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 1986, 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.
Canada was the host nation for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. It was the first time that Canada had hosted the Winter Olympic Games, and second time overall, after the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. Vancouver would eventually host the 2010 Winter Olympics which makes it the second city in Canada to host the Winter Olympics and the third overall.
Canada competed at the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Canada has competed at every Winter Olympic Games.
Germany competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, United States. In terms of gold medals, Germany finished ranking second with 12 gold medals. Meanwhile, the 36 total medals won by German athletes were the most of any nation at these Games, as well at any Winter Olympics, until this record was broken by the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Norway competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, United States. The nation enjoyed its best ever results in gold medals, most notably in the biathlon events, when Ole Einar Bjørndalen swept all four gold medals.
The Unified Team at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville was a joint team consisting of five of the fifteen former Soviet republics: Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Uzbekistan that made a decision to collaborate and created a united team. The Unified Team's only other appearance was at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. It competed under the IOC country code EUN.
Sweden competed at the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.
The Soviet Union (USSR) competed at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia.
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics competed at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It would be the last Winter Olympic Games before the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. Six of the former Soviet republics would compete together as the Unified Team at the 1992 Winter Olympics, and each republic would be independently represented at subsequent Games.
Norway was the host nation for the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo.
Austria competed at the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.
Austria competed at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Italy was the host nation for the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo. It was the first time that Italy had hosted the Olympic Games.
Switzerland was the host nation for the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz. It was the second time that Switzerland had hosted the Winter Games, after the 1928 Winter Olympics, also in St. Moritz.
Finland competed at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Athletes from East Germany and West Germany competed together as the United Team of Germany at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria.
West Germany competed at the Winter Olympic Games for the last time as a separate nation 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.
Czechoslovakia competed at the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.
Germany competed at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway after not having been invited to the 1948 Winter Olympics because of their 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 National Olympic Committee of the GDR was declined. East Germans were told to cooperate and form a united German team, which they declined in 1952, but accepted for 1956 and later.
Norway competed at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. This was the first and only time at the Winter Olympics that Norway failed to win a gold medal.
Germany (1928–1936, 1952, 1992–)
East Germany (1968–1988)
