Global InformationNorway at the 2016 Summer Olympics information
| Norway at the 2016 Summer Olympics | |
|---|---|
 | |
| IOC code | NOR |
| NOC | Norwegian Olympic Committee and Confederation of Sports |
| Website | www |
| in Rio de Janeiro | |
| Competitors | 62 in 13 sports |
| Flag bearers | Ole Kristian Bryhn (opening)[1] Kari Aalvik Grimsbø (closing) |
| Medals Ranked 74th |
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| Summer Olympics appearances (overview) | |
| |
| Other related appearances | |
| 1906 Intercalated Games | |
Norway competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. Since the nation's Olympic debut in 1900, Norwegian athletes have appeared in every edition of the Summer Olympic Games, except for two occasions: the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis and the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, due to the country's support for the United States-led boycott.
Norwegian Olympic Committee and Confederation of Sports sent a team of 62 athletes, 29 men and 33 women, to compete in 13 sports at the Games.[2][3] For only the fourth time in Olympic history, the Norwegian roster featured more female athletes than males, due to the participation of the women's handball squad at the Games, returning as two-time defending champions.[4] Among the sports, Norway made its debut in golf (new to the 2016 Games) and triathlon, as well as returning to taekwondo after not being represented at London 2012.
Topping the list of athletes on the Norwegian roster were mountain biker and Athens 2004 champion Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå, who qualified for her fifth Olympic cross-country race as the oldest and most experienced female competitor (aged 43), and rowing legend Olaf Tufte, who sought to add to his medal tally with a fourth medal at his sixth straight Olympics.[5]
Apart from Flesjå and Tufte, several Norwegian athletes also returned to compete in Rio de Janeiro, including handball team captain Kari Aalvik Grimsbø, middle-distance runner Henrik Ingebrigtsen in the men's 1500 m, Gambian-born sprinter Jaysuma Saidy Ndure, and small-bore rifle shooter and London 2012 finalist Ole-Kristian Bryhn, who was nominated by the committee to lead the delegation as the flag bearer in the opening ceremony.[1][6]
Norway left Rio de Janeiro with four bronze medals, the country's worst Olympic performance since 1964, and the first time Norway competed without winning any gold medals since 1984.[7] Greco-Roman wrestler Stig André Berge brought home the country's first medal in the sport after 24 years, while Tufte successfully completed a full set of medals by securing a bronze alongside his partner Kjetil Borch in the men's double sculls, following his silver from Sydney 2000, and two golds in the single sculls from Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, respectively.[8][9] Having entered the Games as two-time defending champions, the women's handball squad (led by Grimsbø) suffered a humiliating 37–38 defeat to Russia in the semifinals, but found some solace in overpowering the Dutch for the bronze.[10]
- ^ a b "Bryhn blir flaggberar" [Bryhn is the flag bearer] (in Norwegian). Firda Tidend. 3 August 2016. Archived from the original on 4 August 2016. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
- ^ Dokken Wendelborg, Caroline (16 July 2016). "Troppen til Rio 2016 er komplett" [Squad for Rio 2016 is complete] (in Norwegian). Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
- ^ "Ekspertene: Dette er Norges medaljehåp i Rio" [Experts said that Norway may win a medal in Rio] (in Norwegian). NRK. 16 July 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
- ^ "Norway go for third consecutive handball gold". Olympics. 5 August 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
- ^ Bratland, Tore Ulrik (24 May 2016). "Olaf Tufte (40) klar for sitt sjette OL" [Olaf Tufte (40) is ready for his sixth Olympics] (in Norwegian). Dagbladet. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
- ^ "Ole-Kristian Bryhn blir Norges flaggbærer i Rio" [Ole-Kristian Bryhn becomes Norway's flag bearer in Rio] (in Norwegian). Verdens Gang. 3 August 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
- ^ Eilertsen, Trine (3 August 2016). "Verste OL for Norge på 52 år" [Worst Olympics for Norway after 52 years] (in Norwegian). Verdens Gang. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
- ^ "Bronze is good as gold for Stig André Berge". The Norwegian American. 5 September 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
- ^ "Two bronze medals in rowing for Norway". The Norwegian American. 22 August 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
- ^ Ulmer, Alexandra (20 August 2016). "Handball: Defending champions Norway find some consolation in bronze". Reuters. Retrieved 26 December 2016.