Norway has a very active lifestyle, including among children, and strong cultural support for sports (and chess, which is massively popular). We’ve always done great at the Winter Olympics, but only recently had so many very top performers across these other endeavors. Maybe there is some genetic component but I think it’s largely due to environmental aspects.
Some international research / statistics (a few years ago) labelled Norwegians as the least active people in Europe… As a Norwegian I will say this about what we are best at: Bragging about our own humility!
Danes and Norwegians were very close. Were for centuries united in one kingdom.
But you are right that the the part of Eastern England known as Danelaw was populated by Danes. Danish kings Sven Tveskæg (two beards) and his son Knud den store (Canut the great) and more ruled The whole of England from 1013 to 1042.
By the way: The Normans who conquered England after the battle at Hastings in 1066 had only lived in Normandy for some few generations. They were also Norsemen probably mainly from Denmark who had got Normandy from the French king to protect against other vikings´assault on France..
Yes one kingdom = Denmark
True -but the union started out with a Norwegian ruler.
Cross country skiing: Bjorn Daehlie, Petter Northug Triatlon: Gustav Iden, Kristian Blummenfelt
I have been to Norway 2 times, everyone is chilling, no one is rushing anywhere. You wont see a homeless person on the street. People are not locking their homes or cars when then leave. 7th in global GPD per capita list, 2nd in human development index list.
Cross country skiing: Bjorn Daehlie, Petter Northug Triatlon: Gustav Iden, Kristian Blummenfelt
I have been to Norway 2 times, everyone is chilling, no one is rushing anywhere. You wont see a homeless person on the street. People are not locking their homes or cars when then leave. 7th in global GPD per capita list, 2nd in human development index list.
I’m a Norwegian -I’m not chilling at all (Unfortunately). And I remember how confused I, and some of my friends, were when we watched American movies where people didn’t lock their cars or removed the keys -would “never” have happened in Norway. And even the not locking of the houses (daytime) depends a little on where one lives…
Stereotypes about a country will always be exactly that. I think most countries are somewhat diverse and pluralistic, because we as humans also are somewhat similar -alike, diverse, pluralistic…. No offence -you are also right in things you write here…
Well, I was sort of just joking around. Nobody thinks Norway (or Denmark) is a dominant superpower or something. The thesis of this thread was that they out-perform expectations based on their population size. That is true. Some cultures are special like that. I would argue Norway falls into that category, which is why I agree with the OP even though some of the examples are a stretch.
p.s. Amundsen is the GOAT Arctic explorer though. It doesn't matter that his exploits are from over 100 years ago. That only makes it more impressive!
As a Norwegian I must ask: Do we really agree on Amundsen as one of our foremost heroes?! -A man who planned to eat his own dogs (and did exactly that) in his return stretch in the Antarctic… After doing something as stupid and worthless as placing a Norwegian flag on the South Pole..?
Isn't it strange that Norway, a country with less than half the population of Ohio has produced:
Erling Haaland: one of the best footballers in the world
Magnus Carlsen: easily the greatest chess player of all time
Jakob Ingebrigsten: one of the greatest distance runners of all time
Karsten Warholm: the greatest 400h of all time
Casper Ruud: one of the best tennis players in the world
Like come on, you don't see this much talent coming out of countries 10x Norway's size.
Uh......Edwin Moses is the greatest 400H of all time.
You can't say Moses is the greatest when Warholm has run more than a full second faster than him. Warholm has nearly run the 400h in Moses' flat 400 PR.
Warholm - 45.94 400h
Moses - 45.60 400m
By the time Warholm retires he might have a faster 400h PB than Moses's open 400m PB.
Edwins win streak is not a great measure greatness. He often awoided the best competitors outside of championships and alot of those wins are 49 seconds + which is jogging pace for warholm.
45 sub 48 second runs - you are talking a lot of nonsense.
76 Olympics -Gold
80 Olympics - almost 100% Gold without the boycott
They're only Swedish when we allow them back in after their little IS exploits, or help evacuate them from adverse circumstances after they went back to Somalia on vacation. No limits to their Swedishness then.