CBC.ca - Torino 2006

Olympic History

	Cold Gold: Canada's Winter Winners From cocky snowboarder Ross Rebagliati to shy speed skater Gaétan Boucher to prairie girl Sandra Schmirler, Canada has groomed some of the finest athletes to take the Olympic stage. On skates and skis and snowboards, Canadians are nothing short of spectacular. CBC Archives presents a selection of Canada's golden winter Olympians.
	1924 Chamonix The inaugural Winter Olympics were a resounding success in the picturesque spa town of Chamonix, France. Five sports were contested at these Games, which were called the "International Week of Winter Sports." A determined 11-year-old name Sonja Henie made a remarkable figure skating debut. At home, Canadians cheered as the Toronto Granites scored a decisive victory over the Americans to bring home hockey gold.
	1928 St. Moritz The 1928 St. Moritz Games marked the ascension of figure skating star Sonja Henie and included German athletes for the first time since the First World War. Speed skating, bobsleigh, cross-country skiing and luge events were slashed from the program due to unseasonably warm weather. Organizers and athletes scrambled to make do in the remaining sports. Skeleton debuted and Canada continued to reign in hockey.
	1932 Lake Placid Extreme weather hurt the 1932 Lake Placid Games, but it was the Great Depression that did the most damage. Only 252 athletes came to compete at these Olympics, artificially boosting Canada's medal ranking to third place. Canada also took its first Olympic figure skating medal.
	1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen The 1936 Winter Games were held in the twin Bavarian towns of Garmisch and Partenkirchen just three years before the outbreak of the Second World War. Adolf Hitler presided over the Opening Ceremony, casting a grim pall over these controversial Games.
	1948 St. Moritz The Second World War caused the cancellation of the 1940 and 1944 Olympics. But three years after the Allied victory, the Olympics returned. At these post-war Games, Canadian figurer skater Barbara Ann Scott became the first Canadian to win a gold medal in Olympic figure skating and American skater Dick Button leaped his way into greatness.
	1952 Oslo Nearly 700 athletes from 30 countries converged in Oslo for the 1952 Games. Germany's super-heavyweight bobsleigh crew coasted to victory, Canada's Edmonton Mercurys hockey team captured gold, and Norway's Hjallis Andersen thrilled the hometown crowd with his crushing speed skating victories.
	1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo The Olympics entered a new era of big business during the post-war boom of the 1950s. Athletes enjoyed the benefits of corporate sponsorships and the new medium of television changed the Games forever.
	1960 Squaw Valley At the 1960 Squaw Valley Games, the Olympics entered the computer age. Bidding wars between network television raised the stakes and enriched the IOC’s coffers. Also at these Games, the Americans and the Soviets faced off in an epic Cold War battle in men's hockey and Anne Heggtveit became Canada's first Olympic gold medallist in skiing.
	1964 Innsbruck All eyes were on Innsbruck in 1964 as 1,091 athletes competed in 34 events, covered by a record number of journalists. The biggest star to emerge was the Soviet Union's Lydia Skoblkova, who swept the women's speed skating events. Sweden's Sixten Jernberg ended his outstanding cross-country skiing career and Canada's four-man bobsleigh team surprised the world with a golden effort.
	1968, Grenoble The modern Winter Olympics movement came of age in Grenoble. For the first time, the IOC ordered drug tests after each competition. Colour television also revolutionized the way people watched the Games. Canada's skiing sweetheart Nancy Greene earned her stripes with two medal-winning performances. American Peggy Fleming revolutionized figure skating with her elegant and athletic approach.
	1972 Sapporo The Sapporo Games were the first Winter Olympics held in Asia. Japanese ski jumpers thrilled hometown crowds with their unexpected victories. Canada petitioned but failed to have NHL players granted entry into the Games and IOC President Avery Brundage got heavy-handed with commercial amateurs.
	1976 Innsbruck Sports technology made headlines in Innsbruck. Innovations crossed over into Alpine skiing, speed skating and ski jumping with perforated skis, sleek hooded suits and streamlined helmets. On the ice, a new star was born, as figure skater Dorothy Hamill rocketed to fame in the U.S. by winning gold in the women’s competition. Canadians cheered for 18-year-old skier Kathy Kreiner, their gold-medal champion at the Games.
	1980 Lake Placid Before a hometown crowd, the American men's hockey team achieved what became known as the "Miracle on Ice" when they won the gold medal in hockey, defeating the highly favoured Soviets, then cruising to gold by defeating Finland in the final. One of Canada's finest Olympians, Gaetan Boucher, hinted at future greatness. And Alpine legend Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden struggled back from a horrific crash to sweet victory.
	1984 Sarajevo The Bosnian city of Sarajevo was virtually unknown on the global stage when the Winter Olympics landed in the Balkans for the first time. Athletes competed in state-of-the-art facilities in the snowy capital. Speed skater Gaetan Boucher was the toast of the Games for Canada, collecting two gold and one bronze medal. Finland’s Marja-Liisa Hamalainen won four medals in cross-country skiing and East Germany dominated in the women's speed skating events.
	1988 Calgary Canada got a crack at hosting its first Winter Olympics in 1988 and the Calgary Games came through with some breathtaking performances. The biggest star on the hill, "Eddie the Eagle" Edwards, thrilled the nervous crowds with his shaky, unstable jumps. Flamboyant Italian skier Alberto Tomba personified confidence and glamour. Also at these Games, Canada’s plucky figure skater Elizabeth Manley scored a tremendous comeback to win a silver medal.
	1992 Albertville Sweeping sociopolitical changes in Europe ushered in a new era for the Games in 1992. With the end of the Cold war, Soviet Athletes competed under the banner of the Unified Team. Other Soviet republics competed as sovereign nations. The Games also featured a unified German team for the first time in decades. Kerrin Lee-Gartner became a Canadian hero on the downhill slopes and Canadian Myriam Bedard became the first North American to win a medal in biathlon.
	1994 Lillehammer Two years after the Albertville Games closed, the Winter Olympics reappeared in Lillehammer, Norway. The 1994 Games did not suffer from the quick turnaround as the Lillehammer Olympics are considered among the most successful Winter Games in history. Hard-luck American speed skater Dan Jansen proved that perseverance pays off, Italy’s Manuela Di Centa took home a whopping five medals in cross-country skiing and Canada enjoyed a respectable medal haul thanks in large part to the inclusion of freestyle skiing and short-track speed skating as official sports.
	1998 Nagano Canadian snowboarder Ross Rebagliati became the headline story of the 1998 Games. After capturing gold in the inaugural Olympic snowboarding event, Rebagliati tested positive for marijuana and a media whirlwind ensued. Rebagliati became an unlikely celebrity and drew lots of attention to the new rebel sport. Also at these Games, Norway’s Björn Daehlie became the most decorated Winter Olympian in history when he claimed four medals in cross-country skiing to boost his career total to 12 medals, including eight gold. And, the NHL finally suspended its schedule to allow its players to compete in Nagano.
	2002 Salt Lake City Security was foremost on the agenda at the Salt Lake City Games. Following the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, these Olympics became the most fortified in history. But once the Games opened, the athletes became the top story. Canadian figure skaters Jamie Sale and David Pelletier inspired reform in figure skating judging, rigorous doping tests revealed a surprising list of cheaters, and Canada enjoyed its most successful Games ever.