Winter Sports Powerhouse Dominates Beach Volleyball Too... What’s Happening in Norway? [Paris Olympics]

Undefeated Streak in Beach Volleyball at Paris Olympics
Aiming for Gold... Handball and Shooting Also Stand Out
World-Class Athletes Produced in Soccer and Tennis
Increasing Investment and Popularizing Recreational Sports

The modern Olympics, which began in 1896, are divided into the Summer Olympics and the Winter Olympics. Norway, along with Austria and Liechtenstein, is one of the countries that has won more medals in the Winter Olympics than in the Summer Olympics. This signifies that it is a powerhouse in winter sports. Recently, Norway has also conquered beach volleyball, a representative summer sport, emerging as a strong contender in the Summer Olympics as well.

Norwegian men's national beach volleyball players Kristian Sorum and Anders Mol
[Photo by Reuters]

The New York Times (NYT) recently reported, "Norway has become a powerhouse in all four seasons (of sports)," stating, "Norway, which has participated in the Winter Olympics, is now producing outstanding athletes in other sports including athletics and soccer."

A representative sport where Norway stands out is beach volleyball. In the men's beach volleyball competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics, which started on the 29th of last month, the Norwegian team is maintaining an undefeated streak. Anders Mol and Christian Sorum, the men's national beach volleyball team who won the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, are aiming for the top spot again this year, three years after their previous victory.

Beach volleyball is a type of volleyball played on the beach, believed to have originated on the shores of Hawaii. The format, where two teams of two players each compete with a net in the center, was introduced to the Olympics in 1996. In the past, countries like the United States and Brazil aimed for gold medals in beach volleyball at the Summer Olympics, but the atmosphere is gradually changing.

The Associated Press (AP) reported, "Norway and Sweden, known more for snow than sand, are rising to become Olympic dynasties." Norwegian player Mol said, "Previously, Brazil and the United States might have been dominant, but now the U.S. teams are competing with many European teams." Mol added that while there have often been people playing beach volleyball in Norway, they have only recently started achieving medal results in competitions.

Norway is not only excelling in beach volleyball at the Olympics. They are also aiming for medals in women's handball and shooting (rifle) events.

Norwegian golf player Viktor Hovland competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics
[Photo by AP Yonhap News]

Additionally, Norway is producing world-class sports stars in soccer, athletics, and other sports. Notable Norwegian athletes include Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard, who represent the English Premier League (EPL) and play for Manchester City, and Ada Hegerberg, who has won the Women's Champions League. Tennis player Casper Ruud, who was the runner-up in the men's singles at last year's French Open, and golfer Viktor Hovland, who ranked third in this year's PGA Tour Championship, are also from Norway.

Attention is focused on the background that allows Norway, with a population of only 5.5 million, to expand its sports foundation beyond the Winter Olympics to all-season sports.

Some suggest that Norway, enriched by oil and natural gas, has established a solid foundation by investing large-scale funds into sports. Professor Marti Goksor of the University of Bergen explained that in the 1980s, as Norway tried to overcome a period of sports stagnation, the government, businesses, and local communities secured more coaching staff and provided greater support for athletes.

There is also an analysis that a general atmosphere of enjoying sports from a young age has been formed among the people. This means that recreational sports have become widespread. In Norway, where the intensity of labor is not high, parents act as coaches for their children, and until the age of 13, all children are encouraged to enjoy sports regardless of ability. By the age of 25, 93% of Norwegians enjoy beach volleyball or Nordic skiing.

Tore Obrebo, head of Norway's elite sports program, explained, "At the elite level, everything is very professional, but until then, the focus is on maintaining participation in sports." He added, "Most children will not become world champions, but they will regard the years spent playing sports as a positive asset," and "Based on this, the talent pool expands."