Norway at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Norway competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. This was the nation's twenty-fourth appearance at the Summer Olympics, except for the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, and the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, due to the country's support of the United States boycott. With the absence of women's football and handball teams, Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports sent the nation's smallest delegation to the Games since the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. A total of 53 athletes, 36 men and 17 women, competed only in 12 different sports. There was only a single competitor in badminton, swimming, taekwondo, weightlifting, and wrestling.

Norway at the 2004 Summer Olympics
IOC code	NOR
NOC	Norwegian Olympic Committee and Confederation of Sports
Website	www.idrett.no (in Norwegian)
in Athens
Competitors	53 in 12 sports
Flag bearer	Harald Stenvaag[1]
Medals Ranked 17th	Gold 5 Silver 0 Bronze 1 Total 6
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)
1900 1904 1908 1912 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Other related appearances
1906 Intercalated Games

Sixteen athletes from the Norwegian team had previously competed in Sydney, including Olympic silver medalists Kjersti Plätzer in women's race walk and Olaf Tufte in men's single sculls. At age 51, rifle shooting veteran Harald Stenvaag became the second Norwegian in Summer Olympic history to participate in six Games, tying a record set by sailor Magnus Konow. He was appointed by the National Olympic Committee to carry the Norwegian flag in the opening ceremony.^[1] Other notable Norwegian athletes featured kayak pair and world champions Nils Olav Fjeldheim and Eirik Verås Larsen, yachting siblings Christoffer and Siren Sundby, and breaststroke swimmer Alexander Dale Oen, the youngest of the team at age 19.

Despite fielding its smallest team since 1968, Norway left Athens with a remarkable tally of six medals, five golds and one bronze. As a result, the Games were considered the nation's most successful Summer Olympics since 1920.^[2]

Medalists

Further information: 2004 Summer Olympics medal table and List of 2004 Summer Olympics medal winners

Medal	Name	Sport	Event	Date
Gold	Olaf Tufte	Rowing	Men's single sculls	August 21
Gold	Siren Sundby	Sailing	Europe class	August 22
Gold	Eirik Verås Larsen	Canoeing	Men's K-1 1000 m	August 27
Gold	Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå	Cycling	Women's cross-country	August 27
Gold	Andreas Thorkildsen	Athletics	Men's javelin throw	August 28
Bronze	Nils Olav Fjeldheim Eirik Verås Larsen	Canoeing	Men's K-2 1000 m	August 27

Athletics

Main article: Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Norwegian athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event at the 'A' Standard, and 1 at the 'B' Standard).^[3][4]

Key

• Note–Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only
• Q = Qualified for the next round
• q = Qualified for the next round as a fastest loser or, in field events, by position without achieving the qualifying target
• NR = National record
• N/A = Round not applicable for the event
• Bye = Athlete not required to compete in round

Men

Track & road events

Athlete	Event	Heat		Final
		Result	Rank	Result	Rank
Marius Bakken	5000 m	13:36.38	12	Did not advance
Trond Nymark	50 km walk	—		3:53:20	13
Jim Svenøy	3000 m steeplechase	8:33.97	10	Did not advance
Erik Tysse	20 km walk	—		DNS

Field events

Athlete	Event	Qualification		Final
		Distance	Position	Distance	Position
Ronny Nilsen	Javelin throw	72.70	29	Did not advance
Andreas Thorkildsen		81.74	8 Q	86.50

Combined events – Decathlon

Athlete	Event	100 m	LJ	SP	HJ	400 m	110H	DT	PV	JT	1500 m	Final	Rank
Hans Olav Uldal	Result	11.23	6.99	13.53	1.85	50.95	15.09	43.01	4.50	60.00	4:41.70	7495	27
	Points	810	811	700	670	771	839	726	760	738	670

Women

Track & road events

Athlete	Event	Heat		Semifinal		Final
		Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank
Stine Larsen	Marathon	—				2:39:55	24
Trine Pilskog	1500 m	4:08.61	10	Did not advance
Kjersti Plätzer	20 km walk	—				1:30.49	12

Badminton

Main article: Badminton at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Athlete	Event	Round of 32	Round of 16	Quarterfinal	Semifinal	Final / BM
		Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Rank
Jim Ronny Andersen	Men's singles	Yang (GUA) W 15–9, 8–15, 15–6	Kuncoro (INA) L 7–15, 6–15	Did not advance

Canoeing

Main article: Canoeing at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Sprint

Athlete	Event	Heats		Semifinals		Final
		Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank
Eirik Verås Larsen	Men's K-1 500 m	1:36.905	1 q	1:38.361	1 Q	1:38.667	4
	Men's K-1 1000 m	3:25.150	1 Q	Bye		3:25.897
Nils Olav Fjeldheim Eirik Verås Larsen	Men's K-2 1000 m	3:09.247	1 Q	Bye		3:19.528
Andreas Gjersøe Mattis Næss Jacob Norenberg Alexander Wefald	Men's K-4 1000 m	2:54.894	4 q	2:54.350	2 Q	3:01.698	5

Qualification Legend: Q = Qualify to final; q = Qualify to semifinal

Cycling

Main article: Cycling at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Road

Men

Athlete	Event	Time	Rank
Kurt Asle Arvesen	Road race	5:41:56	9
	Time trial	1:02:21.28	28
Morten Hegreberg	Road race	Did not finish
Thor Hushovd	Road race	Did not finish
	Time trial	1:03:10.36	32
Mads Kaggestad	Road race	Did not finish

Women

Athlete	Event	Time	Rank
Lene Byberg	Road race	3:33:35	48
Linn Torp		3:40:43	53
Anita Valen	Road race	3:25:42	14
	Time trial	34:31.94	22

Mountain biking

Athlete	Event	Time	Rank
Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå	Women's cross-country	1:56:51

Rowing

Main article: Rowing at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Norwegian rowers qualified the following boats:

Men

Athlete	Event	Heats		Repechage		Semifinals		Final
		Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank
Olaf Tufte	Single sculls	7:12.53	1 SA/B/C	Bye		6:50.55	1 FA	6:49.30
Morten Adamsen Nils-Torolv Simonsen	Double sculls	6:45.26	2 SA/B	Bye		6:14.69	3 FA	6:37.25	7

Qualification Legend: FA=Final A (medal); FB=Final B (non-medal); FC=Final C (non-medal); FD=Final D (non-medal); FE=Final E (non-medal); FF=Final F (non-medal); SA/B=Semifinals A/B; SC/D=Semifinals C/D; SE/F=Semifinals E/F; R=Repechage

Sailing

Main article: Sailing at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Norwegian sailors have qualified one boat for each of the following events.

Women

Athlete	Event	Race											Net points	Final rank
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	M*
Jannicke Stålstrøm	Mistral	9	3	7	15	14	12	11	8	14	14	OCS	107	11
Siren Sundby	Europe	1	3	DSQ	1	19	4	4	1	1	1	12	47
Karianne Eikeland Lise Birgitte Fredriksen Beate Kristiansen	Yngling	14	13	4	6	10	1	14	8	9	15	6	85	9

Open

Athlete	Event	Race																Net points	Final rank
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	M*
Peer Moberg	Laser	7	18	37	23	12	26	34	14	3	DSQ	—					24	198	21
Frode Bovim Christoffer Sundby	49er	1	3	9	OCS	6	4	13	8	15	11	6	9	11	3	2	2	88	4

M = Medal race; OCS = On course side of the starting line; DSQ = Disqualified; DNF = Did not finish; DNS= Did not start; RDG = Redress given

Shooting

Main article: Shooting at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Five Norwegian shooters qualified to compete in the following events:

Men

Athlete	Event	Qualification		Final
		Points	Rank	Points	Rank
Espen Berg-Knutsen	10 m air rifle	584	=41	Did not advance
	50 m rifle prone	592	=16	Did not advance
	50 m rifle 3 positions	1156	=22	Did not advance
Harald Jensen	Skeet	122 (5)	6 Q	145	6
Leif Steinar Rolland	10 m air rifle	592	=18	Did not advance
Harald Stenvaag	50 m rifle prone	592	=16	Did not advance
	50 m rifle 3 positions	1149	30	Did not advance
Erik Watndal	Skeet	121	8	Did not advance

Swimming

Main article: Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Norwegian swimmers earned qualifying standards in the following events (up to a maximum of 2 swimmers in each event at the A-standard time, and 1 at the B-standard time):

Men

Athlete	Event	Heat		Semifinal		Final
		Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank
Alexander Dale Oen	100 m breaststroke	1:02.25	21	Did not advance

Taekwondo

Main article: Taekwondo at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Norway has qualified a single taekwondo jin.

Athlete	Event	Round of 16	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Repechage 1	Repechage 2	Final / BM
		Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Rank
Nina Solheim	Women's −67 kg	Šarić (CRO) W 5–2	Luo W (CHN) L RSC	Did not advance	Hwang K-S (KOR) L WO	Did not advance		7

Volleyball

Main article: Volleyball at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Beach

See also: Beach volleyball at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Athlete	Event	Preliminary round	Standing	Round of 16	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Final
		Opposition Score		Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Rank
Vegard Høidalen Jørre Kjemperud	Men's	Pool D  Berg – Dahl (SWE) L 0 – 2 (13–21, 18–21)  Hernández – Papaleo (PUR) W 2 – 1 (18–21, 21–19, 15–10)  Dieckmann – Reckermann (GER) W 2 – 1 (22–24, 26–24, 15–13)	3 Q	Rego – Santos (BRA) L 1 – 2 (15–21, 21–19, 6–15)	Did not advance
Iver Horrem Bjørn Maaseide		Pool A  Rego – Santos (BRA) L 1 – 2 (15–21, 21–19, 10–15)  Holdren – Metzger (USA) W 2 – 1 (16–21, 22–20, 15–9)  Schacht – Slack (AUS) L 0 – 2 (18–21, 17–21)	4	Did not advance
Susanne Glesnes Kathrine Maaseide	Women's	Pool D  McPeak – Youngs (USA) L 0 – 2 (14–21, 14–21)  Kuhn – Schnyder (SUI) W 2 – 1 (21–18, 17–21, 15–13)  Dumont – Martin (CAN) L 0 – 2 (19–21, 27–29)	3	Did not advance
Nila Håkedal Ingrid Tørlen		Pool C  Connelly – Pires (BRA) L 0 – 2 (18–21, 19–21)  Arvaniti – Koutroumanidou (GRE) L 1 – 2 (11–21, 23–21, 12–15)  Lahme – Müsch (GER) W 2 – 1 (13–21, 21–17, 15–12)	4	Did not advance

Weightlifting

Main article: Weightlifting at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Norway has qualified a single weightlifter.

Athlete	Event	Snatch		Clean & Jerk		Total	Rank
		Result	Rank	Result	Rank
Stian Grimseth	Men's +105 kg	185	=12	205	DNF	185	DNF

Wrestling

Main article: Wrestling at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Key:

• VT - Victory by Fall.
• PP - Decision by Points - the loser with technical points.
• PO - Decision by Points - the loser without technical points.

Men's Greco-Roman

Athlete	Event	Elimination Pool			Quarterfinal	Semifinal	Final / BM
		Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Rank	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Rank
Fritz Aanes	−84 kg	Avramis (GRE) L 1–3 PP	Jamshidi (IRI) L 0–3 PO	3	Did not advance			15

See also

• Norway at the 2004 Summer Paralympics