COPENHAGEN, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Norway trawled a record total of 39 Winter Olympic medals, including 14 golds, in PyeongChang, South Korea in 2018, and experts believe it will be even greater at Beijing 2022.
If leading sport metadata analysts Nielsen's Gracenote medal table is correct, Norway will win a whopping 44 medals, 22 of which should be gold.
However, Norway's official expectations are much lower, with a "humble" goal of 32 medals in Beijing.
Norway is endowed with strength across many winter sport disciplines, and it is only a matter of time before this Nordic Winter sports superpower delivers on its promise of setting another Olympic medal record.
Norway's medal tally is typically built on consistent performances in Alpine skiing and the ski jump event.
Norway has a proud Olympic tradition in Alpine skiing, with a harvest of medals every four years.
Alpine gold medals are expected in the women's Grand Slalom and the men's Super-G, as well as a slew of medals in the women's Super-G, men's Grand Slalom, men's Slalom, and men's downhill.
Similarly, ski jumping is usually a foregone conclusion for Norway, which was the best nation on the ski jump in PyeongChang and will bring athletes to repeat the feat in Beijing.
If traditional success in Alpine and ski jumping can secure the medal base, then success in freestyle skiing, ice skating, combined, snowboard, and curling can provide medal momentum.
Norway has six freestyle skiers, each of whom has a chance at gold.
Since the inclusion of 500 meters as the first skating branch in the Olympic program in 1924, when Norway won silver and bronze, Norway has won medals in competitive ice skating.
Hvard Lorentzen is a potential ice skating medalist in the men's 1,000m.
Ragne Wiklund, the reigning 1,500m world champion, is a medal contender in the women's 1,500m, 3,000m, and 5,000m.
Allan Dahl Johansson is a medal contender in the men's 1,500m.
The men's Team Tempo are defending their PyeongChang gold medal and are back in contention, while the women's Team Tempo face skaters from clear favorites Japan, the Netherlands, and Canada but are still considered medal contenders.
The combined event is expected to be a veritable Norwegian "gold rush".
Jarl Magnus Riiber is considered a strong gold candidate in the Normal hill, 15 kilometers, and 10 kilometers large hill, and Norway is also a gold candidate in the team competition.
Marcus Kleveland, in the men's slopestyle, and Kleveland and Mons Riisland, in the men's Big Air, are both favorites before the event begins.
In the curling discipline, the Norwegian married couple Magnus Nedregrotten and Kristin Moen Skarslien are considered favorites for gold in the curling mixed doubles, while the men's curling team is considered a medal contender if they can get past the big favorites Britain, Canada, and Sweden.
However, if Norway is to break their own medal record, the crucial disciplines to watch are cross-country skiing and, even more so, biathlon. It's make or break time for the team.
In Beijing, Queen of Cross-Country is a heavy favorite to win gold in the 10 km classic, 4x5 km relay, and 30 km freestyle.
Norway also has a strong presence in the men's discipline, led by Johannes Hsflot Klbo, who enters the Winter Games as the world's best cross-country men's skier and is considered a strong gold medal contender in the sprint freestyle, 15 kilometers classic, Team sprint classic, 4x10 kilometers, and 50 kilometers freestyle.
In the hunting start, both the men's and women's teams are heavy favorites to win gold. In the men's joint start, Sturla Holm Lgreid and Tarjei B are gold candidates to watch, while Tiril Eckhoff and Marte Olsbu Riiseland are gold candidates to watch in the women's joint start. ■
