The Olympic Games are an amazing spectacle that unites us in an incredible spirit of sportsmanship. We come together as we cheer for winners and commiserate with losers; we yell at TV screens while high-fiving strangers alike!
The Olympic Winter Games take place every two years and feature 15 sports. Here we present some interesting facts about this sporting event that you might not already be aware of!
1. The first Winter Olympics were held in 1924
The Winter Olympic Games showcase cold-weather sports, featuring skiers, ice skaters, snowboarders and hockey players from around the globe. Running since 1924 and now an international sporting phenomenon, Gail Herman covers their history from 1924 up until 1994’s Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan controversy and how it evolved into one of the greatest sporting spectacles on earth today.
In 1924, Chamonix in France hosted its inaugural Winter Olympic Games, although at that time they weren’t known as such but instead “International Winter Sports Week.” Around 250 athletes from 16 nations competed across various events such as cross-country skiing, figure skating and bobsled competition. After these events had proven incredibly popular two years later the International Olympic Committee retroactively declared them as the inaugural Winter Olympic Games.
Prior to the introduction of Winter Olympic competition in 1924, there had been no international winter sports competition on an organized level. Although Nordic Games had been held regularly starting in 1901 in Europe, in 1921 the International Olympic Committee discussed adding winter edition of their Games; this idea met resistance by Scandinavian countries who felt this would compete with their own Nordic Games and compromise them.
After much consideration, the IOC agreed to host an “International Winter Sports Week” in Chamonix in 1924. Despite initial reservations, this Winter Olympic was an overwhelming success – both spectators were amazed by competitors’ athleticism and many were surprised that winter sports could be so physical. Furthermore, organizers of these games wanted to foster greater love of sport by showing that Olympic ideals could be realized both winter and summer sports events.
The inaugural Winter Olympics were an overwhelming success and quickly expanded into new events, such as curling, ski jumping, and speed skating. Now, more sports than ever are part of this world-class sporting competition.
2. The first Winter Olympics were held in 1932
The Winter Olympic Games debuted in 1924 but did not reach North America until 1932. Lake Placid became the host village for this inaugural North American Olympic Games; construction of venues started just two years before their arrival and organizers depended heavily on local business owners for support during construction of these world-class sporting events.
The 1932 Winter Olympic Games were held in the United States and featured six events: ski jumping, bobsleighing, cross-country skiing, figure skating and hockey. Athletes competed to earn their place on the medal podium at the conclusion of each event and this marked the inaugural inclusion of women’s figure skating into Olympic competition.
One of the highlights of the 1932 Olympic Games was its introduction of two-man bobsled for the first time, with American brothers J. Hubert and Curtis Stevens winning gold by using an unconventional “secret weapon”–a blowtorch! Additionally, American boxer Eddie Eagan became the first athlete to ever earn both winter and summer gold medals during this Olympics.
Speed-skating competitions were held under American rules at this time, prompting Clas Thunberg of Finland to refuse participation as an act of protest against these changes. Furthermore, Olympic Medals were given out on pedestals rather than boxes – an occurrence which would remain for future Games.
The Winter Olympic Games remain a beloved tradition in the United States. Lake Placid hosted two winter Olympic events (1932 and 1980) before Salt Lake City hosted in 1960 and Squaw Valley hosted in 1980; only this country hosted multiple winter Olympics multiple times (Denver was originally chosen as host but voters rejected the bid and instead the Games took place in Innsbruck).
3. The first Winter Olympics were held in 1980
Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympics Committee, which later organized modern Olympic Games. The purpose was to honor athletes of all nations while encouraging talent development and sportsmanship; furthermore, these games would also promote international understanding through goodwill-building initiatives. As some winter sports were impractical for warmer climates to host, this initiative provided the IOC an additional event dedicated to winter sports competition.
The inaugural Winter Olympic Games were hosted at Lake Placid, New York in 1980 and became one of the most notable sporting events ever seen in terms of performance. US men’s hockey team created a sensation when it managed to outwit heavily-favored Soviet team to claim gold, while speed skater Eric Heiden won five gold medals – more than any athlete has ever accomplished at once!
These inaugural Winter Olympic events marked just the beginning of a long tradition of unforgettable winter games. Since then, the Olympics have grown and developed over time, expanding and diversifying to incorporate new sports and events. Alongside skiing and ice skating, today’s Winter Games also include exciting bobsleighing events, curling competitions, ski jumping competitions and snowboarding tournaments as part of their exciting roster of sports events.
But the Winter Olympic Games have not always been free from controversy and scandal. The IOC has encountered various internal issues ranging from athletes using performance enhancing drugs to political boycotts; plus some sports were removed altogether (military patrol, for instance – though biathlon is descended from it).
Winter Olympic games continue to evolve and inspire both athletes and fans. We’ve witnessed incredible moments like Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean’s groundbreaking Bolero routine from 1984, or Eddie the Eagle from Jamaica making his Olympic debut in 1988. Women’s hockey tournament in 1998 marked an historic step when women could join play for the first time; 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City also witnessed U.S athletes Ross Powers and Danny Kass take top spots in halfpipe competition.
4. The first Winter Olympics were held in Sochi
The inaugural Winter Olympic Games took place in 1924, and were an enormous success! Since then, the Winter Olympic Games have expanded to encompass multiple sports like figure skating, skiing and ice hockey as well as demonstration events like skijoring (involvement of athletes being pulled on skis behind riderless horses for demonstration). Although it might look terrifying at first glance, skijoring can actually be quite entertaining to watch!
Winter Olympic Games typically occur during February in the Northern Hemisphere winter season; however, they’ve also been held in April (for 1948 Olympics) and March (for 1972 Games). They tend to take place in cities with snow-covered areas but can also include other forms of winter sport, like alpine skiing and bobsleighing.
In 1924, Chamonix hosted its inaugural Winter Olympic Games – and they were an immediate success! Already home to ski jumps and bobsled runs, Chamonix saw some fantastic performances during these inaugural competitions!
Charles Jewtraw of the United States won men’s speed skating gold while Norwegian figure skater Sonja Henie claimed her second Olympic crown. These Games were opened by Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt – later to become president.
The 1968 Winter Olympic Games were hosted in Grenoble, France and were an incredible success, marking the first time women competed across all winter sports disciplines and athletes from around the globe took part in such an event.
By the late 1980s, Winter Olympics had expanded to encompass many new sports like biathlon, luge and snowboarding. Furthermore, 1984 marked the inaugural Winter Olympic games to be hosted outside of Soviet Russia.
In 2014, Russia hosted its inaugural Winter Olympic Games at Sochi. Although an unlikely host for winter sports events, Sochi is an idyllic subtropical resort known for its beaches and parks – both ideal places for spectators at winter games! But Sochi also houses numerous Russian military bases – something many consider corrupt, given the high crime rate there.