Winter Olympic Games

Also known as: Winter Games, Winter Olympics

Written by

Mindy Johnston

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 12, 2026 •History

Did You Know?

Olympic competition in two winter sports predates the first Winter Olympic Games: figure skating (debuted at the 1908 London Games) and ice hockey (first played at the 1920 Antwerp Games).

News •

After crashing out at the Olympics, Ilia Malinin starts the long road back to the next Winter Games • Nov. 11, 2026, 12:29 PM ET (Washington Post)

2028 Summer Olympics: LA28 news, updates, qualifying • Nov. 7, 2026, 12:14 AM ET (USA Today)

Prep talk: Teenager from Venice gets his thrills snowboarding • Nov. 1, 2026, 7:15 AM ET (Los Angeles Times)

USA Bobsled strikes deals for higher-tech sleds, with eyes on 2034 Salt Lake City Games • Oct. 28, 2026, 9:13 PM ET (Washington Post)

Once a quieter counterpart to the Summer Olympics, the Winter Olympic Games have grown into a sporting powerhouse, uniting global audiences every four years. Statistics from the event’s first century reflect this rapid expansion: Athlete participation has increased more than tenfold—from more than 250 competitors in 1924 to about 2,900 in 2026. Only 13 of those original athletes were women, who competed in only one of the Games’ nine sports: figure skating. By contrast, the 2026 Milano Cortina Games approached gender parity, with women participating in 12 of the 16 disciplines and comprising 47 percent of all athletes. While the 16 teams in 1924 represented only a small slice of the world, the 90 participating national teams in 2026 illustrate the Olympics’ global reach. With each new Winter Games, new sports have been added to the roster, requiring exceptional strength, speed, agility, grace, and, in many cases, courage beyond spectators’ comprehension. The table below lists the Winter Games with links to more content, surprising facts, notable moments, and profiles of athletes whose stories have captured our attention.

•When representing your country becomes political

Winter Games	Firsts and Notable Facts	Notable Athletes
Chamonix 1924	The Chamonix Games were originally staged as the International Olympic Committee (IOC)-sponsored International Winter Sports Week but not sanctioned as an official Olympic Games. Well-organized and equipped with new facilities, the event was a success and led the IOC to amend its charter in 1925, establishing the Winter Games. Chamonix was thereafter recognized as the first Winter Olympics. Thirteen women participated in the figure skating competitions, the only sport open to female athletes at that time.	Andrée Brunet and Pierre Brunet, Gillis Grafström, Thorleif Haug, Sonja Henie, and Clas Thunberg
St. Moritz 1928	The St. Moritz Olympics were marred by bad weather. The culprit was the foehn, a strong wind that carried with it warm air, causing temperatures to soar above 75 °F (24 °C) some afternoons. Numerous events were rescheduled, and one contest—the 10,000-meter speed skating event—was canceled, though some books list American Irving Jaffee, who held the lead after the first run, as the winner. St. Moritz also marked the return of German athletes, who had been banned from Olympic competition following World War I.	Ivar Ballangrud, Andrée Brunet and Pierre Brunet, Gillis Grafström, Sonja Henie, Irving Jaffee, Karl Schäfer, and Clas Thunberg
Lake Placid 1932	Worldwide economic depression cast a shadow over the Lake Placid Games. Only 17 countries attended, and more than half of the roughly 250 participating athletes were from Canada and the United States. The Games generated little revenue, and the organizers, who had built a new stadium and bobsled run, suffered huge financial losses. The first formal victory ceremonies with the awarding of medals were held at Lake Placid.	Ivar Ballangrud, Andrée Brunet and Pierre Brunet, Eddie Eagan, Gillis Grafström, Sonja Henie, Irving Jaffee, Birger Ruud, Karl Schäfer, and Jack Shea
Garmisch-Partenkirchen 1936	German Chancellor Adolf Hitler opened the 1936 Winter Olympics. Although not as politically charged as the 1936 Berlin Games, the event was manipulated by the Nazi regime, which suppressed unfavorable press coverage and staged lavish celebrations to mark the openings of new facilities. Female athletes were now allowed to compete in two sports: figure skating and Alpine (skiing) combined. The Winter Olympics’ symbolic fire was first lit at the 1936 Games, and radio coverage also debuted.	Ivar Ballangrud, Sonja Henie, Birger Ruud, and Karl Schäfer
	The 1940 Games, scheduled for Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, were canceled because of World War II.
	The 1944 Games, scheduled for Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, were canceled because of World War II.
St. Moritz 1948	After an absence of 12 years as a result of World War II, Olympic competition returned in 1948. The Games, however, felt the effects of the war, as countries were unable to properly equip their teams, forcing athletes to improvise. Twenty-eight countries, represented by 669 athletes, attended: Japan and Germany were not invited to compete. In singles figure skating, Dick Button became the first American to earn a gold medal.	Dick Button, Andrea Mead Lawrence, Henri Oreiller, Birger Ruud, and Barbara Ann Scott
Oslo 1952	The 1952 Games were the first to be held in a Scandinavian country. Oslo saw the Winter Games debut of the Olympic torch, a tradition started in the Summer Games. Athletes from Japan and Germany (West Germans only) were once again allowed to compete. Female athletes participated in cross-country skiing, which became the third sport in which women could compete. The tabulation of figure skating scores was assisted by computers for the first time, enabling the immediate delivery of a skater’s score.	Tenley Albright, Hjalmar Andersen, Dick Button, Carlo Fassi, Veikko Hakulinen, and Andrea Mead Lawrence
Cortina d’Ampezzo 1956	Originally awarded the 1944 Winter Games, which were canceled because of World War II, Cortina d’Ampezzo got another chance to host in 1956. An Italian television network carried live coverage of the Games—a first in the history of the Winter Olympics. The Soviet Union participated in its first Winter Olympics, dominating in many sports, including ice hockey, in which the Soviet team upset the Canadians, the reigning champions. Figure skating competitions were held outdoors for the last time in Cortina.	Tenley Albright, Yevgeny Grishin, Veikko Hakulinen, Carol Heiss, David Jenkins, Hayes Alan Jenkins, Sixten Jernberg, Knut Johannesen, Eugenio Monti, and Anton Sailer
Squaw Valley 1960	The United States hosted the Winter Olympic Games for the first time in 1960, and American television stations carried the Games live. Walt Disney managed the opening ceremonies. There, the Olympic Anthem, composed by Greek composer Spýros Samáras with words of Greek poet Kostís Palamás, was played for the first time in the 20th century (it was last played at the 1896 Athens Games). New sports were added—the biathlon for men and speed skating for women. The bobsledding competition was not held, as organizers declined to build a run after only nine national teams signaled that they would compete.	Yevgeny Grishin, Veikko Hakulinen, Carol Heiss, David Jenkins, Hayes Alan Jenkins, Sixten Jernberg, Knut Johannesen, Eero Mäntyranta, and Lidiya Skoblikova
Innsbruck 1964	Innsbruck became the first Olympic city to hold events throughout the surrounding area, enabling more than one million spectators to watch the contests. For the first time in the Winter Games, the Olympic torch was lit in ancient Olympia, Greece, and then relayed to Innsbruck. The Games’ only major problem was the lack of snow, forcing the Austrian army to carry in more than 25,000 tons of snow for the Alpine skiing events. Artificial ice was first introduced on the bobsled track, making it safer for the athletes. New, potentially dangerous sports debuted: a large-hill ski jump was introduced, and luge joined the program for both men and women. First-time attendees included Mongolia, India, and North Korea.	Peggy Fleming, Christine Goitschel, Marielle Goitschel, Yevgeny Grishin, Toini Gustafsson, Sixten Jernberg, Knut Johannesen, Aga Khan IV, Thomas Köhler, Eero Mäntyranta, Terry McDermott, Eugenio Monti, Oleg Protopopov and Lyudmila Belousova, Lidiya Skoblikova, and Anatoly Tarasov
Grenoble 1968	The 1968 Winter Games, opened by French Pres. Charles de Gaulle, were a triumph for France but were not without problems. Though a great deal of money was spent to ready the industrial city of Grenoble, its lack of facilities resulted in many contests being held in outlying areas. Spectators had to travel great distances to view events, and seven separate Olympic Villages were constructed, which critics claimed detracted from the camaraderie of the Games. The Grenoble Games saw several firsts: They were the first Games broadcast in color; doping controls were introduced; and women were subjected to gender verification tests.	Peggy Fleming, Marielle Goitschel, Yevgeny Grishin, Toini Gustafsson, Dianne Holum, Jean-Claude Killy, Thomas Köhler, Galina Kulakova, Eero Mäntyranta, Terry McDermott, Rosi Mittermaier, Eugenio Monti, Oleg Protopopov and Lyudmila Belousova, Nancy Greene Raine, Ard Schenk, and Anatoly Tarasov
Sapporo 1972	After two unsuccessful attempts to secure the Olympics, Sapporo was finally awarded the 1972 Winter Games, making these the first Winter Games to be held in Asia. The Games were the most extravagant to date. To defray the high expenses, the organizers sold the television rights for over $8 million. Canada’s hockey team withdrew from the games after the IOC rejected its request to allow professional hockey players to play on the team, something that they claimed European countries were already doing.	Dianne Holum, Galina Kulakova, Eero Mäntyranta, Rosi Mittermaier, Marie-Thérèse Nadig, Irina Rodnina, Ard Schenk, Anatoly Tarasov, and Vladislav Tretiak
Innsbruck 1976	The 1976 Games were originally awarded to Denver, but, fearing environmental damage and an increase in costs, the citizens of Colorado voted against staging the event. Denver withdrew as host, and Innsbruck was awarded its second Winter Olympics. Using facilities from the 1964 Winter Games, Innsbruck needed to make only minor renovations to buildings. Two Olympic cauldrons were lit, representing the two times the Games were hosted in Innsbruck. The number of events climbed to 37 with the debut of ice dancing as a medal event.	Robin Cousins, John Curry, Dorothy Hamill, Eric Heiden, Franz Klammer, Galina Kulakova, Rosi Mittermaier, Marie-Thérèse Nadig, Irina Rodnina, Raisa Smetanina, Ingemar Stenmark, and Vladislav Tretiak
Lake Placid 1980	The 1980 Games marked the second time the small upstate New York town of Lake Placid had hosted the Winter Olympics. But, in the age of television and increasing numbers of spectators, Lake Placid was ill-equipped to handle the demands of a modern Games. Transportation was inadequate to move the crowds, and sports facilities were spread throughout the area, making it difficult for spectators to view the events. Organizers were forced to use artificial snow—an Olympic first. American speed skater Eric Heiden claimed another Winter Olympic first when he became the first person to win five individual gold medals in the same year.	Robin Cousins, Jim Craig, Karin Enke, Slava Fetisov, Eric Heiden, Galina Kulakova, Phil Mahre, Annemarie Moser-Pröll, Marie-Thérèse Nadig, Irina Rodnina, Raisa Smetanina, Ingemar Stenmark, Vladislav Tretiak, Hanni Wenzel, and Nikolay Zimyatov
Sarajevo 1984	The awarding of the 14th Winter Olympics to Sarajevo (now in Bosnia and Herzegovina) caught many by surprise, including the host country, Yugoslavia. The choice of Sarajevo proved appropriate, however, as the 1984 Games were highlighted by the appearance of smaller countries. To encourage participation, the IOC agreed to pay the expenses of one male and one female participant from each country. Egypt, the British Virgin Islands, Monaco, Puerto Rico, and Senegal made their Winter Olympics debuts.	Karin Enke, Slava Fetisov, Marja-Liisa Hämäläinen, Scott Hamilton, Dan Jansen, Christa Luding-Rothenburger, Phil Mahre, Matti Nykänen, Raisa Smetanina, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, Vladislav Tretiak, Katarina Witt, and Nikolay Zimyatov
Calgary 1988	The 15th Winter Games marked Canada’s first time as host, and the Games’ duration grew to 16 days, covering 3 weekends. The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) paid $309 million for the television rights, and advertisers were able to influence the starting times of events to maximize their products’ exposure, leading many to charge that the Games resembled well-rehearsed shows instead of sporting contests. The supergiant slalom (super G) was added, and the Alpine combined (downhill and slalom) returned after being absent from the Olympics for 40 years. Curling entered the Games as a demonstration sport (it would become full sport in 1998). And smoking was prohibited at the Games for the first time.	Bonnie Blair, Brian Boitano, Karin Enke, Slava Fetisov, Yekaterina Gordeeva and Sergey Grinkov, Georg Hackl, Marja-Liisa Hämäläinen, Dan Jansen, Christa Luding-Rothenburger, Matti Nykänen, Vreni Schneider, Raisa Smetanina, Alberto Tomba, Vegard Ulvang, Yvonne van Gennip, and Katarina Witt
Albertville 1992	Big changes defined the 1992 Games. It was the last time that the Summer and Winter Games would be held in the same year; the next Winter Games were scheduled for 1994, while the Summer Games were slated for 1996. The 1992 Games also reflected the changing political climate in central and eastern Europe. Competing as the Unified Team, athletes from the former Soviet republics teamed up for the last time. Germany competed as a reunited country following the fall of the Berlin Wall (1989), and Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia competed as independent countries for the first time in more than 50 years. Also for the first time, the Winter Paralympic Games were held in the same region immediately following the Winter Games.	Myriam Bédard, Bonnie Blair, Bjørn Daehlie, Marc Girardelli, Georg Hackl, Marja-Liisa Hämäläinen, Dan Jansen, Johann Olav Koss, Christa Luding-Rothenburger, Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann, Claudia Pechstein, Raisa Smetanina, Alberto Tomba, Cathy Turner, Vegard Ulvang, Yelena Vyalbe, and Lyubov Yegorova
Lillehammer 1994	The 1994 Games were noteworthy for their environmental conservation and commitment to sustainability targets and goals. The republics of the former Soviet Union competed as separate teams, and, after ending its policy of apartheid, South Africa participated for the first time in 34 years. The number of events also increased as more short-track speed skating and freestyle skiing contests were added. With the change in the IOC’s rules regarding amateur status and participation, professional athletes were allowed to compete at Lillehammer, a change that most affected figure skating, leading to the return of past Olympic champions.	Oksana Baiul, Myriam Bédard, Bonnie Blair, Bjørn Daehlie, Manuela Di Centa, Yekaterina Gordeeva and Sergey Grinkov, Georg Hackl, Marja-Liisa Hämäläinen, Tonya Harding, Dan Jansen, Lasse Kjus, Johann Olav Koss, Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann, Claudia Pechstein, Vreni Schneider, Elvis Stojko, Picabo Street, Alberto Tomba, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, Cathy Turner, Vegard Ulvang, Yelena Vyalbe, Lyubov Yegorova, and Armin Zöggeler
Nagano 1998	The most memorable aspect of the Nagano Games was arguably the weather, which brought heavy snow and periods of freezing rain. There was even an earthquake. The Alpine skiing competition was most affected by the heavy snows that caused several events to be rescheduled. The earthquake, which occurred on February 20, was of moderate magnitude but was felt throughout the city and in the smaller towns that served as sports venues. Snowboarding and curling, for both men and women, became Olympic sports, and women’s ice hockey was added to the program.	Ole Einar Bjørndalen, Bjørn Daehlie, Manuela Di Centa, Georg Hackl, Dominik Hašek, Jaromir Jagr, Lasse Kjus, Michelle Kwan, Tara Lipinski, Hermann Maier, Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann, Claudia Pechstein, Manon Rhéaume, Bente Skari, Elvis Stojko, Picabo Street, Hayley Wickenheiser, Yang Yang, and Armin Zöggeler
Salt Lake City 2002	Scandal and security concerns shaped the 2002 Games well before they began. A bribery investigation revealed that the Salt Lake organizing committee had provided cash, gifts, scholarships, and other benefits to IOC members, leading to the resignation of four IOC officials and the Salt Lake committee’s two top executives. The September 11 terrorist attacks and the ensuing war on terrorism heightened fears that heavy security and U.S. nationalism might undermine Olympic ideals of international unity. The number of events expanded to 78: Skeleton sledding—which had only been held twice before, in 1928 and 1948—returned to the program, and women’s bobsledding debuted.	Simon Ammann, Marit Bjørgen, Ole Einar Bjørndalen, Martin Brodeur, Clara Hughes, Lasse Kjus, Cindy Klassen, Janica Kostelić, Michelle Kwan, André Lange, Mario Lemieux, Bode Miller, Apolo Anton Ohno, Sylke Otto, Anja Pärson, Claudia Pechstein, David Pelletier, Yevgeny Plushchenko, Benjamin Raich, Jamie Salé, Bente Skari, Irina Slutskaya, Hayley Wickenheiser, Yang Yang, Steve Yzerman, and Armin Zöggeler
Turin 2006	The Winter Games returned to Italy in 2006 after a 50-year absence. The events were divided among seven villages—mostly in the mountainous Piedmont region to the west—and Turin. Nightly medal ceremonies held in the Piazza Castello, Turin’s main piazza, contributed to a celebratory atmosphere, which impressed the IOC’s president, Jacques Rogge, who suggested that the concept be carried over to subsequent Olympiads. The program also introduced new events, including speed skating team pursuit, mass-start biathlon races, and snowboard cross, a head-to-head downhill race marked by a series of jumps and sharp turns. The number of countries participating expanded with new teams from Albania, Ethiopia, and Madagascar.	Viktor Ahn, Marit Bjørgen, Ole Einar Bjørndalen, Shani Davis, Tatjana Hüfner, Clara Hughes, Jaromir Jagr, Cindy Klassen, Janica Kostelić, Sven Kramer, André Lange, Nicklas Lidstrom, Ted Ligety, Andreas Linger and Wolfgang Linger, Hermann Maier, Apolo Anton Ohno, Sylke Otto, Anja Pärson, Claudia Pechstein, Yevgeny Plushchenko, Benjamin Raich, Irina Slutskaya, Shaun White, Hayley Wickenheiser, Ireen Wüst, Yang Yang, and Armin Zöggeler
Vancouver 2010	Vancouver was the third Canadian city to host an Olympic Games, and the 2010 Games stretched well beyond the city limits, covering a 75-mile (120-km) territory that cut south to the nearby town of Richmond and north to the Coast Mountains resort town of Whistler. Indoor sports such as curling, ice hockey, and all the various skating competitions were held in Vancouver and Richmond, while Whistler hosted most of the Games’ mountain sports, including many skiing and sliding events. The Vancouver opening ceremony was the first Olympic opening ceremony to be held indoors, and three billion worldwide viewers tuned in to watch the 2010 Games’ 17 days of competition.	Simon Ammann, Marit Bjørgen, Ole Einar Bjørndalen, Martin Brodeur, Sidney Crosby, Shani Davis, Martins Dukurs, Steven Holcomb, Tatjana Hüfner, Clara Hughes, Kaillie Humphries, Carlo Janka, Kim Yuna, Sven Kramer, André Lange, Andreas Linger and Wolfgang Linger, Evan Lysacek, Tina Maze, Bode Miller, Apolo Anton Ohno, Anja Pärson, Yevgeny Plushchenko, Aksel Lund Svindal, Jonathan Toews, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, Lindsey Vonn, Shaun White, Hayley Wickenheiser, Ireen Wüst, and Armin Zöggeler
Sochi 2014	The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics marked the first time the Winter Games were held in Russia, which reportedly spent $51 billion on the Games—more than any previous host. Competition venues were organized in two clusters: a coastal cluster along the Black Sea for indoor ice events and a mountain cluster for skiing and sliding sports in the Krasnaya Polyana area of the Caucasus Mountains. A record 88 national Olympic committees participated—among them newcomers Malta, Paraguay, East Timor, Togo, Tonga, and Zimbabwe. Twelve new events debuted, including women’s ski jumping and snowboarding for both men and women.	Viktor Ahn, Marit Bjørgen, Ole Einar Bjørndalen, Patrick Chan, Sidney Crosby, Martins Dukurs, Marcel Hirscher, Steven Holcomb, Tatjana Hüfner, Kaillie Humphries, Kim Yuna, Sven Kramer, Ted Ligety, Andreas Linger and Wolfgang Linger, Tina Maze, Bode Miller, Yevgeny Plushchenko, Mikaela Shiffrin, Jonathan Toews, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, Hayley Wickenheiser, Ireen Wüst, and Hanyu Yuzuru
Pyeongchang 2018	The 23rd occurrence of the Winter Olympic Games was the first Winter Games hosted by South Korea. North Korea and South Korea marched together at the opening ceremonies under a unified Korea banner. Four new events were added: men’s and women’s snowboard big air, mixed doubles curling, men’s and women’s speed skating mass start, and mixed team Alpine skiing. Ecuador, Eritrea, Kosovo, Malaysia, Nigeria, and Singapore made their Winter Games debut.	Marit Bjørgen, Patrick Chan, Marcel Hirscher, Kaillie Humphries, Chloe Kim, Sven Kramer, Sarah Nurse, Mikaela Shiffrin, Aksel Lund Svindal, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, Lindsey Vonn, Shaun White, Ireen Wüst, and Hanyu Yuzuru
Beijing 2022	In 2022 Beijing became the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics. The Winter Games were held across three zones: Beijing, the Yanqing zone, about 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Beijing, and the Zhangjiakou zone, more than 100 miles (160 km) northwest of Beijing. Each zone had its own Olympic Village, and a high-speed railway connected Beijing and Zhangjiakou. Held during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Games followed strict health protocols and overseas spectators were not allowed. Seven new events debuted, including freestyle skiing big air for men and women.	Eileen Gu, Kaillie Humphries, Lindsey Jacobellis, Chloe Kim, Sarah Nurse, and Ireen Wüst
Milano Cortina 2026	The Milano Cortina Winter Games featured 116 events across 16 winter sports and drew some 2,900 athletes from 90 countries as participants. The Games took place in eight locations spread across northern Italy, a region renowned as a winter sports destination because of its proximity to the Alps. Making its Olympic debut in 2026 was ski mountaineering, or skimo, in which participants first wear boots and climbing skins to ascend mountainous terrain and then descend a slope using downhill skiing techniques.	Sidney Crosby, Amber Glenn, Eileen Gu, Kaillie Humphries, Chloe Kim, Ilia Malinin, Connor McDavid, Sarah Nurse, Mikaela Shiffrin, and Lindsey Vonn