Slow Reveal
Notice, Wonder, Connect
This data shows the medal tallies for the 2023 Arctic Winter Games in a pictographic format. Complete listings are here. There’s a wide range in the number of medals won by each team, from close to 25 total to close to 165 (numbers are approximate because of rounding).
There are a variety of possible reasons for why some teams win more medals:
- Some teams are bigger than other teams
- The population pools are larger for some teams
- There are more than 730,000 people in Alaska and fewer than 14,500 in Nunavik.
- Distance from home to location of the Games is closer and it’s easier for more athletes to travel
- Some teams can afford to bring more athletes because of the cost of:
- Transportation to the Games
- Uniforms, equipment
- Food and lodging during the Games
- Athletes from some teams are better prepared in some sports
- Training knowledge and experience is greater in some some communities than in others
- On-going financial support for all or some sports varies and impacts:
- What kinds of sports facilities, training, equipment are available back home, when, and for whom
- The number of events in different sports varies considerably.
- There are two or three events in most team sports such as Basketball, Curling or Volleyball. In contrast, there are multiple events in individual sports such as Arctic Sports (35), Wrestling (25), Dene (24) and Cross Country Skiing (24).
| Contingent | Population |
| Alaska | 733,583 |
| Northern Alberta | 386,000 (2011) |
| Sápmi(Sámi people of Sápmi region; northern Scandinavia) | Unknown. Estimates range from 50,000-135,000 |
| Greenland | 56,562 |
| Northwest Territories | 45,605 |
| Yukon | 43,789 |
| Nunavut | 40,526 |
| Nunavik | 14,405 (2021) |
The contingent with the largest population, Alaska, took home the second most medals. The team with the most medals, Yukon, is the contingent with the third smallest population.
Additional Resources:
Alaska Well-represented at 2023 Arctic Winter Games in Canada (Alaska News Source)
Juneau Athletes Represent at First Arctic Winter Games Since 2018 (KTOO)