Norway plans to send 80 athletes to the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, seeking to extend its tradition of topping the medal table. Cross-country skiing star Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo headlines the team, with expectations high for dominance in endurance sports. The nation has historically excelled, winning 148 gold medals across 22 Winter Games.
Norway's Winter Olympic legacy is unmatched, with 405 medals including 148 golds since the first Games in Chamonix 1924. In the last three editions, the country led the standings: 11 golds and 27 total medals in Sochi 2014, 14 golds and 39 medals in PyeongChang 2018, and 16 golds and 37 medals in Beijing 2022.
Strengths lie in cross-country skiing, biathlon, Nordic combined, and speed skating, where tactical discipline and depth have proven key. At Beijing 2022, Norway secured 11 golds in cross-country skiing and biathlon alone. Milan-Cortina will feature 12 medal events in cross-country and 11 in biathlon, areas where Norway anticipates repeating its success.
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, a 29-year-old with five Olympic golds from 2018 and 2022, leads the cross-country effort. The sprinter and distance specialist claimed three golds in PyeongChang and two in Beijing, and recently swept six golds at the 2025 World Championships. He could challenge for the title of most decorated Winter Olympian. The team includes 16 other cross-country skiers poised for contention in distances and relays.
In biathlon, Sturla Holm Laegreid, who won relay gold in 2022 and the 2025 World Cup overall, anchors alongside Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold amid a new generation. Speed skating hopes rest on defending the men's team pursuit title, mixing veterans with emerging talent.
Norway's curling duo, 2022 mixed doubles silver medalists Kristin Skaslien and Magnus Nedregotten, will compete in the event's first discipline starting February 4 in Cortina d'Ampezzo, aiming for gold.
