Venues of the 1956 Winter Olympics
Encyclopedia
For the 1956 Winter Olympics
in Cortina d'Ampezzo
, Italy
, a total of eight sports venues were used. All of the venues used were new or rebuilt. To make use of television
coverage for the first time in the Winter Olympics, the cross-country skiing stadium was constructed to allow the best coverage. Three of the venues used for these games would appear in the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only twenty-five years later.
eighteen years later when a story of the town was published in the New York Times Following World War I
, Cortina emerged as a sports venue. The first World Championship hosted was the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
in 1927. The city would host the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships five years later
.
Bobsleigh was first introduced in Cortina in 1905 though the first track 1200 m (3,937 ft) long would not be completed until eighteen years later. It made its international debut in 1928 during the International University Winter Games (now part of the Winter Universiade). The track would be rebuilt in 1936 to meet the standards of other tracks in St. Moritz
, Switzerland
and Garmisch-Partenkirchen
, Germany
. It hosted it first Bobsleigh World Championships
(FIBT) in 1937
in the two-man event. The track was renovated again in 1948 after World War II
where all of the turns were rebuilt and the track was lengthened to 1700 m (5,577.4 ft) long and 16 turns. World Championships between 1937 and the 1956 Games took place in 1939
(four-man), 1950
, and 1954
.
Cortina was awarded the 1944 Winter Olympics
in 1939, but had to withdraw from hosting the games due to World War II.
station RAI
, Italy's national broadcaster. The Stadium was constructed in an oblong 250 by area in an east-west direction with the Grand Stands facing south.
Prior to the construction of La pista di Misurna (Misurna skating oval), the International Skating Union
(ISU) had expressed concern over the upkeep, but after a test event the year before the 1956 Games, changed their minds. A sports official for the ISU later stated that the track was easier to maintain than that of Davos
, Switzerland even though the track was made of natural ice.
in the United States did not construct a bobsleigh track for the 1960 Winter Olympics
, the track served as host for the bobsleigh World Championships in 1960
. The death of West German
bobsledder Toni Pensperger
at the FIBT World Championships 1966
during the four-man event would force the track to improve its safety standards. Another Bobsleigh World Championships would not take place until 1981
. During the 1981 championships, an American bobsledder named James Morgan was killed during the four-man event. After Morgan's death and a death of a stuntman during the filming of the James Bond
1981 film For Your Eyes Only
, the track length was reduced to 1350 m (4,429.1 ft) and 13 curves. The track would host the Bobsleigh World Championships twice more in 1989
and 1999
. Following the death of Cortina native Eugenio Monti
in December 2003, the track was renamed in Monti's honor. In June 2007, the track was selected to host the 2011 world championships
. The track withdrew their hosting of the 2011 championships in February 2009 due to issues with the city of Cortina over the track itself.
The ski jump was used as a World Cup venue six times between 1979 and 1985. Its last World Cup competition in 1985 was won by Norway's Roger Ruud
. The last known competition of any kind at the jump took place in 1990.
Stadio Olympica is open to the general public and also serves as home to SG Cortina
's ice hockey team.
Cortina was first used as an alpine skiing World Cup event in 1981. It was an annual stop for women's alpine skiing from the 1992-3 to the 2008-9 seasons.
Besides the bobsleigh track in For Your Eyes Only, other venues that appear in the movie are the ski jump and Stadio Olympica.
1956 Winter Olympics
The 1956 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. This celebration of the Games was held from 26 January to 5 February 1956. Cortina, which had originally been awarded the 1944 Winter Olympics, beat out...
in Cortina d'Ampezzo
Cortina d'Ampezzo
Cortina d'Ampezzo is a town and comune in the southern Alps located in Veneto, a region in Northern Italy. Located in the heart of the Dolomites in an alpine valley, it is a popular winter sport resort known for its ski-ranges, scenery, accommodations, shops and après-ski scene...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, a total of eight sports venues were used. All of the venues used were new or rebuilt. To make use of television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
coverage for the first time in the Winter Olympics, the cross-country skiing stadium was constructed to allow the best coverage. Three of the venues used for these games would appear in the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only twenty-five years later.
Venues
| Venue | Sports | Capacity | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apollonino Stadium Apollonino Stadium Appollonino Stadium is an ice hockey venue located in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. It hosted some of the ice hockey events for the 1956 Winter Olympics.... |
Ice hockey Ice hockey at the 1956 Winter Olympics At the 1956 Winter Olympics held in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, one ice hockey event was held: men's ice hockey. This tournament was also counted as IIHF World Championship and IIHF European Championship. For World Championships Pool B matches were also played between GDR, Norway and Belgium in Berlin... |
2,000 | |
| La piste bob Eugenio Monti track The Eugenio Monti track is a bobsleigh and skeleton track located in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. It is named after Eugenio Monti , who won six bobsleigh medals at the Winter Olympic Games between 1956 and 1968 and ten medals at the FIBT World Championships between 1957 and 1966... |
Bobsleigh Bobsleigh at the 1956 Winter Olympics -Medal summary:-Medal table:-References:**... |
4,650 | |
| La pista di Misurina Lake Misurina Lake Misurina is the greater natural lake of the Cadore and it is 1,754 m above sea level, fraction of Auronzo di Cadore . The perimeter is 2.6 km long, while the depth is 5 m.... |
Speed skating Speed skating at the 1956 Winter Olympics At the 1956 Winter Olympics, four speed skating events were contested. The competitions were held from Saturday, January 28 to Tuesday, January 31, 1956.-Medal summary:-Medal table:-References:*... |
8,550 | |
| Lo Stadio del ghiaccio Stadio Olympica Stadio Olympica, listed as Stadio Olimpico del Ghiaccio , is an indoor ice hockey arena in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. It was built in 1955 and holds 12,000 people. The ice hockey games, as well as the other skating events and opening and closing ceremonies from the 1956 Winter Olympics were held... |
Figure skating Figure skating at the 1956 Winter Olympics At the 1956 Winter Olympics, three figure skating events were contested.-Medal summary:-Men:Referee:* Werner RittbergerAssistant Referee:* Walter S. Powell... , Ice hockey (final) |
12,042 | |
| Lo Stadio della neve Lo Stadio della neve Lo Stadio della neve is a temporary stadium located in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Located in the Campo di Sotto area, the venue hosted the cross-country skiing and the cross-country skiing part of the nordic combined events for the 1956 Winter Olympics.... |
Cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing at the 1956 Winter Olympics At the 1956 Winter Olympics six cross country skiing events were contested after men's 30 km and women's 3 x 5 km relay were added. The competitions were held from Friday, January 27 to Sunday, February 4, 1956.... , Nordic combined Nordic combined at the 1956 Winter Olympics At the 1956 Winter Olympics, the Individual Nordic combined event was contested.-Individual:January 31, 1956The cross-country skiing distance was reduced from 18 km to 15 km starting with this Olympics.-References:*... (cross-country skiing) |
9,650 | |
| Mount Faloria Mount Faloria Mount Faloria is a mountain located in the Dolomites in Italy near Cortina d'Ampezzo. It hosted some of the alpine skiing events at the 1956 Winter Olympics.-References:* pp. 165-79. & *... |
Alpine skiing Alpine skiing at the 1956 Winter Olympics At the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, the six alpine skiing events were held from Friday, January 27 to Friday, February 3, 1956.Toni Sailer of Austria won all three men's events to become the first alpine ski racer to win three gold medals in a single Olympics... (giant slalom) |
7,920 (men) | |
| Mount Tofana Tofane Tofane is a mountain group in the Italian Dolomites, west of Cortina d'Ampezzo, in the province of Belluno, Veneto, northern Italy. Most of the Tofane lies within Parco naturale delle Dolomiti d'Ampezzo, a nature park.-Peaks:... |
Alpine skiing (downhill, slalom) | 12,080 (men's slalom) | |
| Trampolino Italia Trampolino Olimpico Trampolino Olimpico is a ski jump hill in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. It was used as arena for ski jumping and Nordic combination for the 1956 Winter Olympics. The stadium holds a maximum of 40,000 spectators, and was built in 1955.It was featured in a scene in the 1981 film For Your Eyes... |
Nordic combined (ski jumping), Ski jumping Ski jumping at the 1956 Winter Olympics At the 1956 Winter Olympics, the Ski jumping event was contested in Cortina d'Ampezzo.-K90 individual ski jumping:The competition took place at "Trampolina Italia" with a K-Point of 72m.... |
46,152 | |
Before the Olympics
Cortina has been a tourist resort since 1861 when the British were among the first to vacation there. It became known in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
eighteen years later when a story of the town was published in the New York Times Following World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Cortina emerged as a sports venue. The first World Championship hosted was the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships have been held in various numbers and types of events since 1925 for men and since 1954 for women. Championship events include nordic skiing's three disciplines: cross-country skiing, ski jumping, and nordic combined...
in 1927. The city would host the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships five years later
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1932
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1932 were held in Cortina in Italy, from February 4-6, 1932.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:Key:...
.
Bobsleigh was first introduced in Cortina in 1905 though the first track 1200 m (3,937 ft) long would not be completed until eighteen years later. It made its international debut in 1928 during the International University Winter Games (now part of the Winter Universiade). The track would be rebuilt in 1936 to meet the standards of other tracks in St. Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland 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....
and Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a mountain resort town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region, and the district is on the border with Austria...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It hosted it first Bobsleigh World Championships
FIBT World Championships
The FIBT World Championships, part of the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing , have taken place on an annual basis in non-Winter Olympic years since 1930. A two-man event was included in 1931 with a combined championship occurring in 1947...
(FIBT) in 1937
FIBT World Championships 1937
The FIBT World Championships 1937 took place in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy and in St. Moritz, Switzerland . St. Moritz hosted the four-man event previously in 1931 and 1935.-Two man bobsleigh:-Four man bobsleigh:...
in the two-man event. The track was renovated again in 1948 after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
where all of the turns were rebuilt and the track was lengthened to 1700 m (5,577.4 ft) long and 16 turns. World Championships between 1937 and the 1956 Games took place in 1939
FIBT World Championships 1939
The FIBT World Championships 1939 took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy . St. Moritz hosted the two-man event for the second time after hosting it previously in 1938, along with hosting the four-man event in 1931, 1935, and 1937. Cortina d'Ampezzo hosted the two-man...
(four-man), 1950
FIBT World Championships 1950
The FIBT World Championships 1950 took place in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy for the third time after hosting the event previously in 1937 and 1939 .-Two man bobsleigh:-Four man bobsleigh:-Medal table:-References:**...
, and 1954
FIBT World Championships 1954
The FIBT World Championships 1954 took place in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy for the fourth time after previously hosting in 1937 , 1939 , and 1950.-Two man bobsleigh:Italy earned their first championship medals since World War II....
.
Cortina was awarded the 1944 Winter Olympics
1944 Winter Olympics
The anticipated 1944 Winter Olympics, which would have been officially known as the V Olympic Winter Games , were to be celebrated in February 1944 in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
in 1939, but had to withdraw from hosting the games due to World War II.
During the Olympics
Lo Stadio della neve (The Snow Stadium) was one of the first venues constructed to meet the needs of televisionTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
station RAI
RAI
RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by the Ministry of Economic Development. Rai is the biggest television company in Italy...
, Italy's national broadcaster. The Stadium was constructed in an oblong 250 by area in an east-west direction with the Grand Stands facing south.
Prior to the construction of La pista di Misurna (Misurna skating oval), the International Skating Union
International Skating Union
The International Skating Union is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded in Scheveningen, Netherlands in 1892, making it one of the oldest international...
(ISU) had expressed concern over the upkeep, but after a test event the year before the 1956 Games, changed their minds. A sports official for the ISU later stated that the track was easier to maintain than that of Davos
Davos
Davos is a municipality in the district of Prättigau/Davos in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has a permanent population of 11,248 . Davos is located on the Landwasser River, in the Swiss Alps, between the Plessur and Albula Range...
, Switzerland even though the track was made of natural ice.
After the Olympics
When Squaw Valley, CaliforniaSquaw Valley Ski Resort
Squaw Valley Ski Resort in Olympic Valley, California, is one of the largest ski areas in the United States, and was the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics. It is the second-largest ski area at Lake Tahoe , with 33 chairlifts, and has the only funitel lift in the U.S...
in the United States did not construct a bobsleigh track for the 1960 Winter Olympics
1960 Winter Olympics
The 1960 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VIII Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event held between February 18 and 28, 1960 in Squaw Valley, California, United States. In 1955 at the 50th IOC meeting, the organizing committee made the surprise choice to award Squaw Valley as...
, the track served as host for the bobsleigh World Championships in 1960
FIBT World Championships 1960
The FIBT World Championships 1960 took place in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy for the fifth time. The Italian city had hosted the event previously in 1937 , 1939 , 1950, and 1954...
. The death of West German
West Germany
West 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....
bobsledder Toni Pensperger
Toni Pensperger
Anton "Toni" Pensperger was a West German bobsledder who competed during the 1960s. He was posthumously awarded a gold medal in the four-man event after he was killed during the event at the 1966 FIBT World Championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo...
at the FIBT World Championships 1966
FIBT World Championships 1966
The FIBT World Championships 1966 took place in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy for the sixth time, having hosted the event previously in 1937 , 1939 , 1950, 1954, and 1960. The Four-man event was cancelled following the death of West Germany's Toni Pensperger during competition...
during the four-man event would force the track to improve its safety standards. Another Bobsleigh World Championships would not take place until 1981
FIBT World Championships 1981
The FIBT World Championships 1981 took place in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy for the seventh time, having hosted the event previously in 1937 , 1939 , 1950, 1954, 1960, and 1966...
. During the 1981 championships, an American bobsledder named James Morgan was killed during the four-man event. After Morgan's death and a death of a stuntman during the filming of the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
1981 film For Your Eyes Only
For Your Eyes Only (film)
For Your Eyes Only is the twelfth spy film in the James Bond series and the fifth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It marked the directorial debut of John Glen, who had worked as editor and second unit director in three other Bond films. The screenplay by Richard Maibaum...
, the track length was reduced to 1350 m (4,429.1 ft) and 13 curves. The track would host the Bobsleigh World Championships twice more in 1989
FIBT World Championships 1989
The FIBT World Championships 1989 took place in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy and St. Moritz, Switzerland . Cortina hosted the championships for the eighth time, having hosted the event previously in 1937 , 1939 , 1950, 1954, 1960, 1966, and 1981. Meanwhile, St. Moritz hosted a championship event for...
and 1999
FIBT World Championships 1999
The FIBT World Championships 1999 took place in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy and Altenberg, Germany . Cortina hosted the championships for the ninth time, previously doing so in 1937 , 1939 , 1950, 1954, 1960, 1966, 1981, and 1989...
. Following the death of Cortina native Eugenio Monti
Eugenio Monti
Eugenio Monti was an Italian bobsledder. He is one of the most successful athletes in the history of this sport, with ten World championship medals and 6 Olympic medals, but is known also for an act of sportsmanship during the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria that made him the first...
in December 2003, the track was renamed in Monti's honor. In June 2007, the track was selected to host the 2011 world championships
FIBT World Championships 2011
The FIBT World Championships 2011 takes place from 14 February 2011 until 27 February in Königssee, Germany for the fifth time, doing so previously in 1979, 1986, and 1990 , and 2004...
. The track withdrew their hosting of the 2011 championships in February 2009 due to issues with the city of Cortina over the track itself.
The ski jump was used as a World Cup venue six times between 1979 and 1985. Its last World Cup competition in 1985 was won by Norway's Roger Ruud
Roger Ruud
Roger Ruud is a former Norwegian ski jumper who represented Lensbygda SK. He won the 1982 New Year's competition in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and finished second overall in the Four Hills Tournament that same year. He won the Holmenkollen ski jump competition in 1981.Ruud was Norwegian champion in...
. The last known competition of any kind at the jump took place in 1990.
Stadio Olympica is open to the general public and also serves as home to SG Cortina
SG Cortina
Sportivi Ghiaccio Cortina is an ice hockey team from Italy. They play their home games at Stadio Olimpico del Ghiaccio, located in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Veneto...
's ice hockey team.
Cortina was first used as an alpine skiing World Cup event in 1981. It was an annual stop for women's alpine skiing from the 1992-3 to the 2008-9 seasons.
Besides the bobsleigh track in For Your Eyes Only, other venues that appear in the movie are the ski jump and Stadio Olympica.