Norwegian Success: How a Nation of Athletes Thrives

When defender Lucas Kubr moved north of the Arctic Circle to Bodø four years ago, he knew to expect a harsh winter, grueling work, and artificial turf, as natural grass pitches are rarely maintained in Norway. But Norwegian athletes have turned that challenging climate into an advantage that the world envies.

In the medal standings tracked leading up to the 2026 Olympics, the United States, Germany, Italy, France, and Japan all trailed far behind Norway. “Why Norway, when they have the highest standard of living? They shouldn’t have to work so hard. But they want to,” says Kubr, a former Czech Republic U-21 international currently playing for Zbrojovka Brno.

Kubre chose Bodø, in northern Norway, as his first major club. “I hadn’t even signed my contract yet, it was July 2022. Bodø didn’t have much experience in European competitions at the time, but in the second qualifying round of the Champions League, they thrashed Linfield of Northern Ireland 8-0. The players were celebrating, the fans were cheering, the game ended, everyone applauded, and that was it. I expected them to proceed out for a beer afterward. In the Czech Republic, that’s how it would end, I guarantee it,” Kubr recalls.

Don’t tell me his future teammates went home by bicycle?

I’m not saying that, but maybe I just didn’t notice. But speaking of it, midfielder Ulrik Saltnes rode his bike to every other training session.

He was one of the team captains during my time there. A huge personality who grew up in a village on the eastern tip of Norway. He spent his entire adult career in Bodø, playing over 300 matches. He earned a fine living, had a Tesla in his garage, but still biked to training. An hour there, an hour back.

An hour-long bike ride before football training is a lot.

You’re telling me. I asked him several times: What are you doing? It’s awful weather, why are you pedaling?

He said he loved it. That he needed to get in the right mindset for training. That he liked to feel fresh.

That says a lot about Norwegians.

They don’t know how to loaf around. They’re athletes from birth. It’s in their blood. Let me provide you an example from Bodø, if you don’t mind. I’m not spoiled, I’ve had to work hard throughout my career, but I was surprised by something small there: the players carried their suitcases from the game.

You could easily sit in the car. It’s a seven-minute drive from the stadium. But the Norwegians, my teammates, often walked. It was usually cold, the wind cutting right through your hat. I still get an unpleasant feeling when that kind of weather appears. We foreigners took a taxi: We’re not walking!

Despite all the medals and high standards, Norwegians continue to live with nature. One of their commandments is: Nature is our playground.

Absolutely. Every other family has a cabin in the mountains. While Czechs are used to heading out for the weekend on Fridays to relax and have a few beers, Norwegians go to the mountains. For a picnic in the snow. For hunting. For hiking.

Have you heard the opinion that medals are a projection of a nation’s sporting spirit?

That’s true. Norwegians have sport and exercise as their way of life. It may seem a little crazy to us, but it’s incredibly active. Which helps with better mental and physical health. From a young age.

Do Norwegians celebrate their medals?

They’re proud, but they don’t overdo it. We’ll watch curling and cheer, even if we don’t know much about the sport. Norwegians are different. When you realize they don’t have to…

On average, they have such a high standard of living that they don’t necessitate to complicate their lives. They don’t compete for money. Or for fame. They don’t have to provide for their families and get themselves out of poverty. They’re not hungry. They just want to be the best at what they do.

Yes, I would say that the feeling of victory drives them forward. A light comparison to the Czech Republic, if you’ll allow me. In our country, everyone bets on something during sports. You play bag toss before training, and whoever stays in the circle the longest pays. After training, you bet on who will hit the crossbar first (or last). Breakfast for everyone is at stake, pizza for everyone, candy bars. The loser pays. In Norway, I don’t remember experiencing anything like that. Norwegians enjoy winning without betting. They want to excel at what they do. And victory evokes a feeling of happiness in them.

I’ve heard the opinion that in Norway, rankings and scores from matches are not published for children under 13 to remove the fear of losing. To prevent children from being afraid to grab risks.

My coaches as well said: It’s important how you played and how you felt about it. The result isn’t that important. Discover things that you’re good at, you can mess up. Now I’m going to play in the Czech league for Zlín, where they don’t mind wasting time from the tenth minute. They take any win and don’t care how crazy the football has to be to get there.

Some sports psychologists add an interesting analogy: When all children get a reward for a race, they grow into snowflakes that quickly melt away. But in Norway, snowflakes grow into ruthless champions. Klaebo, Bjørndalen, Bjørgenová, Daehlie, Ulvang.

I’ve always had in my head that I have to win at all costs. Ever since I grew up in Belgium and did athletics. Norwegians don’t. They play sports given that they want to. Results and, possibly, medals come later, naturally, as a result of their effort.