Norway has won the most gold medals in Winter Olympic history.
Norway’s dominance comes largely from its deep tradition in cross-country skiing, biathlon, ski jumping and speed skating. Its first Winter Olympic gold came at the inaugural 1924 Games in Chamonix, and Norwegian athletes have remained highly competitive across nearly every edition since.
The wording refers to the cumulative Winter Games medal table, not the number of golds won at one particular Olympics. Norway also holds the overall Winter Olympic medal record, while the United States has historically been a major rival and often leads particular sports or individual Games.
A related distinction is that medal tables may treat historical teams and successor states differently. For example, totals involving the Soviet Union, Russia, East Germany or unified Germany can vary depending on the table’s counting rules, but Norway’s position as the leading Winter Olympic gold-medal nation is the standard answer.