The 1976 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XII Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated February 4-15, 1976 in Innsbruck, Austria. It was the second time the Tyrolean city hosted the Games.

Following the Munich Massacre at the 1972 Summer Olympics, security was tight for the 1976 games. Innsbruck 1976 pointed the way to the future in Olympic security, however security at the 1976 Summer Games in Montreal was considered unparalleled and helped the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City cope as a result of the events of September 11, 2001.

Host selection

The cities of Denver, United States, Sion, Switzerland, Tampere, Finland, and Whistler, Canada made a bid for the Games.

The games were originally awarded to Denver in May 1970, but a 300 percent rise in costs and worries about environmental impact led to Colorado voters' rejection in November 1972, by a 3 to 2 margin, of a $5 million bond issue to finance the games with public funds. http://denver.rockymountainnews.com/millennium/1012stone.shtmlhttp://deseretnews.com/oly/view/0,3949,40000046,00.html

The IOC then offered the games to Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, but they too declined owing to a change of government following elections. (Whistler would go on to be associated with neighboring Vancouver's successful bid for the 2010 games.)

Salt Lake City, Utah, which would eventually host in 2002 offered itself as a potential host after the withdrawal of Denver. The IOC, still reeling from the Denver rejection, declined and selected Innsbruck in 1973; it had hosted the 1964 games.

The chart below displays the original vote count for the 69th IOC Session at Amsterdam, Netherlands, in 1970, before the Denver rejection and the installation of Innsbruck, Austria, as alternate host.^[1]

Highlights

• Austrian favorite Franz Klammer won the men's downhill alpine skiing event in a total time of 1:45.73, after great pressure from his country and defending champion Bernhard Russi of Switzerland.
• Media darling Dorothy Hamill of the United States won the Gold in Ladies Figure Skating, and inspired the popular "wedge" haircut.^[2]
• Elegant British skater John Curry altered his routine to appeal to Olympic judges, winning gold.^[3]
• American skater Terry Kubicka attempted - and completed - a dangerous backflip in figure skating.
• West German skier Rosi Mittermaier almost swept the women's Alpine events, earning two golds and a silver, losing the third gold by an agonizing 13/100ths of a second.^[4]
• Speed skating saw Soviet Tatiana Averina win four medals. Also, the U.S. team earned six of its 10 total medals in speed skating events.^[5]
• In the 4-man bobsled, the East German team won for the first time of what would be 3 consecutive titles.
• The USSR won its fourth straight ice hockey gold medal.
• Sports technology, in the guise of innovative perforated skis, sleek hooded suits and streamlined helmets appeared in Alpine skiing, speed skating and ski jumping, making headlines in Innsbruck.^[6]
• A second cauldron was built to represent the 1976 Games, and both the 1964 and 1976 cauldrons were lit.
• The Soviet Union won the games with 13 gold medals, 6 silver medals and 8 bronze medals.
• The mascot was the Tyrolean snowman.

Venues

Bergisel, as it looks today

• Bergisel - ski jumping
• Igls bobsleigh and luge track

Medals awarded

Ice dancing made its debut to the Olympics.

See the medal winners, ordered by sport:

• Alpine skiing
• Biathlon
• Bobsleigh
• Cross-country skiing
• Figure skating
• Ice hockey
• Luge
• Nordic combined
• Ski jumping
• Speed skating

Participating nations

The '76 Winter Olympics marked the final time the Republic of China participated under the Republic of China flag and name. After most of the international community recognized the People's Republic of China as the legitimate government of all China, the ROC was forced to compete under the name Chinese Taipei, under an altered flag and to use its National Banner Song instead of its national anthem.

Medal count

(Host nation highlighted)

See also

• Olympic Games
• Summer Olympic Games
• International Olympic Committee
• IOC country codes
• 1976 Winter Paralympics
• 1964 Winter Olympics

References

1. ↑ Compliments from the International Olympic Committee Vote History web page.
2. ↑ Dorothy Hamill bio
3. ↑ Olympic.org
4. ↑ Infoplease
5. ↑ Kiat.net
6. ↑ CBC.CA

• The Official Report of the XIIth Winter Olympic Games 1976 at Innsbruck - from amateur athletic foundation

External links

• Olympic.org - official site
• Present photos of Innsbruck Olympic sites
• Rocky Mountain News - Colorado only state ever to turn down Olympics - 12-Oct-1999
• The program of the 1976 Innsbruck Winter Olympics

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