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.
While Norway rules the 2026 medal table, its hockey teams are at home — a stark difference from its Nordic neighbors Sweden and Finland.
The 29‑year‑old, racing with Einar Hedegart, won the men's cross-country team sprint for his fifth gold at the 2026 Games, clocking 18 minutes, 28.9 seconds.
Johannes Dale-Skjevdal claimed the biathlon mass start gold to secure Norway’s record 17th gold medal of the Winter Games, setting a new benchmark for the most golds won by a nation at a single Olympi
Feb. 20 Milano Cortina 2026 medal count: updated Top 10 table. Norway leads 17 gold (36 total), USA 9 (27), Italy 9 (26).
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, right, and Einar Hedegart, of Norway, pose after winning the gold medal in cross-country skiing men’s team sprint free at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. AP
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 over decades.
Norway's Atle Lie McGrath saw his gold-medal hopes slip away in the Olympic slalom and decided to send his ski poles sailing along with them.