This is a list of medalists from the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in men's cross-country skiing. Bold numbers in brackets denotes record number of victories in corresponding disciplines.
18 km, 17 km and 15 km edit
Debuted: 1925.
Classic style: 1925, 1927–1987, 1989, 2001, 2003, 2009, 2011, 2017, 2019. Free style: 1989, 1991, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2015, 2021, 2023.
Interval start: 1925, 1927–1991, 2001–2023.
Medal table
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Norway | 12 | 11 | 14 | 37 |
| 2 |  Finland | 11 | 5 | 10 | 26 |
| 3 |  Sweden | 8 | 9 | 4 | 21 |
| 4 |  Italy | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 5 |  Czechoslovakia | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 6 |  Estonia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 7 |  Germany | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 8 |  Poland | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 |  Soviet Union | 0 | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| 10 |  Belarus | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Czech Republic | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
 East Germany | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
 France | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
 Russia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Totals (14 entries) | 37 | 37 | 37 | 111 | |
50 km edit
Debuted: 1925.
50 km is one of only three events that has been contested at every FIS Nordic World Ski Championships.
Classic style: 1925–1985, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2015, 2021, 2023. Free style: 1987–1995, 2001, 2003, 2009, 2011, 2017, 2019.
Interval start: 1925–2003. Mass start: 2005–2023.
Medal table
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sweden | 14 | 9 | 9 | 32 |
| 2 | Norway | 11 | 7 | 12 | 30 |
| 3 | Finland | 8 | 9 | 7 | 24 |
| 4 | Italy | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 5 | Soviet Union | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| 6 | Czechoslovakia | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 7 | Czech Republic | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 8 | East Germany | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 9 |  Canada | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
 Spain | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 11 | Russia | 0 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 12 | Germany | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 13 | France | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 14 | Estonia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Russian Ski Federation | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
 Switzerland | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 17 |  Kazakhstan | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 18 |  Austria | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (18 entries) | 41 | 41 | 41 | 123 | |
30 km (discontinued) edit
Debuted: 1926. Discontinued: 2003.
Classic style: 1926, 1954–1995, 2001, 2003. Free style: 1997, 1999.
Interval start: 1926, 1954–2001. Mass start: 2003.
Medal table
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finland | 5 | 5 | 3 | 13 |
| 2 | Sweden | 5 | 1 | 3 | 9 |
| 3 | Soviet Union | 4 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| 4 | Norway | 2 | 9 | 5 | 16 |
| 5 | Russia | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 6 | Kazakhstan | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 7 | Estonia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | East Germany | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Poland | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 10 | Italy | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 United States | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| West Germany | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (12 entries) | 19 | 19 | 19 | 57 | |
4 × 10 km relay edit
Debuted: 1933
4×10 km classic style: 1933–1985. 4×10 km free style: 1987. 2×10 km classic style + 2×10 km free style: 1989–2023.
Medal table
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norway | 20 | 3 | 4 | 27 |
| 2 | Sweden | 7 | 6 | 9 | 22 |
| 3 | Finland | 5 | 9 | 4 | 18 |
| 4 | Soviet Union | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| 5 | East Germany | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 6 | Austria | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 7 | Germany | 0 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| 8 | Russia | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 9 | Italy | 0 | 2 | 6 | 8 |
| 10 | Czechoslovakia | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 11 | Russian Ski Federation | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | France | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Totals (12 entries) | 36 | 34 | 36 | 106 | |
10 km (discontinued) edit
Debuted: 1991. Discontinued: 1999.
Classic style: 1991–1999. Interval start: 1991–1999.
Medal table
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norway | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 2 | Kazakhstan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 3 | Finland | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | Sweden | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 5 | Austria | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Russia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Totals (6 entries) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 | |
Combined/double pursuit/Skiathlon edit
Debuted: 1993.
Medal table
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norway | 7 | 5 | 6 | 18 |
| 2 | Russia | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| 3 | Sweden | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 4 | Germany | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Kazakhstan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| Switzerland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| 7 | France | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Russian Ski Federation | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 9 | Italy | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| 10 | Finland | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 11 | Spain | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | Canada | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (12 entries) | 16 | 16 | 16 | 48 | |
Individual sprint edit
Debuted: 2001.
Classic style: 2005, 2007, 2013, 2015, 2021, 2023. Free style: 2001, 2003, 2009, 2011, 2017, 2019.
Medal table
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norway | 7 | 7 | 6 | 20 |
| 2 | Russia | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Sweden | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | |
| 4 | Italy | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 5 | Canada | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 6 | France | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (6 entries) | 12 | 12 | 12 | 36 | |
Team sprint edit
Debuted: 2005
Classic style: 2009, 2011, 2017, 2019. Free style: 2005, 2007, 2013, 2015, 2021, 2023.
Medal table
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norway | 6 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| 2 | Russia | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| 3 | Italy | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 4 | Canada | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | Germany | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | Finland | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 7 | Sweden | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Czech Republic | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 9 | France | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Kazakhstan | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Russian Ski Federation | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (11 entries) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 | |
Medal table edit
Table updated after the 2023 Championships.
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norway | 68 | 44 | 49 | 161 |
| 2 | Sweden | 38 | 29 | 29 | 96 |
| 3 | Finland | 30 | 31 | 29 | 90 |
| 4 | Russia | 7 | 15 | 12 | 34 |
| 5 | Soviet Union | 7 | 13 | 7 | 27 |
| 6 | Italy | 6 | 10 | 16 | 32 |
| 7 | Kazakhstan | 3 | 2 | 4 | 9 |
| 8 | Germany | 2 | 8 | 7 | 17 |
| 9 | Czechoslovakia | 2 | 5 | 4 | 11 |
| 10 | East Germany | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
| 11 | Estonia | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 12 | Canada | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 13 | France | 1 | 2 | 6 | 9 |
| 14 | Czech Republic | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 15 | Russian Ski Federation | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 16 | Switzerland | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 17 | Austria | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 18 | Spain | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 19 | Poland | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 20 | Belarus | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 21 | United States | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| West Germany | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (22 entries) | 176 | 174 | 176 | 526 | |
Multiple medalists edit
Boldface denotes active cross-country skiers and highest medal count among all cross-country skiers (including these who not included in these tables) per type.
All events edit
| Rank | Cross-country skier | Country | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Petter Northug | Norway |
2007 | 2015 | 13 | 3 | – | 16 |
| 2 | Bjørn Dæhlie | Norway |
1991 | 1999 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 17 |
| 3 | Johannes Høsflot Klæbo | Norway |
2017 | 2023 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 12 |
| 4 | Gunde Svan | Sweden |
1985 | 1991 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 11 |
| 5 | Thomas Alsgaard | Norway |
1995 | 2003 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 9 |
| 6 | Klaes Karppinen | Finland |
1934 | 1939 | 5 | 5 | – | 10 |
| 7 | Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset | Norway |
1999 | 2009 | 5 | – | 3 | 8 |
| 8 | Vladimir Smirnov | Soviet Union Kazakhstan |
1987 | 1995 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 11 |
| 9 | Torgny Mogren | Sweden |
1987 | 1993 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 9 |
| Mika Myllylä | Finland |
1995 | 1999 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 9 | |
| Martin Johnsrud Sundby | Norway |
2011 | 2019 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 9 |
Individual events edit
| Rank | Cross-country skier | Country | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Petter Northug | Norway |
2009 | 2015 | 7 | 2 | – | 9 |
| 2 | Bjørn Dæhlie | Norway |
1991 | 1999 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 12 |
| 3 | Gunde Svan | Sweden |
1985 | 1991 | 5 | 2 | – | 7 |
| 4 | Vladimir Smirnov | Soviet Union Kazakhstan |
1989 | 1995 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 5 | Mika Myllylä | Finland |
1995 | 1999 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| 6 | Johannes Høsflot Klæbo | Norway |
2017 | 2023 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| 7 | Per Elofsson | Sweden |
2001 | 2003 | 3 | – | – | 3 |
| 8 | Veikko Hakulinen | Finland |
1954 | 1958 | 2 | 3 | – | 5 |
| Thomas Wassberg | Sweden |
1982 | 1987 | 2 | 3 | – | 5 | |
| 10 | Torgny Mogren | Sweden |
1987 | 1993 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
Best performers by country edit
Here are listed most successful cross-country skiers in the history of each medal-winning national team – according to the gold-first ranking system and by total number of World Championships medals (one skier if he holds national records in both categories or few skiers if these national records belongs to different persons). If the total number of medals is identical, the gold, silver and bronze medals are used as tie-breakers (in that order). If all numbers are the same, the skiers get the same placement and are sorted by the alphabetic order.
| Country | Cross-country skier | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norway |
Petter Northug (by the gold first ranking system) |
2007 | 2015 | 13 | 3 | – | 16 |
| Bjørn Dæhlie (by total number of medals) |
1991 | 1999 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 17 | |
| Sweden |
Gunde Svan | 1985 | 1991 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 11 |
| Finland |
Klaes Karppinen | 1934 | 1939 | 5 | 5 | – | 10 |
| Soviet Union Kazakhstan |
Vladimir Smirnov | 1987 | 1995 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 11 |
| Kazakhstan (as such only) |
Vladimir Smirnov | 1993 | 1995 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| Russia (as such only) |
Nikita Kryukov (by the gold first ranking system) |
2011 | 2017 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Sergey Ustiugov (by total number of medals) |
2013 | 2019 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 | |
| Russia Russian Ski Federation |
Nikita Kryukov (by the gold first ranking system) |
2011 | 2017 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Alexander Bolshunov (by total number of medals) |
2019 | 2021 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 8 | |
| Germany |
Axel Teichmann | 2003 | 2011 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 8 |
| East Germany |
Gerhard Grimmer | 1970 | 1974 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| Canada |
Alex Harvey | 2011 | 2017 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Estonia |
Andrus Veerpalu | 1999 | 2009 | 2 | 1 | – | 3 |
| Soviet Union (as such only) |
Vladimir Kuzin & Vyacheslav Vedenin (by the gold first ranking system) |
1954 1970 |
1954 1970 |
2 2 |
1 1 |
– – |
3 3 |
| Vladimir Smirnov (by total number of medals) |
1987 | 1991 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |
| Italy |
Maurilio De Zolt & Federico Pellegrino (by the gold first ranking system) |
1985 2015 |
1993 2023 |
1 1 |
3 3 |
2 2 |
6 6 |
| Silvio Fauner (by total number of medals) |
1993 | 1999 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | |
| Czechoslovakia |
František Donth | 1925 | 1927 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Russian Ski Federation (as such only) |
Alexander Bolshunov | 2021 | 2021 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Switzerland |
Dario Cologna* | 2013 | 2015 | 1 | 2 | – | 3 |
| Austria |
Alois Stadlober (by the gold first ranking system) |
1999 | 1999 | 1 | 1 | – | 2 |
| Mikhail Botvinov (by total number of medals, including 1 bronze medal won for Russia) |
1993 | 1999 | 1 | – | 2 | 3 | |
| Spain |
Johann Mühlegg* | 2001 | 2001 | 1 | 1 | – | 2 |
| Czech Republic |
Martin Koukal | 2003 | 2005 | 1 | – | 1 | 2 |
| Poland |
Józef Łuszczek | 1978 | 1978 | 1 | – | 1 | 2 |
| France |
Vincent Vittoz (by the gold first ranking system) |
2005 | 2005 | 1 | – | – | 1 |
| Maurice Manificat (by total number of medals) |
2015 | 2021 | – | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| Belarus |
Leanid Karneyenka* | 2007 | 2007 | – | 1 | – | 1 |
| United States |
Bill Koch* | 1982 | 1982 | – | – | 1 | 1 |
| West Germany |
Walter Demel* | 1966 | 1966 | – | – | 1 | 1 |
An asterisk (*) marks athletes who are the only representatives of their respective countries to win a medal.
Multiple medals at one championship edit
- 5 medals:
- out of 5 possible:
- out of 6 possible:
- 4 medals:
- out of 4 possible:
- out of 5 possible:
1999 Mika Myllylä 
-
1993 Bjørn Dæhlie 
- 1995 Vladimir Smirnov
(all four individual) - 1991 Gunde Svan
- 1995 Bjørn Dæhlie
- 1997 Mika Myllylä
- out of 6 possible:
- 3 medals:
- out of 3 possible:
- 1935 Klaes Karppinen
- 1941 Jussi Kurikkala (1941 Championship subsequently cancelled)
- 1933 Hjalmar Bergström
- 1939 Klaes Karppinen
- 1950 Enar Josefsson
- 1937 Pekka Niemi
- 1941 Alfred Dahlqvist (1941 Championship subsequently cancelled)
- out of 4 possible:
- 1966 Gjermund Eggen
- 1954 Vladimir Kuzin
- 1962 Assar Rönnlund
- 1970 Vyacheslav Vedenin
- 1974 Gerhard Grimmer
- 1958 Sixten Jernberg
- 1985 Gunde Svan
- 1935 Oddbjørn Hagen (2 of 3 medals in cross country + one in Nordic Combined)
- 1954 Arvo Viitanen
- 1958 Veikko Hakulinen
- 1966 Eero Mäntyranta
- 1982 Lars Erik Eriksen
- 1985 Ove Aunli
- 1958 Pavel Kolchin
- 1970 Gerhard Grimmer
- 1985 Maurilio De Zolt
- out of 3 possible:
- 2 medals out of 2 possible:
- 1925 Otakar Německý
(one medal of two possible in cross country + one in Nordic Combined) - 1926 Matti Raivio
- 1927 John Lindgren
- 1931 Johan Grøttumsbråten (one medal of two possible in cross country + one in Nordic Combined)
- 1925 František Donth
- 1929 Veli Saarinen
- 1929 Anselm Knuuttila
- 1930 Arne Rustadstuen
- 1926 Tauno Lappalainen
- 1927 František Donth
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