Raymond Rajabalan The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics will be held on February 12-28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the resort town of Whistler near- by. The 2010 Winter Olympics will be the third Olympics hosted by Canada, and the first by the province of British Columbia. Previously, Canada was home to the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. These will also be the first games to be held in a National Hockey League mar- ket since the league allowed its players to participate, starting at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
Following Olympic tradition, then Vancouver mayor Sam Sullivan received the Olympic flag during the closing ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. The flag was raised on February 28, 2006, in a special ceremony, and will be on display at Vancouver City Hall until the Olympic opening ceremony. The event will be officially opened by Governor General Michaëlle Jean. Winter Olympic Games The Winter Olympic Games are a winter multi-sport event held every four years. They fea- ture winter sports held on snow or ice, such as Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, figure skat- ing, bobsledding and ice hockey. Cross-country skiing, figure skat- ing, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping, and speed skating have been competed at every Winter Olympics since 1924. Other athletic events have been added as the Games have pro- gressed. Some of these events, such as luge, short track speed skating, and freestyle skiing have earned a permanent spot on the Olympic programme. Fewer countries participate in the Winter Olympics than the Summer Olympics.
The first Winter Olympics were held in Chamonix, France. Figure skating and ice hockey had been events at the Summer Olympics prior to 1924. The Games were held every four years from 1924 until 1940 when they were interrupted by World War II. The winter and Summer Games resumed in 1948 and were celebrated on the same year until 1992. At that time the Winter Games split from the Summer Games. The summer and Winter Olympics are currently cel- ebrated on alternating even years. The first Winter Olympic Games to be held on this new schedule was in 1994 in Lillehammer, Norway. The Winter Games have undergone significant changes since their inception. The rise of television as a global medium for communication has greatly enhanced the profile of the Games. Many countries have played home to the Winter Olympics. France has been host to the Games three times. The United States has hosted the Games four times, more than any other coun- try. Several countries including Italy, Japan, Austria and Norway have hosted the Games twice.
The next host city will be Vancouver, Canada in 2010. This will be the second time the Games will be held in Canada. The Games will then be hosted by Sochi, Russia in 2014. This will be the first time that Russia has hosted a Winter Olympic Games. History The first international multi- sport event specifically for winter sports were the Nordic Games, held in 1901 in Sweden. The Nordic Games were organized by General Viktor Gustaf Balck. They were held again in 1903, again in 1905, and then every four years there after until 1926. Three years later, Italian count Eugenio Brunetta d’Usseaux pro- posed that the IOC stage a week with winter sports as part of the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm.
The organizers opposed this idea; their reasoning was two-fold: they desired to pro- tect the integrity of the Nordic Games; and they were concerned about a lack of facilities that could accommodate winter sports. The idea was resurrected for the 1916 Games, which were to be held in Berlin. A winter sports week with speed skating, figure skating, ice hockey and Nordic skiing was planned, but the 1916 Olympics were cancelled after the outbreak of World War I. The first Olympics after the war, the 1920 Games in Antwerp featured figure skating with the addition of ice hockey. At the IOC Congress held the following year, it was decided that the organizers of the 1924 Summer Olympics, France, would also host a sepa- rate “International Winter Sports Week”, under the patronage of the IOC. This “week” of events in Chamonix proved to be a great success. More than 200 athletes from 16 nations competed in 16 events. In 1925 the IOC decided to create a separate Olympic Winter Games, and the 1924 Games in Chamonix were retroac- tively designated as the first Winter Olympics St. Moritz, Switzerland was appointed by the IOC to host the second Olympic Winter Games in 1928. Fluctuating weather condi- tions made these Olympics mem- orable.
The opening ceremonies were held in a blizzard. In con- trast, warm weather conditions plagued the Olympics for the remainder of the Games the weather was not the only note- worthy aspect of the 1928 Games; Sonja Henie of Norway created a sensation when she won the figure skating competi- tion at the age of 15. She became the youngest Olympic champion in history, a distinction she would hold for 74 years. The next Winter Olympics was the first to be hosted outside of Europe. Fewer athletes participat- ed than in 1928, as the journey to Lake Placid, United Sates was a long and expensive one for most competitors, and there was little money for sports in the midst of the Great Depression. These Games were also marred by warm weather. Virtually no snow fell for two months preceding the Games.
It was not until mid- January that there was enough snow to hold all the events. Sonja Henie defended her Olympic title. Eddie Eagan, who had been an Olympic champion in boxing in 1920, won the gold in the men’s bobsled event to become the first, and so far only, Olympian to have won gold medals in both the sum- mer and Winter Olympics The Bavarian towns of Garmisch and Partenkirchen joined to organize the 1936 edi- tion of the Winter Games, held from February 6-16. 1936 marked the last year that the summer and Winter Olympics were held in the same country. World War II The Second World War inter- rupted the celebration of the Winter Olympics. Garmisch- Partenkirchen, the hosts of the previous Olympics, stepped in to host the Winter Games again, but both summer and Winter Olympics were cancelled in their entirety in November 1939 follow- ing Germany’s invasion of Poland. The 1944 Winter Olympics, scheduled to take place in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, were cancelled in the summer of 1941, due to the continuing World War. 1948 to 1960 The IOC selected the Swiss town of St. Moritz to host the first post-war Games in 1948. St. Moritz was untouched by World War II because of Switzerland’s neutrality. The city of Oslo, Norway, was selected to host the 1952 Winter Olympics.
The Olympic Flame was lit in the fireplace of the home of skiing pioneer Sondre Nordheim. The torch relay was conducted by 94 participants and held entirely on skis. Bandy, a popular sport in the Nordic countries, was held as a demonstration sport though only Norway, Sweden, and Finland fielded teams After not being able to host the Games in 1944 due to the War, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, was selected to organize the 1956 Winter Olympics. At the opening ceremonies the final torch bearer, Guido Caroli, entered the Olympic Stadium on ice skates. As he skat- ed around the stadium rink his skate caught on a cable and he fell, nearly extinguishing the flame. He was able to recover and lit the cauldron. These were the first Winter Games to be tele- vised. The Cortina Games were used as an experiment on the fea- sibility of televising sporting events on such a large scale. These Games marked the debut of the Soviet Union at the Winter Olympics.
The IOC awarded the 1960 Olympics to Squaw Valley, United States. . The opening and closing ceremonies were produced by Walt Disney. These Games were the first to have a dedicated ath- lete’s village, and the first to use a computer to tabulate results. 1964 to 1980 The Tyrolean city of Innsbruck was the host in 1964. Despite being a traditional winter sports resort, warm weather caused a lack of snow during the Games and the Austrian army was called in to bring snow and ice to the sport venues. Soviet speed skat- ing star Lidia Skoblikova made history by sweeping all four speed skating events. Her career total of six gold medals set a record for the most medals by a Winter Olympics athlete. Luge was first contested in these Olympics, although the sport received bad publicity when a competitor was killed in a pre-Olympic training run. Held in the French town of Grenoble, the 1968 Winter Olympics was the first Olympic Games to be broadcast in colour. Frenchman Jean-Claude Killy became only the second person
Raymond Rajabalan The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics will be held on February 12-28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the resort town of Whistler near- by. The 2010 Winter Olympics will be the third Olympics hosted by Canada, and the first by the province of British Columbia. Previously, Canada was home to the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. These will also be the first games to be held in a National Hockey League mar- ket since the league allowed its players to participate, starting at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
Following Olympic tradition, then Vancouver mayor Sam Sullivan received the Olympic flag during the closing ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. The flag was raised on February 28, 2006, in a special ceremony, and will be on display at Vancouver City Hall until the Olympic opening ceremony. The event will be officially opened by Governor General Michaëlle Jean. Winter Olympic Games The Winter Olympic Games are a winter multi-sport event held every four years. They fea- ture winter sports held on snow or ice, such as Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, figure skat- ing, bobsledding and ice hockey. Cross-country skiing, figure skat- ing, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping, and speed skating have been competed at every Winter Olympics since 1924. Other athletic events have been added as the Games have pro- gressed. Some of these events, such as luge, short track speed skating, and freestyle skiing have earned a permanent spot on the Olympic programme. Fewer countries participate in the Winter Olympics than the Summer Olympics.
The first Winter Olympics were held in Chamonix, France. Figure skating and ice hockey had been events at the Summer Olympics prior to 1924. The Games were held every four years from 1924 until 1940 when they were interrupted by World War II. The winter and Summer Games resumed in 1948 and were celebrated on the same year until 1992. At that time the Winter Games split from the Summer Games. The summer and Winter Olympics are currently cel- ebrated on alternating even years. The first Winter Olympic Games to be held on this new schedule was in 1994 in Lillehammer, Norway. The Winter Games have undergone significant changes since their inception. The rise of television as a global medium for communication has greatly enhanced the profile of the Games. Many countries have played home to the Winter Olympics. France has been host to the Games three times. The United States has hosted the Games four times, more than any other coun- try. Several countries including Italy, Japan, Austria and Norway have hosted the Games twice.
The next host city will be Vancouver, Canada in 2010. This will be the second time the Games will be held in Canada. The Games will then be hosted by Sochi, Russia in 2014. This will be the first time that Russia has hosted a Winter Olympic Games. History The first international multi- sport event specifically for winter sports were the Nordic Games, held in 1901 in Sweden. The Nordic Games were organized by General Viktor Gustaf Balck. They were held again in 1903, again in 1905, and then every four years there after until 1926. Three years later, Italian count Eugenio Brunetta d’Usseaux pro- posed that the IOC stage a week with winter sports as part of the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm.
The organizers opposed this idea; their reasoning was two-fold: they desired to pro- tect the integrity of the Nordic Games; and they were concerned about a lack of facilities that could accommodate winter sports. The idea was resurrected for the 1916 Games, which were to be held in Berlin. A winter sports week with speed skating, figure skating, ice hockey and Nordic skiing was planned, but the 1916 Olympics were cancelled after the outbreak of World War I. The first Olympics after the war, the 1920 Games in Antwerp featured figure skating with the addition of ice hockey. At the IOC Congress held the following year, it was decided that the organizers of the 1924 Summer Olympics, France, would also host a sepa- rate “International Winter Sports Week”, under the patronage of the IOC. This “week” of events in Chamonix proved to be a great success. More than 200 athletes from 16 nations competed in 16 events. In 1925 the IOC decided to create a separate Olympic Winter Games, and the 1924 Games in Chamonix were retroac- tively designated as the first Winter Olympics St. Moritz, Switzerland was appointed by the IOC to host the second Olympic Winter Games in 1928. Fluctuating weather condi- tions made these Olympics mem- orable.
The opening ceremonies were held in a blizzard. In con- trast, warm weather conditions plagued the Olympics for the remainder of the Games the weather was not the only note- worthy aspect of the 1928 Games; Sonja Henie of Norway created a sensation when she won the figure skating competi- tion at the age of 15. She became the youngest Olympic champion in history, a distinction she would hold for 74 years. The next Winter Olympics was the first to be hosted outside of Europe. Fewer athletes participat- ed than in 1928, as the journey to Lake Placid, United Sates was a long and expensive one for most competitors, and there was little money for sports in the midst of the Great Depression. These Games were also marred by warm weather. Virtually no snow fell for two months preceding the Games.
It was not until mid- January that there was enough snow to hold all the events. Sonja Henie defended her Olympic title. Eddie Eagan, who had been an Olympic champion in boxing in 1920, won the gold in the men’s bobsled event to become the first, and so far only, Olympian to have won gold medals in both the sum- mer and Winter Olympics The Bavarian towns of Garmisch and Partenkirchen joined to organize the 1936 edi- tion of the Winter Games, held from February 6-16. 1936 marked the last year that the summer and Winter Olympics were held in the same country. World War II The Second World War inter- rupted the celebration of the Winter Olympics. Garmisch- Partenkirchen, the hosts of the previous Olympics, stepped in to host the Winter Games again, but both summer and Winter Olympics were cancelled in their entirety in November 1939 follow- ing Germany’s invasion of Poland. The 1944 Winter Olympics, scheduled to take place in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, were cancelled in the summer of 1941, due to the continuing World War. 1948 to 1960 The IOC selected the Swiss town of St. Moritz to host the first post-war Games in 1948. St. Moritz was untouched by World War II because of Switzerland’s neutrality. The city of Oslo, Norway, was selected to host the 1952 Winter Olympics.
The Olympic Flame was lit in the fireplace of the home of skiing pioneer Sondre Nordheim. The torch relay was conducted by 94 participants and held entirely on skis. Bandy, a popular sport in the Nordic countries, was held as a demonstration sport though only Norway, Sweden, and Finland fielded teams After not being able to host the Games in 1944 due to the War, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, was selected to organize the 1956 Winter Olympics. At the opening ceremonies the final torch bearer, Guido Caroli, entered the Olympic Stadium on ice skates. As he skat- ed around the stadium rink his skate caught on a cable and he fell, nearly extinguishing the flame. He was able to recover and lit the cauldron. These were the first Winter Games to be tele- vised. The Cortina Games were used as an experiment on the fea- sibility of televising sporting events on such a large scale. These Games marked the debut of the Soviet Union at the Winter Olympics.
The IOC awarded the 1960 Olympics to Squaw Valley, United States. . The opening and closing ceremonies were produced by Walt Disney. These Games were the first to have a dedicated ath- lete’s village, and the first to use a computer to tabulate results. 1964 to 1980 The Tyrolean city of Innsbruck was the host in 1964. Despite being a traditional winter sports resort, warm weather caused a lack of snow during the Games and the Austrian army was called in to bring snow and ice to the sport venues. Soviet speed skat- ing star Lidia Skoblikova made history by sweeping all four speed skating events. Her career total of six gold medals set a record for the most medals by a Winter Olympics athlete. Luge was first contested in these Olympics, although the sport received bad publicity when a competitor was killed in a pre-Olympic training run. Held in the French town of Grenoble, the 1968 Winter Olympics was the first Olympic Games to be broadcast in colour. Frenchman Jean-Claude Killy became only the second person