The 1948 Winter Olympics, officially known as the V Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as St. Moritz 1948, were a winter multi-sport event held from 30 January to 8 February 1948 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The Games were the first to be celebrated after World War II; it had been twelve years since the last Winter Games in 1936.
At the 1936 Winter Olympics, four speed skating events were contested. The competitions were held on Tuesday, 11 February 1936, Wednesday, 12 February 1936, Thursday, 13 February 1936, and on Friday, 14 February 1936.
Canada competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Canada has competed at every Winter Olympic Games. Canadian Olympic Committee secretary-treasurer Fred Marples served as head of mission for the Canadian delegation to the Olympics and oversaw all travel arrangements. Amateur Athletic Union of Canada president W. A. Fry self-published a book covering Canadian achievements at the 1936 Winter Olympics and 1936 Summer Olympics. His 1936 book, Canada at eleventh Olympiad 1936 in Germany : Garmisch-Partenkirchen, February 6th to 13th, Berlin, August 1st to 16th, was printed by the Dunnville Chronicle presses and subtitled an official report of the Canadian Olympic Committee. He wrote that Canadians did very well at the 1936 Olympic games despite having one-tenth of the population of other countries. He opined that the length of the Canadian winter negatively affected summer training, and that Canadian athletes were underfunded compared to other countries.
Sweden competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
The United States competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland competed as Great Britain at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
Norway competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
Austria competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
Italy competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
Switzerland competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
Hungary competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
Finland competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
Athletes from the Kingdom of Yugoslavia competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Yugoslavia returned to the Winter Olympic Games after having missed the 1932 Winter Olympics.
Poland competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
Germany was the host nation at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The country placed second in the medal standings.
Japan competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. With Sapporo being the host of the cancelled 1940 Winter Olympics, a Japanese segment was performed at the closing ceremony.
Latvia competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. The nation returned to the Winter Games after having missed the 1932 Winter Olympics. These Games would be the last time that Latvia would compete at the Winter Games as an independent nation until the 1992 Winter Olympics. After the nation was annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940, Latvian athletes would compete at the Olympic Games as part of the USSR delegations.
Athletes from Germany (GER) have appeared in only 20 of the 22 editions of the Winter Olympic Games as they were not invited to two events after the World Wars, in 1924 and 1948. Germany hosted the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and had been selected to host in 1940 again.
For the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, a total of six sports venues were used. Alpine skiing events took place for the first time and were held in three different locations. Riessersee held the speed skating and some of the ice hockey matches while the bobsleigh events took place south of the lake. The ski jump and its neighboring stadium played host to the cross-country skiing, Nordic combined, and ski jumping events. Even though figure skating and some of the ice hockey matches took place outdoors at the ice stadium, the ice itself was artificially refrigerated to prevent ice thawing.
