CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Norway plans to send 80 athletes to the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, aiming to extend its dominance and continue a tradition of topping the medal tables.

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, a five-time Olympic gold medalist in men's cross-country skiing at the 2018 PyeongChang and 2022 Beijing Games, headlines the Norwegian team. The 29-year-old is expected to add to his medal haul and challenge for the title of most decorated Winter Olympian.

From the first Winter Olympics in Chamonix in 1924 through Beijing in 2022, Norway has won 405 medals, including 148 golds, making it the most successful nation in the event's history.

In the past three Games, Norway led both the gold and overall medal counts, with 11 golds and 26 medals in 2014, 14 golds and 39 medals in 2018, and 16 golds and 37 medals in 2022, well ahead of its rivals.

Known for endurance, tactical discipline and depth, Norwegian athletes excel in cross-country skiing, biathlon, Nordic combined and speed skating.

At Beijing in 2022, they claimed 11 golds in cross-country skiing and biathlon. The two sports will offer 12 and 11 medal events, respectively, at Milan-Cortina, where Norway aims to dominate again.

Klaebo, strong in sprints and longer distances, won three golds in 2018 and two in 2022. He swept six golds at the 2025 World Championships and is expected to pursue more at Milan-Cortina, potentially becoming the Winter Olympics' top gold medalist.

Norway's other 15 cross-country skiers are contenders in men's and women's distance races and relays.

In biathlon, Sturla Holm Laegreid, the 2022 relay gold medalist and 2025 World Cup overall winner, leads alongside rising star Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold. After a generational shift, the team remains a force for titles.

Norway also seeks to defend its men's team pursuit gold in speed skating, blending 2022 winners with young talent.

Mixed doubles curling, the Games' first event, starts February 4. Norway's 2022 silver medalists Kristin Skaslien and Magnus Nedregotten are targeting gold in Cortina d'Ampezzo.