on low-intensity work and strength. The results showed similar physical improvements across the groups, suggesting that intense training is not necessary at a young age.

“I believe it’s important to keep the fun in the sports,” said the Norwegian biathlete, Agathe Brathagen.

She looks back at her time in the local skiing club ‘Larvik ski’, where she laid her athletic foundation by having fun and playing games at practice. This made the joy for the sport appear immediately.

“I was always excited for training sessions with the group, that over time developed into excitement towards competing,” she said. “Now at an older age, I believe the training environment is the most important part to success.”

“Doing activities outside of sports can be beneficial in the long run.”

In Norway, athletes believe there are many ways to bake a cake.

With a population of only 5.6 million people, it is crucial to keep athletes motivated for the long run. Norway’s training philosophy therefore emphasizes sustainability – focusing on technique and enjoyment rather than pure intensity while strengthening the bond between athlete and sport.

In some cases, it may take longer for athletes to bloom. But when they do, the reward can be even sweeter.

“Beyond the junior years, there are a lot more teams than in France, so it allows you to not just have good athletes at 12 or 13 years old. A lot of athletes bloom later,” Poutot said.

These teams operate independently and are often privately funded, acting as development eldorados for skiers with potential.

One example is Emil Iversen, the bronze medalist in the 50k at this year’s Olympics. During his junior career, he was often found near the bottom of the results lists and did not break through internationally until the age of 24.

“When you start later, as I did, you are often hungrier for success.” Halle said. “You also have more room to improve physically and can steadily increase both the volume and quality of your training.”

Looking back, Halle appreciates the ‘normal’ childhood she then had, and believes it was crucial to her success. “An advantage of starting later is having a more well-rounded childhood. Doing activities outside of sports can be beneficial in the long run.”

The United States provides zero direct federal funding 

Norway dominates when it comes to spending on grassroot youth development. Every year, the surplus to the only legal gambling operator in Norway – National lottery (Norsk Tipping) – gets donated back to the community, financing Norwegian sport and culture.

Players can also choose a local grassroots club to receive a portion of their stake. That can for example be your local club, that your kid is a part of. Your losses will in – other words – turn into the local community’s winnings.

According to their own website, in 2024, the donated sum to sport was a bit over $400 million.

In contrast, the United States provides zero direct federal funding for Olympic and Paralympic athletes or programs. The United States relies almost entirely on private funding. 

“More common for relatively young athletes to attend altitude training camps”

Oscar Opstad Vike – Bronze medalist in the sprint this Winter Olympics and Brathagen were both born and raised on the south coast in Norway, where they can get as little snow as 3 months a year. “I’ve grown up in Larvik, which is not a good place to pursue a career in biathlon,” Brathagen said.

In the upper north we’re talking about snow for almost half the year, breeding top athletes such as Klaebo and Iversen. Vike and Brathagen’s success, especially considering their young age, wouldn’t be possible without a supportive training group, free facilities and close follow-ups from their parents.

“When I grew up, I was skiing a lot and always interested in winter sport. My dad played a big role, by being a retired biathlete himself,” Brathagen explained.

Vike appreciates the good local roller ski facility, and the volunteers keeping it afloat. “I’ve been here my entire life and know the people running this place pretty well,” he told the local newspaper, Sandefjord Blad. “It’s a small group of people, but a facility this close to my home is incredible.”

Vike and Brathagen is one of many Norwegian athletes have their academics built around their athletic goals.

This model is well known for Halle, and she tells it’s shaped for athletes with hunger and ambitions.

“Several young athletes attend sports schools where they can train in addition to club sessions”.  She said. “In recent years it has become more common for relatively young athletes to attend altitude training camps with their clubs as well.”

“In Norway we use the word dugnad.”

By having poorer snow conditions in the south, Brathagen underlines what a crucial part the volunteers played early in her career. “The volunteers played a huge part in the snow production, especially when I lived at home.”

Most of the Norwegian athletic organization is driven by volunteers, doing it for the love of the game. In Norway, the volunteers are recognized and praised just as much as the athletes themselves.

“It is very common for parents to volunteer as coaches or help out in other ways,” Halle explained. “In Norway we use the word dugnad for this kind of volunteer work – people contribute without being paid.”

Full time electrician, full time Olympic gold medalist

Brathagen’s childhood consisted of exploring a lot of different sports: “I played handball, orienteering and cross-country skiing. In my childhood I did a lot of alpine and been very active, because it was fun”

When she turned 16, she moved to Geilo and their athletic school – Norway’s athletic High school (NTG). “It was a big group, and a good training environment that has helped me a lot to the level I’m at today.”

She didn’t start her biathlon career before she turned 15, later than most of her fellow competitors. With multiple nation championship gold medals and two jr world cup call ups resulting in one gold and two silver medals, she can already look back on a great career.

There are many Norwegian underdog sports stories that defies the odds against them, and the story of Solfrid Koanda – part time electrician, part time Olympic gold medalist – is maybe the most definable example you will find in sport.

Just four years after her journey as a weightlifter began, she stood on top of the podium in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Coming from a tough childhood, spending most of her time shuffled around in foster care from 15 years old, she turned the ship around. She found joy in sport, became an electrician (that she worked full-time at the start of her career) and became an Olympian champion, representing Norway.

“If there is something I have, it’s willpower and effort,” Solfrid Koanda said in an interview with Velaasa.

Success measured in silverware

“Remember, no Russians” is not just a famous mission from the “Call of Duty” franchise – it’s also been a reality in winter sports, especially cross-county skiing (where Norway often claim most of their medals) over the past few years.

Following doping scandals, Russian athletes were initially allowed to compete only under a neutral flag. After the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, they were banned entirely from international competitions. Historically, Russia – alongside Sweden – has been one of Norway’s fiercest rivals, making medal pursuits more challenging.

This doesn’t answer why Norwegians athletes thrive as much as they do, but it maybe explains their success measured in silverware.

“It helps you feel better about yourself and build friendships that can last a lifetime.”

So, what’s the secret behind the medals?

The Norwegian sport philosophy is deeply tied within the society and their values. It doesn’t matter if the sport is technical or endurance based – the model gives athlete with close follow up from an early age room to thrive on their own.

According to Halle, ownership over own development plays a major part. “They should understand the training philosophy so they gradually become independent and can use the coach more as a consultant over time.”

An ideal coach, as stated by Halle, is like streetlights – they make the road easier to walk, but in the end, you have to walk it yourself. “A coach is essential for maintaining an objective perspective, managing total training load, planning periodization, and guiding the preparation toward competitions – especially at a high level.”

After many years of research, sport scientists have come up with the simple formula to the Norwegian training philosophy – fun. It’s all about fun and enjoying the journey as much as the destination. This creates a sustainable and healthy mindset towards sport and performance.

“For me, sport is the most fun that I know of,” Brathagen said. “Of course, big goals keep me motivated, but I would never have bothered to wake up every day and train for so many hours for something I don’t find it engaging!

Halle agrees. “Remember to enjoy running. Spend time with friends, train smart, listen to your body, and do not be afraid to compete.”

As a runner, she found much joy in the sport environment and believes it made her a better human being as well. “Running prepares you for life. You learn to work toward goals, understand your strengths and weaknesses, handle setbacks, and succeed.”

Even though Halle retired as a runner a while ago, she still finds joy in staying active. “Running is also one of the best ways to maintain good health. It is the most natural movement we have, and it is good for the mind as well as the body. It helps you feel better about yourself and build friendships that can last a lifetime.”         

The reality is that you don’t have to be Norwegian – or have their facilities – to win gold. By having fun, athletes stay long enough to go from having talent, to becoming good and maybe even Olympic champions.