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. 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. 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.
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.
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. 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. 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.
Medalists
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Medal Name Sport Event Date Rowing Men's double sculls Rowing Men's lightweight double sculls Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 59 kg Handball Women's tournament | style="text-align:left; width:22%; vertical-align:top;"|
Medals by sportSport TotalRowing 0 0 2 2Wrestling 0 0 1 1Handball 0 0 1 1Total 0 0 4 4
Medals by dayDay TotalAugust 6 0 0 0 0August 7 0 0 0 0August 8 0 0 0 0August 9 0 0 0 0August 10 0 0 0 0August 11 0 0 1 1August 12 0 0 1 1August 13 0 0 0 0August 14 0 0 1 1August 15 0 0 0 0August 16 0 0 0 0August 17 0 0 0 0August 18 0 0 0 0August 19 0 0 0 0August 20 0 0 1 1Total 0 0 4 4
Medals by genderGender TotalMale0033Female0011Total 0 0 4 4
Competitors The following is the list of number of competitors participating in the Games. Note that reserves in handball are not counted as athletes:
| width=78% align=left valign=top | SportMenWomenTotalArchery 1 0 1Athletics 8 7 15Cycling 5 2 7Golf 1 2 3Gymnastics 1 0 1Handball 0 14 14Rowing 5 0 5Sailing 2 4 6Shooting 3 1 4Swimming 1 1 2Taekwondo 0 1 1Triathlon 1 0 1Wrestling 1 1 2 Total 29 33 62
Archery
One Norwegian archer has qualified for the men's individual recurve at the Olympics by virtue of a top five national finish at the 2016 Archery World Cup meet in Antalya, Turkey.
AthleteEventRanking roundRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal / ScoreSeedOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankBård NestengMen's individual66326W 6–5L 0–6Did not advance
Athletics
Norwegian athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event):
On May 30, 2016, race walker Håvard Haukenes and long-distance runner Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal were the first Norwegian athletes in track and field to be officially selected to the Olympic roster. Two-time Olympian Erik Tysse, marathon runner Sondre Nordstad Moen, and discus thrower Sven Martin Skagestad were named as part of the second batch of nominated athletes on June 19, 2016. Eleven further athletes rounded out the track and field lineup for the Games on July 15, 2016.
Track & road events Men AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankJaysuma Saidy Ndure200 m20.78=7Did not advanceFilip Ingebrigtsen1500 mDid not advanceHenrik Ingebrigtsen3:38.505 Q3:42.5111Did not advanceKarsten Warholm400 m hurdles48.491 Q48.814Did not advanceSondre Nordstad MoenMarathoncolspan=4 2:14:1719Erik Tysse20 km walkcolspan=4 1:26:0648Håvard Haukenes50 km walkcolspan=4 3:46:337
Women AthleteEventHeatQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRankEzinne Okparaebo100 mcolspan=2 11.434Did not advanceHedda Hynne800 m2:01.645colspan=2 Did not advanceKaroline Bjerkeli Grøvdal5000 m15:17.834 Qcolspan=4 14:57.53710000 mcolspan=6 31:14.079Isabelle Pedersen100 m hurdles12.863 Qcolspan=2 12.883Did not advanceAmalie Iuel400 m hurdles56.756colspan=2 Did not advanceIngeborg Løvnes3000 m steeplechase9:44.8513colspan=4 Did not advance
Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionSven Martin SkagestadMen's discus throw62.4513Did not advanceTonje AngelsenWomen's high jump1.8032Did not advance
Cycling
Road Norwegian riders qualified for five quota places in the men's Olympic road race by virtue of their top 15 national finish in the 2015 UCI World Tour. One additional spot was awarded to the Norwegian cyclist in the women's road race by virtue of her top 100 individual placement in the 2016 UCI World Rankings.
AthleteEventTimeRankSven Erik BystrømMen's road raceDid not finishEdvald Boasson HagenMen's road raceDid not finishMen's time trial1:21:12.3530Vegard Stake LaengenMen's road race6:30:0550Lars Petter Nordhaug6:30:0548Vita HeineWomen's road race3:58:3433Women's time trial50:23.3925
Mountain biking Norway has qualified one mountain biker for the women's Olympic cross-country race, as a result of her nation's tenth-place finish in the UCI Olympic Ranking List of May 25, 2016.
AthleteEventTimeRankGunn-Rita Dahle FlesjåWomen's cross-country1:33:3410
BMX Norwegian riders qualified for one men's quota place for BMX at the Olympics, as a result of the nation's top four finish in the UCI BMX Individual Ranking List of May 31, 2016. BMX rider Tore Navrestad were named as part of the second batch of nominated athletes to the Olympic roster on June 19, 2016.
AthleteEventSeedingQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalResultRankPointsRankPointsRankResultRankTore NavrestadMen's BMX36.48428196Did not advance
Golf
Norway has entered three golfers into the Olympic tournament. Espen Kofstad (world no. 291), Suzann Pettersen (world no. 18), and Marianne Skarpnord (world no. 155) qualified directly among the top 60 eligible players for their respective individual events based on the IGF World Rankings as of 11 July 2016.
AthleteEventRound 1Round 2Round 3Round 4TotalScoreScoreScoreScoreScoreParRankEspen KofstadMen's72766969286 +2=43Suzann PettersenWomen's71696968277−710Marianne Skarpnord69667573283−1=25
Gymnastics
Artistic Norway has entered one artistic gymnast into the Olympic competition for the first time since 2000. Stian Skjerahaug had claimed his Olympic spot in the men's apparatus and all-around events at the Olympic Test Event in Rio de Janeiro.
Men AthleteEventQualificationFinalApparatusTotalRankApparatusTotalRankStian SkjerahaugAll-around14.16614.23313.26614.70014.26613.70084.33132Did not advance
Handball
Summary
TeamEventGroup StageQuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankNorway women'sWomen's tournamentL 28–31W 27–24W 30–20W 28–19W 28–272W 33–20L 37–38ETW 36–26
Women's tournament
The Norwegian women's handball team qualified for the Olympics by winning the 2015 World Championships in Denmark.
Team roster
Group play
Quarterfinal
Semifinal
Bronze medal match
Rowing
Norway has qualified three boats for each of the following rowing classes into the Olympic regatta. Two rowing crews had confirmed Olympic places for their boats each in the men's single sculls and men's pair at the 2015 FISA World Championships in Lac d'Aiguebelette, France, while the men's double sculls rowers had added one more boat to the Norwegian roster as a result of their top two finish at the 2016 European & Final Qualification Regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland. The rowing team was named as part of the first batch of nominated athletes to the Olympic roster on May 30, 2016.
AthleteEventHeatsRepechageQuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankNils Jakob HoffMen's single sculls7:17.471 QFcolspan=2 6:57.943 SA/B7:39.126 FB7:02.6611Kjetil BorchOlaf TufteMen's double sculls6:30.582 SA/Bcolspan=2 colspan=2 6:13.502 FA6:53.25Kristoffer BrunAre StrandliMen's lightweight double sculls6:24.811 SA/Bcolspan=2 colspan=2 6:38.652 FA6:31.39 Qualification Legend: FA=Final A (medal); FB=Final B (non-medal); FC=Final C (non-medal); FD=Final D (non-medal); FE=Final E (non-medal); FF=Final F (non-medal); SA/B=Semifinals A/B; SC/D=Semifinals C/D; SE/F=Semifinals E/F; QF=Quarterfinals; R=Repechage
Sailing
Norwegian sailors have qualified one boat in each of the following classes through the 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships, the individual fleet Worlds, and European qualifying regattas.
On May 30, 2016, returning Olympian Kristian Ruth (Laser), along with Finn yachtsman Anders Pedersen and skiff sisters Ragna and Maia Agerup, were the first Norwegian sailors to be officially selected to the Olympic roster. Meanwhile, windsurfer Maria Mollestad and Laser Radial sailor Tiril Bue rounded out the crew selection as part of the second batch of nominated athletes on June 19, 2016.
AthleteEventRaceNet pointsFinal rank123456789101112M*Kristian RuthMen's Laser133222916251530colspan=2 EL20927Anders PedersenMen's Finn8161882216914515colspan=2 EL3217Maria MollestadWomen's RS:X1410201418201461171711EL14212Tiril BueWomen's Laser Radial1818136192422251827colspan=2 EL16323Maia AgerupRagna AgerupWomen's 49erFX101815179171346131711EL13214 M = Medal race; EL = Eliminated – did not advance into the medal race
Shooting
Norwegian shooters have achieved quota places for the following events by virtue of their best finishes at the 2014 and 2015 ISSF World Championships, the 2015 ISSF World Cup series, and European Championships or Games, as long as they obtained a minimum qualifying score (MQS) by March 31, 2016. Two-time Olympian Are Hansen, along with returnees Odd Arne Brekne, Ole Kristian Bryhn, and Malin Westerheim from London 2012, were named to the Olympic roster at the Munich leg of the ISSF World Cup series on June 1, 2016.
AthleteEventQualificationFinalPointsRankPointsRankOdd Arne BrekneMen's 50 m rifle prone620.928Did not advanceMen's 50 m rifle 3 positions117113Did not advanceOle Kristian BryhnMen's 10 m air rifle617.940Did not advanceMen's 50 m rifle prone616.743Did not advanceMen's 50 m rifle 3 positions17773 Q400.48Are HansenMen's 10 m air rifle624.410Did not advanceMalin WesterheimWomen's 10 m air rifle412.230Did not advanceWomen's 50 m rifle 3 positions57817Did not advance Qualification Legend: Q = Qualify for the next round; q = Qualify for the bronze medal (shotgun)
Swimming