Innovation that created incredible success came from initially falling short

Where recent Olympic Games showcase the rampant success of Norway’s athletes, the 1980s and early 1990s showed poor performance. Norway earned medals in Lillehammer in 1994 and in Vancouver in 2010, but leaders within the country recognized that the success found in those games would not translate into easy gold medal wins in 2022. 

The Olympics are, after all, a meeting place for the highest level of athletes in the world. With national pride on the line, success of athletes is something that countries will naturally invest in. 

Norway saw an opportunity for a multidimensional approach supported by a national mindset of teamwork and the necessity of fully enjoying athletics—to have fun with competition. That kind of outlook allows their athletes to be innovative on their own, in the heat of competition, and not be frozen with fear of failure. 

The crux is this: Norway could have maintained the status quo that earned them little success in the 80s and 90s and marginal success in the decade to follow. They saw an opportunity to revolutionise the sport and influence entire generations to a love of athletic competition and life-long enjoyment of fitness. 

It wasn’t some magical potion, it was hard work and continual innovation, the keys to success with any pursuit. 

Early introduction and support of children’s athletic pursuits—on a national level

A staggering 93% of Norwegian children participate in organised sports. Children up to 12 years old participate under the Children’s Rights in Sports statement, which notes that “children are children and not small adults” and should therefore be able to participate in whatever they like on their own terms while enjoying safety; friendship, and enjoyment; mastery; encouragement to express opinions; and the ability to decide whether or not they compete. 

National investment in groundbreaking, supportive and affordable training 

Called “Olympiatoppen,” it extends beyond the impressive training centre in Oslo, and also incorporates scholarships, regional support centres for athletes, access to training resources like time-zone acclimatisation and intensity scale, a knowledge portal and helpful blogs penned by the nation’s top professionals.  

The approach is one of strengthening the mind and the body. 

A multidimensional approach: Training young athletes for life and sports 

The Norwegian approach is one that understands that young athletes are not just athletes, but also future adults and citizens of their great nation. They train children with a philosophy that emphasises the social, mental and physical development of children. In other words, they are moulding people, not just top athletes. 

“There is therefore no tradition of cultivating child and youth stars. It is important for later development that children get to participate in sports, try many different sports, and let inner joy govern the sports choices made during adolescence,” according to the Aspen Institute.

A national emphasis on teamwork as the ultimate tool for success 

Top athletes train with the national team. 

“Individual sport is a team game and being a member of a team means a lot for the inner motivation to invest and put in the training hours needed to become the best in the world,” the Aspen Institute article noted. 

It is, at its core, an extension of the Norwegian mentality and sports model: the notion that strength is increased by being part of something bigger than just oneself. A team can accomplish more than an individual. 

“We often see that our best Norwegian alpine skiers give each other a lot of positive feedback when they have reached the finish line after a competition,” according to the Aspen Institute. “They also are known to grab a radio and send messages with advice to teammates, who are also fierce competitors, when they stand on top of the slope about to race down.” 

Training across athletic disciplines

Have you ever heard of American football players taking dancing lessons? There is a reason for that: the strength, flexibility and balance learned through dance can allow them to move gracefully down the field for a touchdown or a tackle.  

Football players have to actively pursue those opportunities since dance classes are not often offered at their training facilities. 

Cross training or training across athletic disciplines allows for Norway to produce more well-rounded athletes who can use skills, strength, and techniques learned from various sports in competition with their selected sport. 

What does this look like? Joint research and development projects, joint arenas where athletes train from across disciplines, systematically sharing knowledge.

Coaches and managers guide athletes from a solid educational foundation 

A high level of education, often in academia, is emphasized for all of Norway’s coaches and managers. Their in-depth knowledge allows them to effectively teach athletes. 

Sports-focused high schools with professional coaches 

Norway’s sports-focused high schools are found across Norway and help young athletes learn how to create a good and holistic life while pursuing sports professionally. Where children are allowed to just be kids for the bulk of their childhoods and are taught that athletic pursuits can and should be happy pursuits, they are then allowed to decide if they want to develop certain athletic abilities. Once they cross that threshold, there are highly trained teams to support their development. 

The success of Norway’s Olympic athletes is based on a supportive culture, one that allows children to fully be children and then allows them to decide a path that interests them. The entire way, their pursuits are complimented with education offered by highly educated coaches, teachers, and managers. 

And the entire time, they are taught the importance of a team until it becomes intrinsic to how they approach sports, and life in general. Along the way, they become not just exceptional athletes, but citizens of a supportive community.