Norway first participated at the Summer Olympics in 1900, and has sent athletes to compete in every Games since then, except for the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow when they participated in the American-led boycott and, as previously thought, the 1904 Games in St. Louis, United States. However, at the beginning of the 21st century, it was discovered that wrestlers Charles Ericksen and Bernhoff Hansen, who were Norwegian expatriates in America whose medals at the 1904 Summer Olympics were previously attributed to United States, still held Norwegian citizenship at the time of the games. They won the gold medals in the wrestling welterweight and heavyweight events respectively.
Norwegian athletes have won a total of 160 medals at the Summer Olympics, with sailing and shooting as the top medal-producing sports. At the Winter Olympic Games, Norway has won 405 total medals including 148 gold medals, both considerably more than any other nation in Winter Olympic history. More than half of these medals have come from cross-country skiing and speed skating (it used to be half the disciplines). Norway is one of only three nations (along with Austria and Liechtenstein) to have won more medals at the Winter Games than at the Summer Games.
The International Olympic Committee originally considered Norwegian-American wrestlers Charles Ericksen and Bernhoff Hansen to have competed for the United States (both were Norwegian immigrants to the US); each won a gold medal. In 2012, Norwegian historians however found documentation showing that Ericksen did not receive American citizenship until March 22, 1905, and that Hansen, who was registered as an "alien" (foreigner) as late as 1925, probably never received American citizenship. The historians have therefore petitioned to have the athletes registered as Norwegians.[1][2] In May 2013, it was reported that the Norwegian Olympic Committee had filed a formal application for changing the nationality of the wrestlers in IOC's medal database.[3] In July 2021, the IOC modified data in the official database, recognizing Ericksen and Hansen as having competed for Norway.
Norway made its shooting debut in 1900. Ole Østmo earned medals in two of the free rifle positions, contributing to an individual three-position bronze and a team silver.
In addition to its accomplishments in sport, Norway has also earned recognition in Olympic art competitions—one of the three non-sports events once included in the Olympic Games. The country won its sole art competition medal, a silver, at the 1920 Summer Olympics.[6] These events were part of the official Olympic program in seven Summer Games, from 1912 to 1948. In 1952, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) formally discontinued all non-sport events (including art competitions), as well as awards for feats (such as alpinism and aeronautics). These were subsequently removed from official national medal counts.[8][nb 1]
1 2 In 1952, art competition medals, as well as the gold medal awards for feats in alpinism and aeronatics, were removed from the official national medal counts.[8] Only since 2021 have they been officially listed again by the IOC in the medal tables and respective NOC profile on its website.[6]
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