Cross-country mass start silver medalist Martin Loewstroem Nyenget, from left, gold medalist Johannes Klaebo and bronze medalist Emil Iversen. [EPA/Yonhap]
Norway locked up first place in the overall standings at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics with one day remaining. South Korea stayed 13th with 10 medals (three gold, four silver, three bronze).
As of Feb. 21 local time, Norway led with 18 gold, 11 silver and 11 bronze medals. With only five gold medals left on the final day, the United States in second (11 gold, 12 silver, nine bronze) cannot catch Norway even if it wins all remaining events.
The result gives Norway a fourth straight Winter Games overall title, after Sochi 2014, PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022.
Norway’s dominance was most evident in cross-country skiing. Johannes Klaebo swept all six men’s gold medals — the 10km+10km skiathlon, sprint classic, 10km interval start free, 4x7.5km relay, team sprint and 50km mass start — to set a new record for most golds by one athlete at a single Winter Olympics.
He also raised his career Olympic gold total to 11, breaking the previous record held by American Eric Heiden, who won five golds at Lake Placid 1980.
South Korea, which collected one gold and two silvers in short track the previous day, added no medals on Feb. 21 and remained 13th overall. Jeong Jae-won finished fifth in the men’s speedskating mass start, and Park Ji-woo (both Gangwon Provincial Government) placed 14th in the women’s mass start. South Korean speedskating ended the Olympics without a medal for the first time in 24 years.
As of Feb. 21 local time, Norway led with 18 gold, 11 silver and 11 bronze medals. With only five gold medals left on the final day, the United States in second (11 gold, 12 silver, nine bronze) cannot catch Norway even if it wins all remaining events.
The result gives Norway a fourth straight Winter Games overall title, after Sochi 2014, PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022.
Norway’s dominance was most evident in cross-country skiing. Johannes Klaebo swept all six men’s gold medals — the 10km+10km skiathlon, sprint classic, 10km interval start free, 4x7.5km relay, team sprint and 50km mass start — to set a new record for most golds by one athlete at a single Winter Olympics.
He also raised his career Olympic gold total to 11, breaking the previous record held by American Eric Heiden, who won five golds at Lake Placid 1980.
South Korea, which collected one gold and two silvers in short track the previous day, added no medals on Feb. 21 and remained 13th overall. Jeong Jae-won finished fifth in the men’s speedskating mass start, and Park Ji-woo (both Gangwon Provincial Government) placed 14th in the women’s mass start. South Korean speedskating ended the Olympics without a medal for the first time in 24 years.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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