The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Lillehammer '94, was an international winter multi-sport event held from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Having lost the bid for the 1992 Winter Olympics to Albertville in France, Lillehammer was awarded the 1994 Winter Games on 15 September 1988, two days before the 1988 Summer Olympics opening ceremonies at the 94th IOC Session in Seoul, South Korea. Due to the calendar changes made in 1985, this was the only time that the Winter Olympics took place two years after the previous Winter Games, and the first to be held in a different year from the Summer Olympics. This was the second Olympic Games of any type hosted in Norway — the first being the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo — and the fourth Olympics overall to be held in a Nordic country, after the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, and the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. As of 2022, Lillehammer is the northernmost city ever to host the Olympic Games and also the smallest. This was the last of three consecutive Olympics held in Europe, with Albertville and Barcelona in Spain hosting the 1992 Winter and Summer Games, respectively.
The 1994 Winter Paralympics, the sixth Paralympic Winter Games, were held in Lillehammer, Norway, from 10 to 19 March 1994. These Games marked the second time the Paralympic Winter Games were held in the same location as the Winter Olympics and with the first with the same Organizing Committee, a tradition that has continued through an agreement of cooperation between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). Ice sledge hockey, which became an immediate crowd favorite, was added to the program.
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Winter Olympics, were a winter multi-sport event held in Lillehammer, Norway, from February 12 to February 27, 1994. A total of 1,737 athletes representing 67 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated in 61 events, from 12 sports and disciplines. These were the only Winter Olympics held two years after the prior Games, as opposed to the four year separation before and after. Continuing the break from tradition of 1992, the medals were primarily made of granite rather than metal; gold, silver, or bronze was used only on the border, the Olympic rings, and a pictogram of the sport for which the medal was awarded.
Alpine Skiing at the 1998 Winter Olympics consisted of ten alpine skiing events. The speed events were held at Hakuba and the technical events at Shiga Kogen. There were a number of race postponements due to weather; the events began on 10 February and ended on 21 February.
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held 12–25 February 2006.
The biathlon competition at the 1994 Winter Olympics were held at the Birkebeineren Ski Stadium. The events were held between 18 and 26 February 1994.
Ski jumping at the 1994 Winter Olympics consisted of three events held from 20 February to 25 February, taking place at Lysgårdsbakken.
Vladimir Mikhaylovich Smirnov is a Kazakh former cross-country skier of Russian descent who raced from the 1982 until 1991 for the USSR and, later, for Kazakhstan. He is the first Olympic champion from independent Kazakhstan and the most decorated Olympian in history of Kazakhstan. He is also a vice president of the International Biathlon Union. Smirnov is a former member of International Olympic Committee.
Luxembourg sent a delegation to compete at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway from 12–27 February 1994. The nation was making its fifth appearance at a Winter Olympic Games. The Luxembourgian delegation to Lillehammer consisted of a single athlete, alpine skier Marc Girardelli. His best performance in any event was fourth in the Super-G; he also finished fifth in the downhill and ninth in the combined. As well, he failed to finish the giant slalom, and was disqualified from the slalom.
Bosnia and Herzegovina sent a delegation to compete at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, United States from 8–24 February 2002. This was the nation's third time participating in a Winter Olympic Games. The delegation consisted of two alpine skiers, Tahir Bisić and Enis Bećirbegović. Bisić finished in 29th place in the men's slalom, and 44th in the giant slalom. Bećirbegović failed to finish the giant slalom, his only event.
Kvitfjell is a ski resort in Norway, located in the municipality of Ringebu.
Hafjell is a village and a ski resort in Norway, in the Øyer municipality in the county of Oppland.
The 2016 Winter Youth Olympics, officially known as the II Winter Youth Olympic Games, took place in and around Lillehammer, Norway, between 12 February and 21 February 2016. They were the fourth Youth Olympic Games and the second winter edition. Lillehammer was awarded the games on 7 December 2011 as the only candidate. The games reused venues from the 1994 Winter Olympics; this made Lillehammer the first city to host both regular and Youth Olympics. In addition to Lillehammer, sports were contested in Hamar, Gjøvik and Øyer.
Kjetil Jansrud is a Norwegian former World Cup alpine ski racer and Olympic champion. He competed in all alpine disciplines apart from slalom, and his best event was the giant slalom where he has six World Cup podiums and an Olympic silver medal. Since 2012, he had concentrated on the speed events, where all but two of his World Cup victories had come. At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, he won the super-G and placed third in the downhill. At the World Championships in 2019 at Åre, Jansrud won gold in the downhill.
The 44th Biathlon World Championships was held in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia from March 3–13, 2011.
Oslo–Lillehammer 2018 was a proposal for Oslo and Lillehammer, Norway, to bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics. Along with the Trondheim and Tromsø bids, it was one of three options for the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports (NIF), who ultimately chose to not bid for the games. Oslo announced the bid in September 2006, and the official proposal report was published in February 2007.
The 1994 Winter Paralympics were held in Lillehammer, Norway. Australia sent six male skiers, who won three gold, two silver and four bronze medals. Australia, at the time, achieved their best ever performance at a Winter Paralympics, finishing 5th overall in the alpine skiing competition, 9th in the medal standings, and 11th in the total medal count out of 31 nations.
Alpine skiing at the 2014 Winter Olympics was held in Russia from 9–22 February at Rosa Khutor Alpine Resort near Krasnaya Polyana, east of Sochi.
Biathlon at the 2014 Winter Olympics was held at the Laura Biathlon & Ski Complex near Krasnaya Polyana, Russia. The eleven events took place between 8–22 February 2014.
The Women's slalom competition of the Lillehammer 1994 Olympics was held at Hafjell on Saturday, February 26.
