Norway’s dominance in cross-country skiing and other winter sports at the Milan Cortina Olympics comes down to depth, development and a winning culture built

Today sees Norway attempt to make further Olympic history and the United States go for curling and speed skating glory. Follow CNN for live updates on the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy.

Skjevdal's biathlon mass start victory gave Norway a Winter Olympics record 17th gold medal on Friday. No country has ever won so many golds at one Games, with Norway bettering their own mark of 16 golds from the previous edition in 2022 in Beijing.

Team Norway broke its own gold medal record at a single Winter Olympics when Johannes Dale-Skjevdal hit all 20 of his targets in the 15-kilometer mass start biathlon race and skied his way to gold. It was Norway's 17th gold medal of the Milano Cortina Winter Games.

Norway’s Klaebo capped off a historic performance, completing a sweep of all six men’s cross-country skiing events.

While Norway rules the 2026 medal table, its hockey teams are at home — a stark difference from its Nordic neighbors Sweden and Finland.

Norway's exceptional performance at the Winter Games is attributed to its rich tradition in winter sports, structured training systems, and a strong cultural connection to skiing.