1970s - 1980s winter olympics
Innsbruck 1976
The Winter Olympic Games returns to Innsbruck just 12 years after the last time. The 1976 edition had been awarded to Denver, but the Colorado city decided to withdraw in 1972 following a popular referendum promoted by environmental movements opposed to the environmental changes that hosting the Olympics would inevitably entail. During the opening ceremony, two tripods are lit: one commemorating the recent 1964 Games, the other celebrating the current edition. These are the Games of the historic Italian double in the slalom, with Piero Gros triumphing ahead of Gustav Thöni.
Nation: Austria
Athletes: 1,123 (231 women, 892 men)
Nations: 37
Medal count: USSR, East Germany, United States of America
Ornskoldsvik 1976 Paralympics
The first Paralympic Winter Games are held in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, and feature alpine skiing and cross-country skiing events with a total of 53 medals to be awarded. 198 athletes (161 men and 37 women) from 16 nations participate. West Germany finishes at the top of the medal table, ahead of Switzerland and Finland.
Lake Placid 1980
Almost half a century later, the Winter Olympic Games returns to Lake Placid, New York, a small town in the heart of the Adirondacks. To ensure optimal competition conditions, artificial snowmakers are used for the first time in the history of the Games. The Cold War climate calls for the US to boycott the Moscow Summer Olympics.
Nation: United States of America
Athletes: 1,072 (232 women, 840 men)
Nations: 37
Medal table: USSR, East Germany, United States of America
Geilo 1980 Paralympics
The success of the first Paralympic Winter Games leads to the organisation of a second edition, with 369 athletes (299 men and 70 women) representing 18 countries. Speed skating makesits debut. Hosts Norway triumphs in the medal table, ahead of Finland and Austria.
Sarajevo 1984
The Winter Olympic Games are held in a climate that bears no resemblance to the war that would lead to the bloody dissolution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia a few years later. This edition is marked by heavy snowfall, which influences – not without controversy – the schedule and results of the competitions.
Nation: Yugoslavia
Athletes: 1,272 (274 women, 998 men)
Nations: 49
Medal table: East Germany, USSR, United States of America
Innsbruck 1984 Paralympics
419 athletes (325 men and 94 women) from 21 countries take part in the Third Paralympic Winter Games: athletes with cerebral palsy are admitted for the first time. A demonstration giant slalom is held in addition to the three traditional sport disciplines. Austria placed at the top of the medal table, ahead of Finland and Norway.
