Quick Facts: The Winter Olympics

With the opening ceremony of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics tonight (Canada’s second turn as host), I thought it was fitting to reflect on the facts about the Winter Olympics.

• The first Winter Olympics was held in 1924 in Chamonix, France. They were the successor to the Nordic Games which were held at varying intervals in Norway and Sweden from 1901-1926.
• The United States has hosted the most Winter Olympic Games with four (1932, 1960, 1980, 2002).
• Japan is the only Asian nation to ever host the Winter Olympics (Sapporo 1972 and Nagano 1998).
• Russia/the Soviet Union has never hosted a Winter Olympic Games. However, Sochi, Russia will host the 2014 Winter Olympics.
• No Winter Olympics has ever taken place south of the Equator.
• The following disciplines have been in every Winter Olympics since 1924:
  • Cross-country skiing
  • Figure skating
  • Ice hockey
  • Nordic combined
  • Ski jumping
  • Speed skating
• The newest Winter Olympic discipline is snowboarding, which was added in 1998. Skeleton was added in 2002, but it was previously a part of the 1928 and 1948 Winter Olympics.
• The following countries have won the most Winter Olympic medals of all time (through 2006):
  • Norway (280)
  • United States (217)
  • Russia/the Soviet Union (194)
• Despite having won the 2nd most medals in history, the United States has never medaled in the following disciplines:
  • Biathlon
  • Nordic combined
• The only boycott in Winter Olympic history was in 1980. The IOC allowed China to participate for the first time since 1952, forcing Taiwan (who had been competing as the Republic of China) to remove their Chinese national symbols and change their competitive name to Chinese Taipei. When the Taiwanese athletes arrived at the Olympic Village with their credentials which said Republic of China, they were denied entry. The Taiwanese athletes then left prior to the opening ceremony.

Link opens in iTunes

For even more Olympic Facts, check out the official IOC Winter Olympics factsheet (PDF Link). Also, if you have an iPhone, check out the FREE Official 2010 Winter Olympics Mobile Spectator Guide (iTunes Link). It’s pretty awesome, as it will be updated throughout the Games, adjusts the schedule to your time zone, and works without a data connection for us iPod Touch users. If you’re lucky enough to be at the Olympics, this app is location-aware providing you with maps, diagrams, and updates on what’s going on near you. At the price of free, it’s a must-have for any iPhone-owning, Winter Olympics fan.

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