Famous Norwegian Sportspersons

At 13, chess prodigy Magnus Carlsen became the youngest grandmaster. His rating of 2,872 was the highest ever in history. He also recorded the longest unbeaten run in chess. Named one of Cosmopolitan’s “sexiest men of 2013,”he  has also modeled for G-Star Raw, owns a chess-app company, and loves football.

Former Norwegian football player, Ole Gunnar Solskjær was one of the most successful players of Manchester United and scored 126 goals for it. He famously scored the winning goal against Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final to secure a treble for the Manchester United. Post retirement, he began his coaching career and is currently the manager of Manchester United.

Apart from being the first Norwegian tennis player to score an ATP title win, Casper Ruud also became the highest ranked player from his country ever. The son of legendary Norwegian tennis player Christian Ruud, Casper has begun his training in the game at age 4.

Born to a golf enthusiast father, Norwegian golfer Viktor Hovland was trained in the sport since age 11. He later scripted history by becoming the first from his country to win the U.S. Amateur, to compete in the Masters, and to win on the PGA European Tour.

Tagged by the media as Boxing’s First Lady, Norwegian boxer/kickboxer Cecilia Braekhu scripted history by becoming the first female boxer to hold the WBA, IBF, WBC, and WBO titles at the same time. Colombian-born Braekhu was adopted by a Norwegian couple as a 2-year-old and began boxing as a teenager.

Ole Einar Bjørndalen is a Norwegian former biathlete and coach. Nicknamed the King of Biathlon, Bjørndalen has 13 Winter Olympic Games medals under his belt and is second only to Marit Bjørgen, who has 15 medals, in the list of multiple medalists. Having won 45 medals, Ole Einar Bjørndalen is also the most successful biathlete at the Biathlon World Championships.

Aksel Lund Svindal is a former alpine ski racer. A two-time World Cup champion, Svindal is widely regarded as the best Norwegian alpine skier of all time. During the course of his illustrious career, Aksel Lund Svindal won two Olympic gold medals, one Olympic silver medal, and an Olympic bronze medal. He also won five gold medals at World Championships.

Johannes Thingnes Bø is a Norwegian biathlete who has won five Olympic gold medals so far. He has also won 12 World Championship gold medals and is the third-most successful male biathlete with 55 individual World Cup wins under his belt. Thanks to his fast skiing and incredible shooting accuracy, Johannes has become the most dominant biathlete in recent past.

Leading former golfer Suzann Pettersen, also known as Tutta, was 6 when she participated in her first tournament. Initially also interested in skiing, Pettersen later focused on golf. Her illustrious career saw her win 22 titles, 15 of them on the LPGA Tour and 6 on the LET.

Swedish-born Norwegian MMA fighter Jack Hermansson, also known to fans as The Joker, is associated with the UFC. The former middleweight champion began his career with Greco-Roman wrestling, or French wrestling, at age 9. He moved to Norway at 19 and began his career in MMA.

Norwegian footballer Morten Gamst Pedersen who created headlines for being active in the game even at age 40, has previously been a star for the Blackburn Rovers. The Åsane midfielder is the son of former footballer Ernst Pedersen. He has also scored a hit song as part of the boyband The Players.

Norwegian football manager and former footballer John Arne Riise is perhaps best known for his stint with Liverpool, having won 6 titles with them, including an FA Cup and a UEFA Champions League. He was honored with the Kniksen of the Year award in 2006.

Norwegian striker Tore André Flo has also represented renowned clubs, including Chelsea and Leeds United as a player, winning multiple titles with the former, such as the FA Cup. He comes from a family of footballers and is also known for his decade-long association with Chelsea as their coaching staff.

Karsten Warholm is a Norwegian athlete who won the gold medal in the men's 400 meters hurdles event at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. Apart from winning the gold medal, he also broke his own world record by finishing the race in 45.94 seconds. In 2021, Karsten Warholm won the prestigious World Male Athlete of the Year award.

Grete Waitz was a Norwegian marathon runner who became the first female runner to complete a marathon in less than two and a half hours in 1979. A former world record holder, Waitz won a record nine New York City Marathons between 1978 and 1988. Grete Waitz is also remembered for winning the silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games.  

Alexander Kristoff is a Norwegian road bicycle racer best known for winning the bronze medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. In 2017, he went on to win the silver medal at the World Championships as well as the gold medal at the European Road Cycling Championships. 

Nora Mørk is a Norwegian handball player best known for helping her national team win bronze medals at the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games. She is also a world champion and a European champion, having won two World Championship gold medals and four European Championship gold medals so far.

The youngest of the Ingebrigtsen runner brothers from Norway, Jakob Ingebrigtsen was 17 when he won both the 1500m and 5000m at the 2018 European Championships. Trained by his award-winning sports coach father, Gjert Ingebrigtsen, he also won a gold in the 1500 m. at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Tiril Eckhoff is a Norwegian biathlete best known for winning two Olympic gold medals at the 2014 and 2022 Winter Games. She also has two silver and four Olympic bronze medals under her belt. Tiril Eckhoff has also found immense success at the Biathlon World Championships where she has won 10 gold, two silver, and three bronze medals so far. 

A 2-time Olympic medalist and a Junior World Champion, Norwegian alpine ski racer Aleksander Aamodt Kilde is associated with the club Lommedalens IL. He has also won the Downhill and Super-G World Cup titles. He is passionate about the environment, too, and has been a Syngenta Group ambassador.

Andreas Thorkildsen is a Norwegian retired track and field athlete who took part in the javelin throw event. He won two Olympic gold medals, two gold medals at the European Championships and one gold medal at the World Championships. Thorkildsen is the first male javelin thrower to simultaneously be World, European, and Olympic Champion in the history of javelin throw.

Henrik Kristoffersen is a Norwegian alpine ski racer known for winning a silver medal at the 2018 Olympics. Prior to his appearance in Pyeongchang, Kristoffersen had won a bronze medal at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. In 2016, Kristoffersen became the first male racer to emerge victorious in six World Cup slalom races in a single season in 24 years.

Emil Weber Meek is a Norwegian mixed martial artist best known for competing in the UFC's Welterweight division. He is also known for his participation in the Venator Fighting Championship where he was a former Welterweight Champion.

Omar Elabdellaoui is a Norwegian football player best known for his association with the Olympiacos Football Club with which he has won four Super League Greece tournaments. Omar Elabdellaoui has also been an important player for the Norwegian national team since 2013.

Tarjei Bo is a Norwegian biathlete best known for winning three Olympic gold medals, which include two medals at the 2022 Olympics. He also has two silver medals and a bronze Olympic medal under his belt. The older brother of Johannes Thingnes Bø, Tarjei Bo has also won 11 gold, two silver, and eight bronze medals at the World Championships.

Norwegian footballer Joshua King is best known as a forward for Watford. A child prodigy, he began his youth career with Romsås IL at age 6. He has also represented teams such as Manchester United and the Blackburn Rovers. He won the prestigious Gullballen award in 2017.

Stefan Johansen is a Norwegian football player and the current captain of the popular English football club Queens Park Rangers. An attacking midfielder, Johansen won the 2013 Kniksen Award under the Midfielder of the Year category. The following year, he was honored with the prestigious Gullballen award. Stefan Johansen announced his retirement from international football in 2021.

Johann Olav Koss is a Norwegian former speed skater best known for winning three gold medals at the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer. He is also known for winning gold and a silver medal at the 1992 Olympics in Albertville. In 2018, Koss became a member of the Olympians for Life project, which aims at making the world a better place.

Stine Bredal Oftedal is a Norwegian handball player who currently captains the national team. She has helped her team win two Olympic bronze medals as well as three World Championship gold medals. Stine Bredal Oftedal has also helped her team win four European Championship gold medals. In 2019, the International Handball Federation named her World Handball Player of the Year.

Norwegian rally and rallycross driver Petter Solberg was a teenager when he won the Norwegian Tamiya Cup and later won 10 FIA World Rallycross Championships and 13 World Rally Championships. He is married to Pernilla Walfridsson, who is herself a leading former rally driver and the daughter of rally driver Per-Inge "Pi" Walfridsson.

Norwegian footballer Håvard Nordtveit is best known as a defender/defensive midfielder for the German club Hoffenheim. He began his youth career with Norwegian clubs such as Vats 94 and Haugesund. He has also played for Arsenal and Fulham. He once lost a tooth following a clash with Norwegian footballer Bernt Hulsker.

Kjetil Jansrud is a Norwegian alpine ski racer best known for winning a gold medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. He also has two silver and two Olympic bronze medals under his belt. Kjetil Jansrud is also a world champion, having won a gold medal at the 2019 World Championships in Åre, Sweden.

Known for both his speed and technical expertise, Norwegian ski racer Kjetil Andre Aamodt has won 8 Olympic medals, including 4 golds. He is also a 5-time World Champion, has won a World Cup race in each of the 5 disciplines, and has been named to the International Ski Racing Hall of Fame.

Alexandra Andresen is a Norwegian heiress who made headlines in 2016 when she became the youngest billionaire in the world at the age of 19! She was named the world's youngest billionaire by Forbes for three consecutive years. Alexandra Andresen has also modeled for the equestrian clothing company KingsLand and has won several honors and awards in horse dressage competitions.

Norwegian former footballer Ronny Deila, who now coaches New York City FC, had a successful stint with Odds Ballklubb as a player, winning the Norwegian Football Cup with them. The Kniksen Coach of the Year award winner made headlines for stripping down to his underwear after New York City’s first MLS Cup win.

Ørjan Nyland is a Norwegian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. In 2012, he helped Hødd win the Norwegian Cup by winning the man of the match award in the finals. He then went on to win two more Norwegian Cups with Molde in 2013 and 2014. In 2014 and 2015, Nyland won the Tippeligaen Goalkeeper of the Year award.

Best known for his long stint with Manchester United, which saw him win numerous titles, such as the FA Cup and the Premier League, retired Norwegian footballer Ronny Johnsen has also competed at the FIFA World Cup for Norway. He has also won a Kniksen Award and now coaches Eik Tønsberg.

Ola Kamara is a Norwegian football player who plays as a striker. Although his father is from Sierra Leone, Kamara chose to represent Norway in international football as his mother is from Norway. Apart from playing for popular clubs like D.C. United, Ola Kamara has also been an important player for the Norway national team since 2013.

A pioneering figure in women’s tennis, Norwegian tennis legend Molla Mallory was the first female from her country to participate in the Olympics. She was also an 8-time singles champion at the U.S. National Championships, the only woman with that feat, and won an Olympic bronze, too.

Norwegian former footballer John Carew has had successful stints with clubs such as Valencia, Aston Villa, and Lyon. He has also scored 24 goals for the Norwegian national team. Post-retirement, he stepped into acting, with roles in movies such as Dead of Winter and series such as Heimebane.

Terje Håkonsen is a Norwegian snowboarder whose proficiency and flowing style on all types of terrain have characterized his snowboarding. Counted among the most influential snowboarders of all time, Håkonsen is credited with popularizing the sport by appearing in international snowboard productions and films. Terje Håkonsen has won multiple World Championships and European Championships.

Norwegian cross-country skier Johannes Høsflot Klæbo was 21 when he won 3 gold medals at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and later won 2 more Olympic golds. He became the youngest male Olympic champion in the sport. The sports star had started skiing at age 2 and was also passionate about football.

Henning Berg is a Norwegian former professional football player best known for his participation in the Premier League. He is the first player to win the EPL with two different clubs, having won the titles with Manchester United as well as Blackburn Rovers. Berg was also an important player for the national team at the 1994 and 1998 World Cups.

Torstein Horgmo is a Norwegian snowboarder who has won three gold medals and three silver medals at the Winter X Games. Horgmo missed an opportunity to compete in the Winter Olympics in 2014 after breaking his collarbone while practicing in Sochi just before the start of the games.

Ståle Solbakken is a Norwegian football manager and retired player. One of the most successful managers of his generation, Solbakken helped Copenhagen win eight Danish Superliga championships. In 2004, he was named Norwegian Manager of the Year. Ståle Solbakken also had a successful playing career until he suffered a heart attack in 2001.

One of the world’s most successful ski jumpers, Maren Lundby is an Olympic gold medalist and a 2-time World Champion. The Norwegian sports star was also the world’s second female ski jumping Olympic champion. She stunned her fans by withdrawing from the 2022 Winter Olympics for weight issues.

Known for his 8 Olympic medals, including 4 golds, Norwegian retired biathlete Emil Hegle Svendsen is also known to fans by the nickname Super Svendsen. He also has 5 individual World Championship gold medals. Svendsen is also known for his relationship with popular TV presenter Samantha Skogrand.