The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event held in Nagano, Japan, from 7 to 22 February 1998. [1] A total of 2,176 athletes representing 72 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated in the Games in 68 events across 14 disciplines. [2]
The discipline of snowboarding made its debut, with four events contested, two for men and two for women. [3] Additionally, the Olympic program saw the addition of a women's tournament in ice hockey, the first time that women had participated in that sport in Olympic history. [4] At the time, it was believed that curling made its debut as a medal event, having been a demonstration sport three times at the 1932, 1988, and 1992 Winter Olympics; [5] however, in 2006, the International Olympic Committee ruled that the 1924 Olympic tournament in Chamonix, France, had been an official medal event, [6] retroactively making the Nagano tournament the second time curling has been contested for official medals. [5]
Germany won the most medals, with 29, and the most gold medals, with 12. Norway finished second in both tallies, with 10 gold medals and 25 medals of all colors. Of the 72 NOCs to participate at Nagano, 24 won at least one medal, 15 of those won at least one gold medal. [7] Denmark, participating in a Winter Olympic Games for the ninth time, won its first-ever medal at a Winter Olympics. [8] [9] Bulgaria and the Czech Republic won their first Winter Olympic gold medals in Nagano. The Czech Republic had previously won two gold medals as part of Czechoslovakia, [10] and Bulgaria had won a bronze medal in the 1980 Winter Olympics. [11]
Larisa Lazutina of Russia won five medals, the most of any competitor; she won three golds, a silver, and a bronze medal in cross-country skiing, winning a medal in every women's event in her sport. [12] Norwegian cross-country skier Bjørn Dæhlie won four medals, including three golds. A further nine competitors earned three medals apiece, with forty-seven total individuals winning multiple medals. [13]
Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
Men's downhill [14] | Jean-Luc Crétier France | Lasse Kjus Norway | Hannes Trinkl Austria |
Men's slalom [15] | Hans Petter Buraas Norway | Ole Kristian Furuseth Norway | Thomas Sykora Austria |
Men's giant slalom [16] | Hermann Maier Austria | Stephan Eberharter Austria | Michael von Grünigen Switzerland |
Men's super-G [17] | Hermann Maier Austria | Didier Cuche Switzerland | None awarded [a] |
Hans Knauß Austria | |||
Men's combined [18] | Mario Reiter Austria | Lasse Kjus Norway | Christian Mayer Austria |
Women's downhill [19] | Katja Seizinger Germany | Pernilla Wiberg Sweden | Florence Masnada France |
Women's slalom [20] | Hilde Gerg Germany | Deborah Compagnoni Italy | Zali Steggall Australia |
Women's giant slalom [21] | Deborah Compagnoni Italy | Alexandra Meissnitzer Austria | Katja Seizinger Germany |
Women's super-G [22] | Picabo Street United States | Michaela Dorfmeister Austria | Alexandra Meissnitzer Austria |
Women's combined [23] | Katja Seizinger Germany | Martina Ertl Germany | Hilde Gerg Germany |
Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
Men's 20 km [24] | Halvard Hanevold Norway | Pieralberto Carrara Italy | Alexei Aidarov Belarus |
Men's 10 km [25] | Ole Einar Bjørndalen Norway | Frode Andresen Norway | Ville Räikkönen Finland |
Men's 4 × 7.5 km | Germany (GER) [26] Ricco Groß Peter Sendel Sven Fischer Frank Luck | Norway (NOR) [27] Egil Gjelland Halvard Hanevold Dag Bjørndalen Ole Einar Bjørndalen | Russia (RUS) [28] Pavel Muslimov Vladimir Drachev Sergei Tarasov Viktor Maigourov |
Women's 15 km [29] | Ekaterina Dafovska Bulgaria | Olena Petrova Ukraine | Uschi Disl Germany |
Women's 7.5 km [30] | Galina Koukleva Russia | Uschi Disl Germany | Katrin Apel Germany |
Women's 4 × 7.5 km | Germany (GER) [26] Uschi Disl Martina Zellner Katrin Apel Petra Behle | Russia (RUS) [28] Olga Melnik Galina Koukleva Albina Akhatova Olga Romasko | Norway (NOR) [27] Ann-Elen Skjelbreid Annette Sikveland Gunn Margit Andreassen Liv Grete Skjelbreid Poirée |
Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
Two-man | Canada (CAN) [31] Pierre Lueders David MacEachern | none awarded [b] | Germany (GER) [32] Christoph Langen Markus Zimmermann |
Italy (ITA) [33] Günther Huber Antonio Tartaglia | |||
Four-man | Germany (GER) [32] Christoph Langen Markus Zimmermann Marco Jakobs Olaf Hampel | Switzerland (SUI) [34] Marcel Rohner Markus Nüssli Markus Wasser Beat Seitz | France (FRA) [35] Bruno Mingeon Emmanuel Hostache Éric Le Chanony Max Robert |
Great Britain (GBR) [36] Sean Olsson Dean Ward Courtney Rumbolt Paul Attwood |
Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
Men's singles [54] | Ilia Kulik Russia | Elvis Stojko Canada | Philippe Candeloro France |
Ladies' singles [55] | Tara Lipinski United States | Michelle Kwan United States | Chen Lu China |
Pairs | Russia (RUS) [56] Oksana Kazakova Artur Dmitriev | Russia (RUS) [56] Elena Berezhnaya Anton Sikharulidze | Germany (GER) [57] Mandy Wötzel Ingo Steuer |
Ice dancing | Russia (RUS) [56] Pasha Grishuk Evgeny Platov | Russia (RUS) [56] Anjelika Krylova Oleg Ovsyannikov | France (FRA) [58] Marina Anissina Gwendal Peizerat |
Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
Men's moguls [59] | Jonny Moseley United States | Janne Lahtela Finland | Sami Mustonen Finland |
Men's aerials [60] | Eric Bergoust United States | Sébastien Foucras France | Dmitri Dashinski Belarus |
Women's moguls [61] | Tae Satoya Japan | Tatjana Mittermayer Germany | Kari Traa Norway |
Women's aerials [62] | Nikki Stone United States | Xu Nannan China | Colette Brand Switzerland |
Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
Men's singles [68] | Georg Hackl Germany | Armin Zöggeler Italy | Jens Müller Germany |
Women's singles [69] | Silke Kraushaar Germany | Barbara Niedernhuber Germany | Angelika Neuner Austria |
Men's doubles | Stefan Krauße and Jan Behrendt Germany [70] | Chris Thorpe and Gordon Sheer United States [71] | Mark Grimmette and Brian Martin United States [71] |
Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
Individual [72] | Bjarte Engen Vik Norway | Samppa Lajunen Finland | Valeri Stolyarov Russia |
Team | Norway (NOR) [73] Halldor Skard Kenneth Braaten Bjarte Engen Vik Fred Børre Lundberg | Finland (FIN) [74] Samppa Lajunen Jari Mantila Tapio Nurmela Hannu Manninen | France (FRA) [75] Sylvain Guillaume Nicolas Bal Ludovic Roux Fabrice Guy |
Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
Men's 500 m [76] | Takafumi Nishitani Japan | An Yulong China | Hitoshi Uematsu Japan |
Men's 1,000 m [77] | Kim Dong-sung South Korea | Li Jiajun China | Éric Bédard Canada |
Men's 5,000 m relay | Canada (CAN) [78] Éric Bédard Derrick Campbell François Drolet Marc Gagnon | South Korea (KOR) [79] Chae Ji-hoon Lee Jun-hwan Lee Ho-eung Kim Dong-sung | China (CHN) [80] Li Jiajun Feng Kai Yuan Ye An Yulong |
Women's 500 m [81] | Annie Perreault Canada | Yang Yang (S) China | Chun Lee-kyung South Korea |
Women's 1,000 m [82] | Chun Lee-kyung South Korea | Yang Yang (S) China | Won Hye-kyung South Korea |
Women's 3,000 m relay | South Korea (KOR) [79] Chun Lee-kyung Won Hye-kyung An Sang-mi Kim Yun-mi | China (CHN) [80] Yang Yang (A) Yang Yang (S) Wang Chunlu Sun Dandan | Canada (CAN) [78] Christine Boudrias Isabelle Charest Annie Perreault Tania Vicent |
Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
Individual, normal hill [83] | Jani Soininen Finland | Kazuyoshi Funaki Japan | Andreas Widhölzl Austria |
Individual, large hill [84] | Kazuyoshi Funaki Japan | Jani Soininen Finland | Masahiko Harada Japan |
Team | Japan (JPN) [85] Takanobu Okabe Hiroya Saitō Masahiko Harada Kazuyoshi Funaki | Germany (GER) [86] Sven Hannawald Martin Schmitt Hansjörg Jäkle Dieter Thoma | Austria (AUT) [87] Reinhard Schwarzenberger Martin Höllwarth Stefan Horngacher Andreas Widhölzl |
Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
Men's halfpipe [88] | Gian Simmen Switzerland | Daniel Franck Norway | Ross Powers United States |
Men's giant slalom [89] | Ross Rebagliati Canada | Thomas Prugger Italy | Ueli Kestenholz Switzerland |
Women's halfpipe [90] | Nicola Thost Germany | Stine Brun Kjeldaas Norway | Shannon Dunn-Downing United States |
Women's giant slalom [91] | Karine Ruby France | Heidi Maria Renoth Germany | Brigitte Köck Austria |
Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
Men's 500 m [92] | Hiroyasu Shimizu Japan | Jeremy Wotherspoon Canada | Kevin Overland Canada |
Men's 1,000 m [93] | Ids Postma Netherlands | Jan Bos Netherlands | Hiroyasu Shimizu Japan |
Men's 1,500 m [94] | Ådne Søndrål Norway | Ids Postma Netherlands | Rintje Ritsma Netherlands |
Men's 5,000 m [95] | Gianni Romme Netherlands | Rintje Ritsma Netherlands | Bart Veldkamp Belgium |
Men's 10,000 m [96] | Gianni Romme Netherlands | Bob de Jong Netherlands | Rintje Ritsma Netherlands |
Women's 500 m [97] | Catriona Le May Doan Canada | Susan Auch Canada | Tomomi Okazaki Japan |
Women's 1,000 m [98] | Marianne Timmer Netherlands | Christine Witty United States | Catriona Le May Doan Canada |
Women's 1,500 m [99] | Marianne Timmer Netherlands | Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann Germany | Christine Witty United States |
Women's 3,000 m [100] | Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann Germany | Claudia Pechstein Germany | Anni Friesinger Germany |
Women's 5,000 m [101] | Claudia Pechstein Germany | Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann Germany | Lyudmila Prokasheva Kazakhstan |
Athletes who won three or more medals during the 1998 Winter Olympics are listed below. [13]
Athlete | Nation | Sport | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Larisa Lazutina | Russia (RUS) | Cross-country skiing | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
Bjørn Dæhlie | Norway (NOR) | Cross-country skiing | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
Olga Danilova | Russia (RUS) | Cross-country skiing | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
Kazuyoshi Funaki | Japan (JPN) | Ski jumping | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
Chun Lee-kyung | South Korea (KOR) | Short track speed skating | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
Katja Seizinger | Germany (GER) | Alpine skiing | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann | Germany (GER) | Speed skating | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
Uschi Disl | Germany (GER) | Biathlon | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Mika Myllylä | Finland (FIN) | Cross-country skiing | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
Yang Yang (S) | China (CHN) | Short track speed skating | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
Rintje Ritsma | Netherlands (NED) | Short track speed skating | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event held in Nagano, Japan, from 7 to 22 February 1998. Twenty-four nations earned medals at these Games, and fifteen won at least one gold medal; forty-eight countries left the Olympics without winning a medal. Competitors from Germany earned the highest number of gold medals (12) and the most overall medals (29). With 10 gold medals and 25 overall medals, Norway finished second in both categories. Denmark won its first – and as of 2018 only – Winter Olympics medal, while Bulgaria and the Czech Republic won their first Winter Games gold medals. Azerbaijan, Kenya, Macedonia, Uruguay, and Venezuela competed for the first time, but none of them won a medal.
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.
The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event held in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, from 8 to 19 February 1984. A total of 1,272 athletes representing 49 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated in 39 events from 10 different sports and disciplines. First time NOCs to enter were Egypt, Monaco, Puerto Rico, Senegal, and British Virgin Islands.
The 1976 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event held in Innsbruck, Austria, from 4 to 15 February 1976. A total of 1,123 athletes representing 37 National Olympic Committees (NOC) participated in 37 events from 10 different sports and disciplines. Two events were contested for the first time: the figure skating discipline of ice dancing, and the men's 1,000 metres in speed skating.
The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XI Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event held in Sapporo, Japan, from 3 to 13 February 1972. A total of 1,006 athletes representing 35 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated in 35 events from 10 different sports and disciplines.
The 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event held in Grenoble, France, from 6 to 18 February 1968. A total of 1,158 athletes representing 37 National Olympic Committees (NOCs)—including Morocco's first delegation—participated in 35 events from 10 different sports and disciplines. The team relay (4 × 7.5 km) event in biathlon was contested for the first time.
The 1952 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VI Olympic Winter Games, took place in Oslo, Norway, from 14 to 25 February 1952. A total of 694 athletes representing 30 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated in the Games, taking part in 22 events from 6 sports.