The Winter Olympic Games is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympics, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were held in Chamonix, France. The modern Olympic games were inspired by the ancient Olympic Games, which were held in Olympia, Greece, from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894, leading to the first modern Summer Games in Athens, Greece in 1896. The IOC is the governing body of the Olympic Movement, with the Olympic Charter defining its structure and authority.
The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event that was held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which were held in Stockholm, Sweden, in June 1956.
The 1940 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XII Olympiad, were originally scheduled to be held from September 21 to October 6, 1940, in Tokyo, Japan. They were rescheduled for Helsinki, Finland, to be held from July 20 to August 4, 1940, but were ultimately cancelled due to the outbreak of World War II. Helsinki eventually hosted the 1952 Summer Olympics and Tokyo the 1964 Summer Olympics.
Athletics has been contested at every Summer Olympics since the birth of the modern Olympic movement at the 1896 Summer Olympics. The athletics program traces its earliest roots to events used in the ancient Greek Olympics. The modern program includes track and field events, road running events, and racewalking events. Cross country running was also on the program in earlier editions but it was dropped after the 1924 Summer Olympics.
New Zealand at the 1952 Summer Olympics was represented by a team of 14 competitors and three officials. Selection of the team for the Games in Helsinki, Finland, was the responsibility of the New Zealand Olympic and British Empire Games Association. New Zealand's flagbearer at the opening ceremony was Harold Cleghorn. The New Zealand team finished equal 24th on the medal table, winning a total of three medals, one of which was gold.
Athletes from Germany (GER) have appeared in 27 of the 30 Summer Olympic Games, having competed in all Games except those of 1920, 1924 and 1948, when they were not permitted to do so. Germany has hosted the Summer Olympic Games twice; the 1936 Games in Berlin, and the 1972 Games in Munich.
At the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, the six alpine skiing events were held from Friday, 27 January to Friday, 3 February.
At the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway, the six alpine skiing events were held from Thursday, 14 February, to Wednesday, 20 February. The downhill and giant slalom events were held at Norefjell in Krødsherad, Buskerud, and the slalom events at Rødkleiva in Oslo.
Alpine skiing has been contested at every Winter Olympics since 1936, when a combined event was held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
Gymnastics at the 1952 Summer Olympics was represented by 15 events: 7 for women and 8 for men. All events were held between July 19 and July 24 in the Messuhalli building in Helsinki. Men's events were held in Exhibition Hall I while women's events were contested in the smaller Exhibition Hall II.
Germany competed at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway after not having been invited to the 1948 Winter Olympics because of the role in World War II, and because the NOC restored in 1947 as Deutscher Olympischer Ausschuß did not represent a recognized state yet. The Federal Republic of Germany was founded in 1949, the NOC for Germany was renamed and in 1951 recognized by the IOC while recognition of a separate NOC of the GDR was declined. East Germans were told to cooperate in a single team Germany, which they declined in 1952, but accepted for 1956 and later.
Portugal sent a delegation to compete in the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway from 15–25 February 1952. This was the nation's first time participating in the Winter Olympic Games, and it would be 36 years before they competed in the Winter Olympics again. Portugal was represented in Oslo by a single alpine skier, Duarte Silva. In his only event, the men's downhill, he came in 69th place.
Lebanon sent a delegation to compete at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway from 14–25 February 1952. This was the country's second time competing in a Winter Olympic Games, after their first appearance four years prior. Lebanon was represented in these Olympics by a single alpine skier, Ibrahim Geagea. He competed in three events, and his best finish was 57th in the men's downhill competition.
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.
Bandy was held as a demonstration sport at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo.
The 1952 Winter Olympics were held in and around Oslo, Norway, from 14 to 25 February 1952. Ten competition and eight non-competition venues were used, in addition to three designated, but unused, reserve competition venues. Six of the competition venues were located in Oslo, while one each was located in Bærum, Skedsmo, Drammen and Krødsherad. Bislett stadion was the centerpiece of the games, hosting the opening and closing ceremonies, the speed skating and the figure skating. Bislett featured both a 400-meter (1,300 ft) circumference speed skating track and a 60-meter (200 ft) long rink used for figure skating, separated by snow banks. Two reserve venues were designated for the skating events, Tryvann stadion in Oslo and Hamar stadion in Hamar.
The men's coxed four competition at the 1952 Summer Olympics took place at Mei Bay, Helsinki, Finland. It was held from 20 to 23 August and was won by the team from Czechoslovakia.
