Oslo has hundreds of kilometers of well-prepared cross-country ski runs and eight alpine slopes within its city limits. This was the environment in which Kjetil Andre Aamodt skied down his first slopes. The Oslo winter landscape was also where polar researcher Fridtjor Nansen trained for his long, fatiguing ski treks more than a century ago. In 1888, he and Otto Sverdrup were the first to cross Greenland on skis.

Sonja Henie, one of the world's first figure skating stars, developed her talents at Frogner Stadium, which eventually led to three Olympic gold medals and ten gold medals at the World Championships.

The Holmenkollen Ski Jump (seen at right) is only a trolley ride away from the city center. It is the core of extensive sports facilities adapted for ski jumping competition, cross-country competition, and biathlon events. Ever since the early 1900's, the best athletes in the world have competed for gold and glory in and around the ski jump, which has also been the site of the 1952 Winter Olympics and the World Ski Championships. Oslo hosted the Nordic World Ski Championships in 1966, 1982, and 2011. The Biathlon World Championship was held here in 2000. The annual Holmenkollen Ski Festival finishes off the winter season and is frequently combined with World Cup finals in several disciplines.

Oslo is more than just a winter sports city, however. The All-Norway Soccer Team is based in Oslo, and many world records in track and field have been set at Bislett Stadium. Every year, the world's largest football tournament is held for young athletes at Ekebergsletta. For more than twenty-five years, the Norway Cup has gathered more than 20,000 young athletes in the mini-footballer category.

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This page was last updated on April 30, 2017.