Which Country Holds New Record for Most Gold Medals in Winter Olympics History?

Norway continued to make history Friday at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, setting a new, all-time record for the most gold medals won by a nation at a single Winter Games.

According to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN), Johannes Dale-Skjevdal's gold medal in the men's biathlon 15-kilometer mass start on Friday gave Norway 17 golds at these Olympics, breaking the previous record of 16 that Norway set at the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.

Dale-Skjevdal was dominant, as he was the only biathlete to hit all 20 targets en route to victory.

Fellow Norwegian Sturla Holm Lægreid joined Dale-Skjevdal on the podium by winning silver, giving Norway 36 total medals at these Olympics.

At the conclusion of the mass start event, Norway held a convincing lead in the gold medal and total medal races, followed by the United States (nine gold and 27 total) and host Italy (nine gold and 26 total).

Assuming Norway holds its lead in both gold medals and total medals, this will be the fourth consecutive Winter Olympics the Norwegians have the most golds, and the third straight in which they have the most total medals.

Norway has dominated on the snow in these Olympics with six golds in cross-country skiing, three in both biathlon and Nordic combined, two in ski jumping and two in freestyle skiing.

The country's only gold without a skiing element came in speed skating, as Sander Eitrem won the men's 5,000-meter race.

Norway will have a chance to add to its gold medal haul Saturday and Sunday with the women's biathlon mass start, men's cross-country skiing 50-kilometer mass start and women's cross-country skiing 50-kilometer mass start representing the nation's best chances.