Winter Olympic History Quiz: Part 2
Austrian Toni Sailer won all three Alpine gold medals at the 1956 Cortina Games, the only other skier to match his feat was who?
- Frenchman Jean-Claude Killy was the national hero of the 1968 Grenoble Winter Games winning downhill, slalom and giant slalom events. The Super G and Combined events were added in 1988.
What nation was initially reinstated for Olympic competition in Grenoble in 1968 by an IOC vote but then uninvited following a storm of protest?
- South Africa was originally voted in by a vote of 37 in favor, 28 opposed with seven abstentions. But with the specter of South Africa competing in the Summer Games in Mexico City that same year a broad-based threat of boycott due to South Africa's infamous racial policies forced the IOC to back off reinstatement.
What two sports made their debut at the 1998 Nagano Winter Games?
- Snowboarding and curling both made their first appearance in 1998. Women's hockey also made its debut at Nagano but freestyle skiing had first appeared in 1992.
Who is the youngest gold medalist in Winter Olympics history?
- American Tara Lipinski became the youngest gold medal winner in Winter Games history at 15 years, 256 days old with her win in the ladies singles figure skating event in 1998 beating Sonja Henie's 70-year old record by two months.
Why did Austrian bronze medalist Stefan Kreiner get a duplicate medal at the 1992 Albertville Winter Games?
- Kreiner dropped the medal while packing and the medal, which were designed with precious metals and engraved Lalique crystal that year, shattered.
Who did the U.S. men's ice hockey team defeat in the gold medal game at the 1980 Lake Placid Games?
- The US beat the heavily favored Soviets in their famous "Miracle on Ice" game but that was actually in the semifinal round of the Olympic tournament. The team beat Finland, 4-2, for the gold medal.
Following the break-up of the Soviet Union, some former Soviet republics formed the Unified Team at the Albertville Winter Games in 1992. Which of the following nations was not part of the Unified Team?
- The Unified Team was made up of athletes from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania fielded teams for the first time since 1936.
The 1976 Winter Games, held in Innsbruck for the second time in 12 years, were originally awarded to what American city?
- Denver withdrew as hosts after voters rejected a bond issue to finance the event.
East Germany made its Olympic debut at which Winter Games?
- Before 1968, the East and West Germans sent a unified team. The teams from Germany merged again starting in 1992
What did longtime IOC president Avery Brundage demand be removed before Olympic skiers had their photographs taken following competition in 1968?
- Brundage's crusade against commercialism led him to issue an edict that all sponsor's logos and trademarks be removed from the skis of racers immediately following their runs and prior to any photographs. However it proved impractical and led to an agreement to have the skis themselves confiscated following their descents.
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