1976 Winter Olympics
Encyclopedia
The 1976 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XII Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event
which was celebrated February 4–15, 1976 in Innsbruck
, Austria
. It was the second time the Tyrol
ean city hosted the Games.
Following the Munich Massacre
at the 1972 Summer Olympics
, security was tight for the 1976 games.
; Tampere, Finland; and Vancouver
(with the Garibaldi mountains), Canada, made bids for the Games.
The games were originally awarded to Denver in May 12, 1970, but a 300 percent rise in costs and worries about environmental impact led to Colorado
voters' rejection on November 7, 1972, by a 3 to 2 margin, of a $5 million bond issue to finance the games with public funds.
Denver officially withdrew on November 15, and the IOC
then offered the games to Whistler, British Columbia
, Canada, but they too declined owing to a change of government
following elections. (Whistler would go on to be associated with neighboring Vancouver's successful bid for the 2010
games.)
Salt Lake City, Utah
, which would eventually host in 2002
, offered itself as a potential host after the withdrawal of Denver. The IOC, still reeling from the Denver rejection, declined and selected Innsbruck
, which had hosted the 1964 Winter Olympics
games twelve years earlier, on February 5, 1973.
The chart below displays the original vote count for the 69th IOC meeting at Amsterdam
, Netherlands, in 1970, before the Denver rejection and the installation of Innsbruck
, Austria, as alternate host.
made its debut to the Olympics.
See the medal winners, ordered by sport:
The '76 Winter Olympics marked the final time the Republic of China
(Taiwan) participated under the Republic of China
flag and name. After most of the international community recognized the People's Republic of China as the legitimate government of all China, the ROC was forced to compete under the name Chinese Taipei
, under an altered flag and to use its National Banner Song instead of its national anthem. Andorra
and San Marino
participated in their first Winter Olympic Games.
Multi-sport event
A multi-sport event is an organized sporting event, often held over multiple days, featuring competition in many different sports between organized teams of athletes from nation-states. The first major, modern, multi-sport event of international significance was the modern Olympic Games.Many...
which was celebrated February 4–15, 1976 in Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. It was the second time the Tyrol
Tyrol (state)
Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of...
ean city hosted the Games.
Following the Munich Massacre
Munich massacre
The Munich massacre is an informal name for events that occurred during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Bavaria in southern West Germany, when members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken hostage and eventually killed by the Palestinian group Black September. Members of Black September...
at the 1972 Summer Olympics
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
, security was tight for the 1976 games.
Host selection
The cities of Denver, Colorado, United States; Sion, SwitzerlandSion, Switzerland
Sion is the capital of the Swiss canton of Valais. it had a population of .Landmarks include the Basilique de Valère and Château de Tourbillon. Sion has an airfield for civilian and military use, which, because of its location in a valley, causes a reasonable amount of noise pollution. FC Sion...
; Tampere, Finland; and Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
(with the Garibaldi mountains), Canada, made bids for the Games.
The games were originally awarded to Denver in May 12, 1970, but a 300 percent rise in costs and worries about environmental impact led to Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
voters' rejection on November 7, 1972, by a 3 to 2 margin, of a $5 million bond issue to finance the games with public funds.
Denver officially withdrew on November 15, and the IOC
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
then offered the games to Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately north of Vancouver...
, Canada, but they too declined owing to a change of government
British Columbia general election, 1972
The 30th general election for the Canadian province of British Columbia was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on July 24, 1972, and held on August 30, 1972...
following elections. (Whistler would go on to be associated with neighboring Vancouver's successful bid for the 2010
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
games.)
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
, which would eventually host in 2002
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
, offered itself as a potential host after the withdrawal of Denver. The IOC, still reeling from the Denver rejection, declined and selected Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
, which had hosted the 1964 Winter Olympics
1964 Winter Olympics
The 1964 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Innsbruck, Austria, from January 29 to February 9, 1964...
games twelve years earlier, on February 5, 1973.
The chart below displays the original vote count for the 69th IOC meeting at Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Netherlands, in 1970, before the Denver rejection and the installation of Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
, Austria, as alternate host.
| Original 1976 Winter Olympics bidding results | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City | Country | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | ||
| Denver |  United States |
29 | 29 | 39 | ||
| Sion Sion, Switzerland Sion is the capital of the Swiss canton of Valais. it had a population of .Landmarks include the Basilique de Valère and Château de Tourbillon. Sion has an airfield for civilian and military use, which, because of its location in a valley, causes a reasonable amount of noise pollution. FC Sion... |
 Switzerland |
18 | 31 | 30 | ||
| Tampere Tampere Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in... |
 Finland |
12 | 8 | — | ||
| Vancouver Vancouver Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,... —Garibaldi Garibaldi Ranges The Garibaldi Ranges are the next-to-southwesternmost subdivision of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains; only the North Shore Mountains are farther south. They lie between the valley formed by the pass between the Cheakamus River and Green River on the west and the valley of the Lillooet... |
 Canada |
9 | — | — | ||
Highlights
- Austrian favorite Franz KlammerFranz KlammerFranz Klammer is a former champion alpine ski racer. Klammer overwhelmingly dominated the downhill event for four consecutive World Cup seasons . He was the gold medalist at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, winning the downhill at Patscherkofel in dramatic fashion...
won the men's downhillDownhillDownhill is an alpine skiing discipline. The rules for the Downhill were originally developed by Sir Arnold Lunn for the 1921 British National Ski Championships....
event in alpine skiingAlpine skiingAlpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
in 1:45.73, after great pressure from his country and defending champion Bernhard RussiBernhard RussiBernhard Russi is a former alpine ski racer. He was an Olympic, World Cup, and World champion in the downhill event....
of SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. - Dorothy HamillDorothy HamillDorothy Stuart Hamill is an American figure skater. She is the 1976 Olympic champion in Ladies' Singles and 1976 World Champion.-Early life:...
of the US won the gold in Figure Skating, and inspired the popular "wedge" haircut. - Elegant British skater John CurryJohn CurryJohn Anthony Curry, OBE was a British figure skater. He was the 1976 Olympic and World Champion. He was famous for combining ballet and modern dance influences into his skating.-Early life:...
altered his routine to appeal to Olympic judges, winning gold. - American skater Terry Kubicka attempted – and completed – a dangerous backflip in figure skating.
- Rosi MittermaierRosi MittermaierRosemarie "Rosi" Mittermaier-Neureuther is a former alpine ski racer. She won two gold medals and one silver at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, becoming the most successful athlete there along with Raisa Smetanina of Soviet Union, and earning her the nickname of Gold-Rosi within...
of West GermanyWest GermanyWest Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
nearly swept the women's alpine skiing eventsAlpine skiing at the 1976 Winter OlympicsAlpine skiing at the 1976 Winter Olympics consisted of six events, held near Innsbruck, Austria, from February 5–13, 1976.Similar to the 1964 games, the men's downhill was held on Patscherkofel , the other five events at Axamer Lizum....
, earning two golds and a silver, missing the third gold by 0.13 seconds. - Soviet speed skater Tatiana Averina won four medals. The U.S. team won six medals in speed skating.
- In the 4-man bobsled, the East German team won for the first of three consecutive titles.
- The USSR won its fourth straight ice hockeyIce hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
gold medal; for the second consecutive Olympics Canada refused to send a team. - Sports technology, in the guise of innovative perforated skis, sleek hooded suits and streamlined helmets appeared in alpine skiing, speed skating and ski jumping, making headlines in Innsbruck.
- A second cauldron for the Olympic flame was built to represent the 1976 Games, and together with the 1964 Winter Games cauldrons were lit.
- The Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
won the most medals with 13 gold, 6 silver, and 8 bronze. - The mascot was the Tyrolean snowmanSnowmanA snowman is an anthropomorphic snow sculpture. They are customarily built by children as part of a family project in celebration of winter. In some cases, participants in winter festivals will build large numbers of snowmen...
. - BobsleighBobsleigh at the 1976 Winter Olympics-Two-man:-Four-man:-Medal table:-References:**...
and lugeLuge at the 1976 Winter Olympics-Men's singles:Silver medalist Josef Fendt is the current President of the International Luge Federation .-Doubles:-Women's singles:-Medal table:-References:***...
competed on the same trackIgls bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton trackThe Olympic Sliding Centre Innsburck is a venue for bobsleigh, luge and skeleton located in Igls, Austria . The most recent version of the track was completed in 1975 and is the first permanent, combination artificially refrigerated bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track, serving as a model for other...
for the first time ever.
Venues
- Axamer LizumAxamer LizumAxamer Lizum is a village located southwest of Innsbruck, Austria. For the 1964 Winter Olympics, it hosted all of the alpine skiing events except for men's downhill which took place in Patscherkofel located southeast of Innsbruck. Twelve years later, it hosted exactly the same alpine skiing...
– Alpine skiing except men's downhill - BergiselschanzeBergiselschanzeBergiselschanze is a ski jumping hill located in Bergisel in Innsbruck, Austria. It is one of the more important venues in the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup, annually hosting the third competition of the prestigious Four Hills Tournament....
– Ski jumping (large hill) - EisschnellaufbahnEisschnellaufbahnThe Olympia Eisschnellaufbahn is a speed skating venue located in Innsbruck, Austria. The outdoor venue hosted the speed skating events both for the 1964 and the 1976 Winter Olympics....
– Speed skating - Kominierte Kunsteisbahn für Bob-Rodel Igls – Bobsleigh, Luge
- MessehalleMessehalle (Innsbruck)Messehalle is a convention center and sports venue located in Innsbruck, Austria. The venue hosted some of the ice hockey games for both the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics.-References:* pp. 66-7. * pp. 206-8. , , & * &...
– Ice hockey - OlympiahalleOlympiahalle (Innsbruck)Olympiahalle is an indoor sports venue located in Innsbruck, Austria. During the 1964 Winter Olympics, it hosted the figure skating and ice hockey events. Twelve years later, it hosted those same events....
– Figure skating, Ice hockey - PatscherkofelPatscherkofelPatscherkofel is a mountain and ski area in Tyrol in western Austria, 7 km south of Innsbruck. The peak rises to a summit elevation of 7639 feet above sea level...
– Alpine skiing (men's downhill) - SeefeldSeefeld, TirolSeefeld in Tirol is a municipality of the Innsbruck-Land District in the Austrian state of Tyrol, located about northwest of Innsbruck. With more than one million overnight stays each year, it is one of the most popular Tyrolean tourist destinations especially for skiing in winter, but also for...
– Biathlon, Cross-country skiing, Nordic combined, Ski jumping (normal hill)
Medals awarded
Ice dancingIce dancing
Ice dancing is a form of figure skating which draws from the world of ballroom dancing. It was first competed at the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952, but did not become a Winter Olympic Games medal sport until 1976....
made its debut to the Olympics.
See the medal winners, ordered by sport:
Participating nations
37 nations participated in the 1976 Winter Olympic Games.The '76 Winter Olympics marked the final time the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
(Taiwan) participated under the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
flag and name. After most of the international community recognized the People's Republic of China as the legitimate government of all China, the ROC was forced to compete under the name Chinese Taipei
Chinese Taipei
Chinese Taipei is the designated name used by the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, to participate in some international organizations and almost all sporting events, such as the Olympics, Paralympics, Asian Games and Asian Para Games...
, under an altered flag and to use its National Banner Song instead of its national anthem. Andorra
Andorra
Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of...
and San Marino
San Marino
San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino , is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino...
participated in their first Winter Olympic Games.
Medal count
(Host nation highlighted)| 1 | 13 | 6 | 8 | 27 | |
| 2 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 19 | |
| 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 | |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 | |
| 5 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 10 | |
| 6 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 | |
| 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | |
| 8 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | |
| 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | |
| 10 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
External links
- Present photos of Innsbruck Olympic sites
- Rocky Mountain News – Colorado only state ever to turn down Olympics – October 12, 1999
- The program of the 1976 Innsbruck Winter Olympics
- Alpine Ski Maps.com – winter map of Innsbruck area