The Winter Olympic Games, also known as the Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, 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 776 BCE to 394 CE. The Baron Pierre de Coubertin of France founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) 1,500 years later in 1894, leading to the first modern Summer Olympic 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 original five Winter Olympic Sports were bobsleigh, curling, ice hockey, Nordic skiing, and skating. The Games were held every four years from 1924 to 1936, interrupted in 1940 and 1944 by World War II, and resumed in 1948. Until 1992, the Summer Olympic Games and the Winter Olympic Games were held in the same year. A decision to change this was made in 1986, when during the 91st International Olympic Committee session, IOC members decided to alternate the Summer Olympic Games and the Winter Olympic Games on separate four-year cycles in even-numbered years. Also, at that same congress it was decided that 1992 Winter Olympics would be the last to be held in the same year as the Summer Games and that to change the rotation, the games that would be held in 1996 would be brought forward by two years, being scheduled to 1994. After those games, the next were to be held in 1998 when the four-year Olympic Cycle resumed.
The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially the XIII Olympic Winter Games and also known as Lake Placid 1980, were an international multi-sport event held from February 13 to 24, 1980, in Lake Placid, New York, United States.
The 1952 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VI Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Oslo 1952, were a winter multi-sport event held from 14 to 25 February 1952 in Oslo, the capital of Norway.
The 1932 Winter Olympics, officially known as the III Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Lake Placid 1932, were a winter multi-sport event in the United States, held in Lake Placid, New York, United States. The games opened on February 4 and closed on February 13. It was the first time the Winter Games were held outside of Europe and the first of four Winter Olympics held in the United States; Lake Placid hosted again in 1980.
John Amos Shea, better known as Jack Shea or The Chief, was an American double-gold medalist in speed skating at the 1932 Winter Olympics. He was the first American to win two gold medals at one Winter Olympics, and was the patriarch of the first family with three generations of Winter Olympians. Along with his compatriot Irving Jaffee, he was the most successful athlete at the 1932 Winter Olympics.
Alpine Skiing at the 1980 Winter Olympics consisted of six alpine skiing events. The races were held February 14–23 at Whiteface Mountain in Wilmington, New York, northeast of host Lake Placid.
One athlete from Costa Rica competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.
The U.S. Ski Team, operating under the auspices of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, develops and supports men's and women's athletes in the sports of alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, cross-country, ski jumping, and Nordic combined. Since 1974 the team and association have been headquartered in Park City, Utah.
Several tropical nations have participated in the Winter Olympics despite not having the climate for winter sports. Partly because of that, their entries are a subject of human interest stories during the Games. No tropical nation has ever won a Winter Olympic medal.
Costa Rica sent a delegation to compete at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, United States from 13–24 February 1980. This was Costa Rica's debut appearance at a Winter Olympic Games, after five prior appearances at Summer Olympics. The only athlete sent by the country was alpine skier Arturo Kinch. In the only event he finished, the men's downhill, he placed 41st.
Theodore Austin "Ted" Farwell, Jr. was an American Nordic skier who competed in the 1950s. At the 1952 Winter Olympics, he finished 11th in the Nordic combined event and 43rd in the 18 km cross-country skiing event. Farwell also competed at the 1956 and 1960 Winter Olympics.
Thomas Michael Jacobs was an American Olympic Nordic skier who competed in the 1950s. He was educated at Middlebury College in Vermont, and was a member of the College's ski team.
Alvin Paul Wegeman was an American nordic combined skier. While on leave from the U.S. Navy, he competed in the Nordic combined event at the 1952 Winter Olympics, but fell on his third jump did not finish, and was hospitalized with a concussion. Wegeman also competed for the U.S. at the 1950 World Championships in Lake Placid, New York.
Peter Graves is an American television sportscaster and public address announcer specializing in Olympic, lifestyle, and action sports. He is also a former cross-country skiing coach for Harvard University.
Isaac Menyoli is a Cameroonian architect and skier who was the first person to represent his country at the Winter Olympic Games when he took part in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. He competed in the men's classical 10 km race in cross-country skiing, finishing 80th and last with a time of 45:40.3. He also took part in the 1.5 km sprint, where he finished 67th out of 71, with a time of 4:10.07, just behind Philip Boit of Kenya.
Prawat Nagvajara, born December 1, 1958, is a Thai academic and cross-country skier. He is the first person to have represented Thailand at the Winter Olympic Games, having taken part in the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics. Unsurprisingly, he was therefore his country's flagbearer at the Games' Opening Ceremonies on both occasions.
National Sports Academy was a private preparatory school for winter-sport athletes in Lake Placid, New York, United States. The academy was closed in 2015.
Clarence Lloyd Servold was a Canadian cross-country skier who competed in the 1956 Winter Olympics and in the 1960 Winter Olympics. He was inducted into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame in 1984.
Erlon "Bucky" Broomhall is a Vermont skier, former junior olympic ski coach, and advocate of youth skiing. He is responsible for bringing the first girls' team to the Junior Olympics in 1968.
Joseph Peter "Joe Pete" Wilson was an American Olympic cross-country skier, who skied for the U.S. in cross-country at the 1960 Winter Olympics and later became a well-known skiing administrator in the United States. Wilson also in collaboration authored several books on cross-country skiing, all co-written by William J. Lederer. Wilson set up the cross-country ski area at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont – the lodge established by the Trapp family of The Sound of Music fame. In 1973, Wilson organized a meeting of 25 ski areas and established the National Ski Touring Operators' Association. Wilson was named as its first President from 1973-1977. After several name changes it is now called the Cross Country Ski Areas Association (CCSAA). CCSAA is an international association of U.S. and Canadian cross-country ski areas. Wilson is also known for having set up an inn in Keene, New York, the Bark Eater Inn, and developing the ski trails around the inn.