|
observer |
|
|
|
|
|
OTHER LINKS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As its name implies, the Winter Olympic Games is a multi-sports event which feature sports events held on ice and snow. The athletes compete for gold, silver and bronze medals, just as in the summer Olympics.
The number of participants are generally less than that of summer Olympics, obviously because of geographical reasons because people in countries close to the equator do not have the opportunity to engage in winter sports.
History and Evolution
When the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was established in 1894, there was only the summer Olympics, and the proposed list of sports contained one winter sport which was ice skating.
But, it was only in the 1908 Olympics held in London that this event was conducted for the first time.
It was proposed by the Italian Count Eugenio Brunetta d'Usseaux that the IOC should consider having a Winter Sports Week. But, the IOC opposed the idea since they had an idea to promote the Nordic Games, which was a winter sports event that took place every four years during that time.
|
|
However, the idea of a Winter Sports Week came up again in the 1916 Olympics which was to be held in Berlin. This time, the IOC accepted the idea, but unfortunately, due to World War 1 which erupted in 1914, the event was cancelled.
The first Olympics after the war, which was held in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium had figure skating and ice hockey in the list of games. At the IOC Congress held in 1921, it was decided that the organisers of the next Olympics would also host a separate 'International Winter Sports Week,' under the patronage of the IOC.
This 'Week' became a great success and in 1925, the IOC decided to create a separate Olympic Winter Games, not connected to the Summer Olympics.
The first winter sports games which was held in Chamonix, France in 1924 was declared as the first Winter Olympics by the IOC at their 24th IOC Congress in 1926 retroactively. This event witnessed the participation of 200 sportsmen and women from 16 countries competing in 16 sports.
Since then, the Winter Olympics have evolved, adding new sports events and increasing participation. It has captured almost the same level of attention as the Summer Olympics. The Italian city of Turin ('Torino' in Italian) hosted the 2006 Winter Olympics and it was the second time that Italy hosted the Winter Olympic Games, after Cortina d'Ampezzo in 1956.
The opening ceremonies for the Olympics were the last ones to be held outdoors for a Winter Olympics until the 2014 Winter Olympics, because the ones for the 2010 Winter Olympics will be held indoors. To this date, Turin is the largest city ever to host a Winter Olympics. However, that will change when Vancouver hosts the 2010 Winter Olympics, which is the second time in history that Canada is hosting the event.
***
Olympic Winter Games Year Venue
I 1924 Chamonix, France
II 1928 St. Moritz, Switzerland
III 1932 Lake Placid, New York, United States
IV 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
V 1948 St. Moritz, Switzerland
VI 1952 Oslo, Norway
VII 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy
VIII 1960 Squaw Valley, California, United States
IX 1964 Innsbruck, Austria
X 1968 Grenoble, France
XI 1972 Sapporo, Japan
XII 1976 Innsbruck, Austria
XIII 1980 Lake Placid, New York, United States
XIV 1984 Sarajevo, Yugoslavia (now Bosnia and Herzegovina)
XV 1988 Calgary, Alberta, Canada
XVI 1992 Albertville, France
XVII 1994 Lillehammer, Norway
XVIII 1998 Nagano, Japan
XIX 2002 Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
XX 2006 Turin, Italy
XXI 2010 *Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
***
List of sports and events in Winter Olympics
* Alpine skiing
* Biathlon
* Bobsleigh
* Cross country skiing
* Curling
* Figure skating
* Freestyle skiing
* Ice hockey
* Luge
* Nordic Combined
* Short track speed skating
* Skeleton
* Ski jumping
* Snow boarding
* Speed skating
* Winter Pentathlon
Comprising Cross Country Skiing, Shooting, Downhill Skiing, Fencing and Horse Riding.
Send your comments to:- [email protected]
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|