1968 Winter Olympics

Updated August 28, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Grenoble

For the first time since they began attending the Winter Games in 1956, the Russians did not win the most medals—Norway did.

This was also the first year that the IOC permitted East and West Germany to participate as separate countries.

The host French team finished fourth in the overall standings—their best showing ever—thanks mainly to 24–year-old Jean-Claude Killy, who became the first skier to sweep all three Alpine events since Toni Sailer in 1956.

Killy was awarded his third gold medal in the slalom only after original winner Karl Schranz of Austria was disqualified for missing two gates on his second run in the two-heat race. Schranz had been allowed to retake his second heat run when a spectator interrupted his initial attempt, but officials ruled the missed gates came before the interruption.

Once again, the U.S. won only one gold medal—19–year-old Peggy Fleming in women's figure skating. Three of the five silver medals won by the U.S. came in one event—the women's 500–meter speed skating race, where Jenny Fish, Dianne Holum and Mary Myers tied for second place with a time of 46.3 seconds.