The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Lillehammer '94, were 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. Lillehammer is the northernmost city ever to host the Olympic Games.
Bojan Križaj is a Slovenian, back then Yugoslavian, former alpine skier. During his international career he competed for the then-existing Yugoslavia. He competed at three Winter Olympics.
Lars Thomas Wassberg is a Swedish former cross-country skier. A fast skating style – push for every leg – is still called "Wassberg" after him in several countries. Wassberg's skiing idols when growing up were Sixten Jernberg and Oddvar Brå. He has described his mental strength and physical fitness as his greatest abilities as a skier, with his main weakness being a lack of sprinting ability.
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event held in Calgary, Canada, from 13 to 28 February 1988. A total of 1,423 athletes representing 57 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated in 46 events from 10 different sports and disciplines. Five new events were contested at these Games—men's and women's Super G in alpine skiing, team events in Nordic combined and ski jumping, and women's 5000 metres in speed skating—and two events returned to the program—men's and women's combined in alpine skiing.
Daniel Mahrer is a Swiss former alpine skier. In 1991, he won the Bronze medal in Downhill skiing at the World Championship in Saalbach.
Lars Erik Eriksen is a retired Norwegian cross-country skier who competed in multiple events at the 1980 and 1984 Olympics and 1978 and 1982 World Championships. He had his best achievements in the 4 × 10 km relay, winning a bronze in 1978, a silver in 1980 and a gold in 1982, and finishing in fourth place at the 1984 Olympic Games. Individually, he performed better in longer distances, winning two medals in the 30 and 50 km at the 1982 World Championships and finishing fourth in the 50 km at the 1980 Olympic Games, though he also won the 1984 World Cup in the 15 km event. Eriksen retired in 1988, and later worked as a skiing coach, with Bjørn Dæhlie among others.
Pål Gunnar Mikkelsplass is a former Norwegian cross-country skier who competed from 1981 to 1997. He won the 15 km silver at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.
East Germany competed at the Winter Olympic Games for the last time at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Following German reunification in 1990, a single German team would compete in the 1992 Winter Olympics.
Luxembourg competed at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13–28 February 1988. It had been 52 years since the last time the nation had participated in the Winter Olympic Games, and Calgary was only their third appearance at a Winter Olympics in history. The Luxembourgian delegation consisted of a single alpine skier, the Austrian-born Marc Girardelli. His best performance was 9th in the downhill race, and Luxembourg did not win any medals at these Olympics.
Luxembourg sent a delegation to compete at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France from 8 to 23 February 1992. This marked Luxembourg's fourth appearance at a Winter Olympic Games. The Luxembourgian delegation in Albertville consisted of a single athlete, alpine skier Marc Girardelli. He won two silver medals at these Olympics, which positioned Luxembourg 17th place on the medal table.
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.
Fiji sent a delegation to compete in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13–28 February 1988. This was their debut appearance at a Winter Olympic Games. The sole athlete sent by Fiji to Calgary was Rusiate Rogoyawa, in cross-country skiing. In the 15 kilometre classical race, he finished in 83rd place.
Fiji sent a delegation to compete at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway from 12–27 February 1994. This was Fiji's second time appearing at a Winter Olympic Games after their debut in the 1988 Winter Olympics. The country's sole representative was Rusiate Rogoyawa, in cross-country skiing. In the 10 kilometer classical he finished in 88th place.
Guam sent a four-member delegation to the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. This is, as of 2022, Guam's only appearance in the Winter Olympic Games. The Guam delegation included only one athlete biathlete, Judd Bankert, who became Guam's first Olympic athlete. In his only event, the sprint, Bankert finished in 71st out of 72 competitors.
Finland first participated at the Olympic Games in 1908, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games and every Winter Olympic Games since then. Finland was also the host nation for the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. Finnish athletes have won a total of 305 medals at the Summer Games, mostly in athletics and wrestling. Finland has also won 175 medals at the Winter Games, mostly in nordic skiing events.
Michael "Much" Mair is an Italian alpine skiing coach and former Alpine skier. Born in Bruneck, Italy, he won a total of three World Cup races. He closed 10th in overall in 1988 Alpine Skiing World Cup. He also competed at the 1984 Winter Olympics and the 1988 Winter Olympics.
Martin Hangl is a retired Swiss alpine skier. He won the gold medal in the Super-G at the WC 1989 in Vail. In addition he won three other world cup competitions. He also competed in three events at the 1988 Winter Olympics. Hangl withdrew from the 1988 Olympics men's giant slalom after he witnessed 47 year old Austrian Olympic Team physician Joerg Oberhammer's death from the chairlift. Oberhammer died after falling into the path of a snow-grooming machine after colliding with another skier between runs of the men's giant slalom.
Slovenia first participated as an independent nation at the Olympic Games at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, and the country has sent athletes to compete at every Games since then. The Slovenian Olympic Committee was established in 1991 and was recognised by the International Olympic Committee on 5 February 1992.
Ethiopia sent a delegation to compete at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from 12–28 February 2010. Ethiopia was making its second appearance in a Winter Olympics, and like four years prior, the only athlete sent to compete was cross-country skier Robel Teklemariam. Teklemariam finished 93rd in the 15 kilometre freestyle event.
East Germany 