Norway Is Stressed by Winter Success
PYEONGCHANG, South Korea — Surpassing its own lofty expectations, Norway has delivered the greatest performance in the history of the Winter Games, winning a total of 39 medals, 14 of them gold. A nation of only five million people has crushed all comers, including sports behemoths like Germany and the United States, in the events Norwegians care about the most.
Elsewhere, these historic results would yield the kind of street parties where strangers high-five one another until their hands hurt. In Norway, celebrations have been far more subdued.
“We always want to win,” said Fredrik Aukland, a TV sports commentator in Norway. “But modesty is a big part of the culture here.”
Norway’s athletes earned 14 medals in cross- country, six in biathlon, five in ski jumping, seven in Alpine skiing, four in speedskating and three in other events. The haul is sure to revive pangs of concern that have shadowed Norway’s streak of victories in recent years — that the country may dominate some winter sports so much that it is ruining them.
That anxiety is strongest in cross- country skiing, which is adored with a fervor that stretches back centuries. Norwegians fear lopsided results can demolish enthusiasm for a sport in countries that are getting demolished.
Justyna Kowalczyk, an Olympic athlete from Poland who competed in Pyeongchang, calls it a paradox. Norway may love cross- country to death. “It’s wonderful that they have a big budget, big sponsors and that everyone in Norway loves skiing,” said Ms. Kowalczyk, who has won five Olympic medals. “But that makes it really difficult for countries like Poland to compete.”
It isn’t unusual for one country to dominate a sport. The Netherlands does it in speedskating, the United States in basketball. The difference is that Norwegians say they want cross- country skiing to gain a large, sustained following around the world, and that means nurturing an audience on television.
Cross- country races are televised every weekend, from November to mid-April, to large swaths of Europe. Ratings in different nations rise when homegrown contenders are in the mix and shrink when they are not.
Since 2011, when Norway’s ascendant era began, viewership figures have dwindled by about 40 percent, said Jurg Capol, the marketing director of the International Ski Federation. “If the athlete from your country keeps finishing in 23rd place, you’re less likely to see the race in your country,” he said. “It’s all about results.”
To thrive, cross- country needs national heroes in places like Germany, which has a population of more than 82 million. And while the United States, Sweden and other countries have lately won some major titles, the Norwegians took gold at all five of the women’s events at the world championships in Finland last year, and won a total of 18 medals, more than any other country.
Instead of holding back its athletes, Norway is trying to lift others everywhere else. For seven years, it has invited competitors from all over the world to visit for a weeklong training camp.
“We show them what works for us,” said Erik Roste, president of the Norwegian Ski Federation. “We don’t have the blueprint, but we feel a responsibility to the international community, and we want to be open. We want to share our knowledge.”
The country’s pre- eminence stems from a long list of factors. The most elusive is culturally embedded. In a sparsely populated nation covered with snow, a pair of skis has been indispensable, and countless children start to learn as toddlers.
At the highest levels, the sport has sponsors like banks, oil companies and insurers. These benefactors help fund research and development as well as expensive equipment, like a two-story, $1 million waxing truck.
The combination of tradition, training and support is nearly impossible for other countries to match, which is why, in Pyeongchang, when other countries won, Norwegian athletes occasionally sounded relieved to give up some of the spotlight. Marit Bjorgen became the winningest athlete in Winter Olympics history when she nabbed her 14th medal at the team sprint race. She took bronze. Gold went to the United States, and silver to Sweden.
After the race, Ms. Bjorgen seemed pleased with the outcome. “Of course we were fighting for gold,” she said. “But it’s great to see the U. S. on the podium. It’s important for the sport.”