The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics have come to an end. Norway topped the medal table, surpassing the United States, the Netherlands, Italy, and Germany with a total of 41 medals. For years, experts have asked what lies behind this remarkable success. Is it simply superior training methods, or does it reflect a fundamentally different sporting culture?
In recent years, much attention has been given to the training of athletes such as Jakob Ingebrigtsen and the so-called “Norwegian method,” which places strong emphasis on measuring lactate levels during training. This has sparked trends and imitations—but as with all trends, they come and go.
Others point to a deeper explanation: Norway’s long-standing commitment to promoting sport as a child’s right to play – free from competitive pressure until the age of 13. This principle, established in 1987 and later echoed in international frameworks on children’s rights, reflects a vision of sport not primarily as a means to win, but as a universal human experience.
Another key element is the concept of friluftsliv —“life in the open air.” More than simply exercising outdoors, it is a philosophy of living in close relationship with nature, fostering well-being and joy. This shapes a view of sport that values play, relationships, and embodied experience over purely utilitarian goals.
In Norway, sport is encouraged from early childhood as an essential part of personal and communal development. Access is broad, participation is prioritised over performance, and young people are free to explore different activities without pressure. Even moving between teams is normalised and free from stigma. This approach cultivates a lifelong engagement with sport and enables those who later choose elite competition to do so freely, without the burdens often experienced elsewhere.
Of course, physiological and scientific approaches to training also play a role. Yet these are embedded within a broader educational vision of sport—one that recognises the joy of play as something intrinsic to human life. Beyond medals, both individuals and society benefit from embracing a view of sport that resonates with God’s good purposes in creation: a creative delight lived out in relationship with others and with the world God has made.
The picture is complex. Research on physical education in Norwegian schools shows that many challenges remain similar to those faced elsewhere. Still, one may ask to what extent Norway’s Protestant heritage has contributed to shaping such a culture of sport.
So, did Norway’s sporting culture bring glory to God during the Olympics? It may be that God receives glory even when athletes themselves do not explicitly point to Him.
[This article was initially published in the online magazine Loci Communes under the title “Il successo norvegese alle Olimpiadi. C’entra la gloria di Dio?”]
By Lucia Stelluti, EEA Board Member from Italy
