1952 Winter Olympics
Encyclopedia
The 1952 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VI Olympic Winter Games, took place in Oslo
, Norway
, from 14 to 25 February 1952. Discussions about Oslo hosting the Winter Olympic Games began as early as 1935; the city wanted to host the 1948 Games
, but World War II made that impossible. Instead, Oslo won the right to host the 1952 Games in a contest that included Cortina d'Ampezzo
in Italy and Lake Placid
in the United States. All of the venues were in Oslo's metropolitan area except for the alpine skiing
events, which were held at Norefjell
, 113 km (70.2 mi) from the capital. A new hotel was built to house the press and dignitaries, along with three dormitories to house athletes and coaches, creating the first modern athlete's village
. The city of Oslo bore the financial burden of hosting the Games in return for the revenue they generated.
The Games attracted 694 athletes representing 30 countries, who participated in six sports
and 22 events. Japan
and Germany
made their returns to Olympic competition, after being forced to miss the 1948 Games in the aftermath of World War II. Germany was represented solely by West German athletes because East Germany
declined to compete as a unified team. Portugal
and New Zealand
made their Winter Olympic debuts, and for the first time women were allowed to compete in cross-country skiing
.
Norwegian truck driver Hjalmar Andersen
won three out of four speed skating
events to become the most decorated athlete at the Games. Germany resumed its former prominence in bobsleigh
, with wins in the four- and two-man events. Dick Button
of the United States
performed the first triple jump in international competition to claim his second consecutive men's figure skating
Olympic title. The 1952 Games featured one demonstration sport, bandy
, but only three countries, all Scandinavia
n, competed in the tournament. Norway dominated the overall medal count with 16 medals, seven of them gold. The Games closed with the presentation of a flag that would be passed from one Winter Olympics host city to the next. The flag, which became known as the "Oslo flag", has been displayed in the host city during each subsequent Winter Games.
had unsuccessfully bid to host the 1936 Winter Olympics
, losing to Germany, which had hosted the 1936 Summer Olympics
. At that time, the nation that hosted the Summer Olympics
also hosted the Winter Olympics
. After the 1936 Games, the International Olympic Committee
(IOC) decided to award the Winter and Summer Games to different countries, but the Games were suspended during World War II. London hosted the first post-war Games, the 1948 Summer Olympics
, and recommended Oslo as the host city for the 1948 Winter Games
, but the city council declined. Instead, the 1948 Winter Olympics were held in St. Moritz
, Switzerland.
Norwegians were undecided about hosting a Winter Olympics. Culturally they were opposed to competitive winter sports, particularly skiing events, despite the success of Norwegian athletes at previous Winter Games. But the organizers believed the 1952 Games could be an opportunity to promote national unity and to show the world that Norway had recovered from the war. Vying with Oslo for the right to host the Games were Cortina d'Ampezzo
, Italy, and Lake Placid
, United States. The IOC voted to award the 1952 Winter Games to Oslo on 1 June 1947 at the 40th IOC Session in Stockholm, Sweden. Later, Cortina d'Ampezzo was awarded the 1956 Games
, and Lake Placid—which had hosted the 1932 Winter Olympics
—was chosen to host the 1980 Winter Games
. Norway became the first Scandinavian country to host a Winter Olympics, and the 1952 Winter Games the first to be held in a nation's capital.
. The committee was in place by December 1947. The city of Oslo funded the Games entirely, in exchange for keeping all the revenue generated. To accommodate the influx of athletes and coaches, quarters for competitors and support staff were designed and constructed, with three new facilities (forerunners of the athlete's villages of later Games) built. The city of Oslo paid to have a new hotel constructed, the Viking
, used for IOC delegates, out-of-town dignitaries, and as the communication hub of the Games. For the first time in a Winter Games, an indoor ice hockey arena was constructed, which hosted the eight-team tournament. Oslo's existing central arena, Bislett Stadion
, was used for the opening and closing ceremonies, and for speed skating events. Improvements to the arena included better sound and lighting systems, remodeled club house and press rooms, and the addition of a medical center.
At first Norway was reluctant to welcome German athletes, and other Nazi sympathizers. For example, Norwegian speed skater Finn Hodt
was not allowed to compete in the Norwegian speed skating team because he collaborated with the Nazis during the war. Eventually, despite the concern, Norway agreed to allow German and Japanese
athletes to compete. The Soviet Union sent no athletes to Oslo, despite being recognized by the IOC. They had intended to enter a team in the ice hockey tournament, but applied too late to join the International Ice Hockey Federation
.
The opening ceremonies
were held in Bislett Stadion on 15 February. King George VI of Great Britain had died on 6 February 1952, eight days before the start of the Games. As a result, all national flags were flown at half-mast, and Princess Ragnhild
opened the Games in place of her grandfather, King Haakon VII
, who was in London attending the funeral. This was the first time an Olympic Games had been declared open by a woman. The parade of nations was held according to tradition, with Greece
first, the rest of the nations proceeding by Norwegian alphabetical order, with the host nation
last. The British
, Australian
, Canadian
and New Zealand
teams all wore black arm bands at the opening ceremonies in memory of their monarch. After the parade of nations the Olympic flame was lit. The Olympic torch was lit on 13 February in the hearth of the Morgedal
House, birthplace of skiing pioneer Sondre Norheim
. The torch relay lasted two days and took place entirely on skis. At the opening ceremonies the final torch bearer, Eigil Nansen
, received the Olympic torch and skied to a flight of stairs where he removed his skis, ascended, and ignited the flame.
The bobsleigh and alpine skiing events were held the day before the opening ceremonies. Competitors in these events were unable to attend the festivities in Oslo; consequently simple opening ceremonies were held at Frognerseteren
, site of the bobsleigh events, and Norefjell
, site of the alpine skiing events.
competition, winning the two- and four-man events. The results for both bobsleigh events were the same, with the United States
and Switzerland
taking silver and bronze respectively. Fritz Feierabend
from Switzerland competed in both the two- and four-man competitions. His two bronze medals were the fourth and fifth in an Olympic career that spanned 16 years and three Olympics. There were no weight restrictions on the bobsleigh athletes, and the average weight for each member of the winning German four-man team was 117 kg (257.9 lb), which was more than the Olympic heavyweight boxing champion in 1952
. Seeing the undue advantage overweight athletes brought to their teams, the International Federation for Bobsleigh and Toboganning
instituted a weight limit for future Olympics.
events were held at Bislett Stadion. Americans Ken Henry and Don McDermott
placed first and second in the 500-meter race, but Norwegian truck driver Hjalmar Andersen
electrified the partisan crowd by winning the 1,500, 5,000 and 10,000-meter events; his margins of victory were the largest in Olympic history. Dutchman
Wim van der Voort
placed second in the 1,500 meters and his countryman Kees Broekman
placed second to Andersen in the 5,000 and 10,000-meter races, becoming the first Olympic speed skating medalists from the Netherlands. Absent from the competition was former world champion Kornél Pajor
. The Hungarian-born speed skater had won both long distance races at the World Championships held in Oslo in 1949 and then defected to Sweden, but was unable to obtain Swedish citizenship in time to compete in 1952.
events on the Olympic program: the slalom
, giant slalom and downhill
. Both men and women competed in all three events, held at Norefjell and Rødkleiva
. The giant slalom made its Olympic debut at the 1952 Games. Austrian skiers dominated the competition, winning seven out of a possible 18 medals, including Othmar Schneider
who won gold and silver in the men's slalom and downhill. Norwegian Stein Eriksen
won gold in the men's giant slalom and silver in the slalom. Greek
slalom skier Antoin Miliordos
fell 18 times on his run and crossed the finish line backwards. American skier Andrea Mead-Lawrence
was the only double gold medalist, winning the giant slalom and the slalom. She was the first skier from the United States to win two alpine skiing gold medals.
events were held next to the ski jump hill at Holmenkollbakken. As had been the case in 1948 there were three men's events: 18 kilometers, 50 kilometers, and a relay. Added to the Olympic program for the first time was a ten-kilometer race for women. All the cross-country medals were won by Nordic countries, and Finnish
skiers won eight of the twelve possible. Lydia Wideman
of Finland became the first female Olympic champion in cross-country skiing; her teammates Mirja Hietamies
and Siiri Rantanen
won silver and bronze respectively. Veikko Hakulinen
won the 50-kilometer men's race to begin an Olympic career that would culminate in seven medals, three of them gold. Hallgeir Brenden
won the 18-kilometer race and helped Norway take the silver in the 4 × 10-kilometer relay. Brenden went on to win another gold in the men's 15-kilometer race
in 1956, and a silver in the relay in 1960
.
event was held at the cross-country and ski jump venues. The event started with an 18-kilometer cross-country race. The next day the competitors took three jumps from the Holmenkollbakken. The best two marks were scored, along with the results of the cross-country race, to determine a winner. Norwegians Simon Slåttvik
and Sverre Stenersen
won the gold and bronze respectively. Stenersen went on to win the gold at the 1956 Games in the same event. Heikki Hasu
from Finland won the silver, preventing a Norwegian sweep of the medals.
, and Princess Ragnhild were in attendance. The Norwegian athletes did not disappoint the crowd, as Arnfinn Bergmann
and Torbjørn Falkanger
placed first and second; Swedish jumper Karl Holmström
took the bronze. Norwegian athletes won the ski jumping gold medal in every Winter Olympics from 1924 to 1952.
competition: men's singles, women's singles and mixed pairs. The events were held at the Bislett Stadion on a rink constructed inside the speed skating track. The collusion of judges to influence results was an emerging trend in the years leading up to the Oslo Games. Between 1949 and 1952 the International Skating Union
had banned five judges for attempting to fix scores, although no evidence of wrongdoing was found in the judging of the Olympic competitions.
Dick Button
of the United States won the men's singles event. Helmut Seibt
of Austria
took silver and James Grogan
of the United States won bronze. Button became the first figure-skater to land a triple jump in competition when he performed the triple loop
in the men's free skate. British skater Jeannette Altwegg
won the gold medal in the women's singles, the silver was awarded to American Tenley Albright
, who went on to win gold at the 1956 Winter Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo, and Jacqueline du Bief
of France
won the bronze. The German husband and wife pair of Ria and Paul Falk
won the mixed pairs competition. They defeated Americans Karol
and Peter Kennedy, who placed second, and Hungarian
siblings Marianna and László Nagy
, who won the bronze medal.
A majority of the ice hockey
matches took place at Jordal Amfi
, a new hockey stadium built for the Olympics. Eight teams played in the tournament and Canada
again won the gold medal. Canada had won all but one Olympic hockey tournament thus far, but in 1956 the Soviet team began to compete and ended Canadian dominance. Canada was represented by the Edmonton Mercurys
, an amateur hockey team sponsored by the owner of a Mercury
automobile dealership. The gold medal game ended in a 3–3 tie, which, based on international rules at the time, gave the gold to Canada and the silver to the United States. Sweden
and Czechoslovakia
played for the bronze medal, which went to Sweden. The result was criticized in the Soviet press, which accused the Canadian and American teams of a colluding to reach a tie, and thus preventing a team from a communist country winning the tournament. Teams from North America were criticized for their rough play; although body checking
was legal, it was not often used by European teams, and opponents and spectators alike took a dim view of that style of play.
or curling
as a demonstration sport. The committee instead selected bandy
, which had never been included in the Winter Games. Bandy was played by teams of eleven on a soccer field-sized rink, using a ball instead of a puck
. With sticks about 1.2 m (3.9 ft) long, players attempted to make a goal with the ball in the opposing team's net. As a demonstration sport the players were ineligible for medals. Three nations participated: Finland, Norway and Sweden. Each of the three teams won one game and lost one game; with Sweden winning the competition based on number of goals scored, followed by Norway in second place, and Finland in third place. Two of the games were played at Dæhlenenga Stadion and one at Bislett.
Since 1920, the "Antwerp flag" has been passed from host city to host city during closing ceremonies for the Summer Games. The city of Oslo gave an Olympic flag to establish the same tradition for the Winter Games. Brynjulf Bull, Oslo's mayor, passed the flag to the president of the IOC, Sigfrid Edström
, who declared the flag was to pass from host city to host city for future Winter Games. The flag, which came to be known as the "Oslo Flag", has since been preserved in a display case, with the name of every Winter Olympics host city engraved on brass plaques, and is brought to each Winter Games to be displayed. A replica is used during the closing ceremonies.
After the flag ceremony the Olympic flame was extinguished, a special speed skating race was held, and the figure skating competitors gave an exhibition, followed by 40 children dressed in national costumes performing an ice dance. For a finale, to the close the Games, the lights were extinguished and a 20-minute fireworks display lit up the night sky.
† Bandy was a demonstration sport at the 1952 Winter Games, and no medals were awarded.
‡ The numeral indicates the number of event finals for each sport held that day.
became the centrepiece of the Games. It was the venue for the speed skating events and the figure skating competition. Bislett was large enough for a 400 m (1,312.3 ft) speed skating track, and a figure skating ice-rink of 30 by; a snow bank separated the track and the rink. Because Bislett was an outdoor arena, the organizing committee chose Tryvann Stadion
and Hamar Stadion
as secondary alternative skating venues to be used the case of bad weather. In 1994 Hamar
became the venue for the speed skating events
at the 1994 Winter Olympics
in Lillehammer
.
The Oslo Winter Games were the first to feature an Olympic ice hockey tournament held on artificial ice. A new stadium was built for the hockey tournament in a residential area of eastern Oslo, called Jordal Amfi
, which accommodated 10,000 spectators in stands rising steeply from the rink. Twenty-three of the 36 hockey matches were played at Jordal Amfi, with the remaining matches played at Kadettangen
, Dælenenga idrettspark
, Lillestrøm Stadion
and Marienlyst Stadion
.
The cross-country races and ski-jump competition were held at Holmenkollbakken, located roughly 8 km (5 mi) from the center of Oslo. The expected number of spectators caused concerns about traffic, so a new road was constructed and the existing thoroughfare widened. Holmenkollbakken was built in 1892 and improvements were needed to meet international standards. The original wood ski-jump was replaced with a concrete tower and jump that was abbr=on 87 long. New stands were built to seat 13,000 people, and an area was added at the base of the hill to accommodate 130,000 spectators.
The hills and terrain in the surrounding area met the competitive demands for an elite cross-country ski event. A notice board was posted at the start and finish lines to help spectators monitor the progress of the competitors. The cross-country and nordic combined races began and ended at the base of the ski jump hill. The stands for the ski jump competition had to be removed during the cross-country races; spectators had only a small area from which to watch the races but were allowed on the course to cheer on the competitors.
The alpine skiing events were split between Norefjell and Rødkleiva. The slalom courses were at Rødkleiva, located on the same mountain as Holmenkollen and Frognerseteren. The course had an elevation difference, from start to finish, of 200 m (656.2 ft) and was 480 m (1,574.8 ft) in length. A rope tow
had to be built to bring the skiers from the bottom to the top of the hill. The downhill race and the giant slalom—which made its Olympic deput in 1952—were held at Norefjell, which was 113 km (70.2 mi) from Oslo and the only venue located away from the capital city. Work had to be done to make the area suitable for Olympic competition. A bridge across Lake Krøderen
was built to help alleviate transportation congestion. A new hotel, two ski lifts, and a new road were also constructed.
There was no permanent bobsleigh run in Norway. Instead the organizers built a temporary course out of snow and ice. Korketrekkeren
was selected as the site for the bobsleigh events, where a 1508 m (4,947.5 ft) long, thirteen-turn course was designed and built. The bobsleigh run was first constructed and tested in 1951, then rebuilt for the Games in 1952.
and Portugal
took part in the Winter Olympic Games for the first time. Australia, Germany
, and Japan
returned after a 16-year absence. South Korea
, Liechtenstein
, and Turkey
competed in 1948 but did not participate in the 1952 Games.
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, from 14 to 25 February 1952. Discussions about Oslo hosting the Winter Olympic Games began as early as 1935; the city wanted to host the 1948 Games
1948 Winter Olympics
The 1948 Winter Olympics, officially known as the V Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated in 1948 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The Games were the first to be celebrated after World War II; it had been twelve years since the last Winter Games in 1936...
, but World War II made that impossible. Instead, Oslo won the right to host the 1952 Games in a contest that included Cortina d'Ampezzo
Cortina d'Ampezzo
Cortina d'Ampezzo is a town and comune in the southern Alps located in Veneto, a region in Northern Italy. Located in the heart of the Dolomites in an alpine valley, it is a popular winter sport resort known for its ski-ranges, scenery, accommodations, shops and après-ski scene...
in Italy and Lake Placid
Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....
in the United States. All of the venues were in Oslo's metropolitan area except for the alpine skiing
Alpine skiing at the 1952 Winter Olympics
At the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway, the six alpine skiing events were held from Thursday, February 14 to Wednesday, February 20, 1952.The giant slalom made its Olympic debut, and the combined event was dropped as an Olympic medal event for four decades, until 1988...
events, which were held at Norefjell
Norefjell
Norefjell is a norwegian mountain range in the Scandes Mountains system. It stretches between the valleys Eggedal and Hallingdal in Norway...
, 113 km (70.2 mi) from the capital. A new hotel was built to house the press and dignitaries, along with three dormitories to house athletes and coaches, creating the first modern athlete's village
Olympic Village
An Olympic Village is an accommodation centre built for an Olympic Games, usually within an Olympic Park or elsewhere in a host city. Olympic Villages are built to house all participating athletes, as well as officials, athletic trainers, and other staff. Since the Munich Massacre at the 1972...
. The city of Oslo bore the financial burden of hosting the Games in return for the revenue they generated.
The Games attracted 694 athletes representing 30 countries, who participated in six sports
Olympic sports
Olympic sports, as defined by the International Olympic Committee, are all the sports contested in the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. The Summer Olympics, as of 2012, will include 26 sports, with two additionall sports due to be added in 2016...
and 22 events. Japan
Japan at the 1952 Winter Olympics
Japan competed at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway. Japan returned to the Winter Games after not being invited to the 1948 Winter Olympics because of the nation's role in World War II.- Alpine skiing:Men- Cross-country skiing:Men...
and Germany
Germany at the 1952 Winter Olympics
Germany competed at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway after not having been invited to the 1948 Winter Olympics because of the role in World War II, and because the NOC restored in 1947 as Deutscher Olympischer Ausschuß did not represent a recognized state yet...
made their returns to Olympic competition, after being forced to miss the 1948 Games in the aftermath of World War II. Germany was represented solely by West German athletes because East Germany
East Germany at the Olympics
The German Democratic Republic , often called East Germany, had founded a separate National Olympic Committee for socialist East Germany on 22 April 1951 in the Rotes Rathaus of East Berlin, as the last of three German Olympic committees of the time...
declined to compete as a unified team. Portugal
Portugal at the 1952 Winter Olympics
Portugal competed in the Winter Olympic Games for the first time at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway.A single competitor participated in one sport - alpine skiing - but no medal was gained.-Alpine skiing:Men's Downhill:...
and New Zealand
New Zealand at the 1952 Winter Olympics
New Zealand competed at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway. It was the first time that the nation had competed at the Winter Olympic Games. The country was represented by its skiing team, captained by Sir Roy McKenzie...
made their Winter Olympic debuts, and for the first time women were allowed to compete in cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing at the 1952 Winter Olympics
The 1952 Winter Olympics cross-country skiing competition consisted of three events for men and the first women's cross-country competition at an Olympic Games, of 10 km. The competitions were held from Monday, February 18 to Saturday, February 23, 1952.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal...
.
Norwegian truck driver Hjalmar Andersen
Hjalmar Andersen
Hjalmar "Hjallis" Johan Andersen is a former speed skater from Norway who won three gold medals at the 1952 Winter Olympic Games of Oslo, Norway. He was the only triple gold medalist at the 1952 Winter Olympics, and as such, became the most successful athlete there.-Short biography:Hjalmar...
won three out of four speed skating
Speed skating at the 1952 Winter Olympics
At the 1952 Winter Olympics, four speed skating events were contested. The competitions were held from Saturday, February 16 to Tuesday, February 19, 1952.-Medal summary:-Participating nations:Seven speed skaters competed in all four events....
events to become the most decorated athlete at the Games. Germany resumed its former prominence in bobsleigh
Bobsleigh
Bobsleigh or bobsled is a winter sport in which teams of two or four make timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sled that are combined to calculate the final score....
, with wins in the four- and two-man events. Dick Button
Dick Button
Richard Totten "Dick" Button is an American former figure skater and a well-known long-time skating television analyst. He is a two-time Olympic Champion and five-time World Champion...
of the United States
United States at the 1952 Winter Olympics
The United States competed at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway.- Medalists :- Alpine skiing:MenWomen- Bobsleigh:- Cross-country skiing:MenMen's 4 x 10 km relay- Figure skating:MenWomenPairs...
performed the first triple jump in international competition to claim his second consecutive men's figure skating
Figure skating at the 1952 Winter Olympics
At the 1952 Winter Olympics, three figure skating events were contested. Compulsory figures were skated at the outdoor Jordal Amfi rink, while the free skating portions of the competition were held at the huge Bislett Stadion, on a regulation-sized ice surface set inside the speed skating track...
Olympic title. The 1952 Games featured one demonstration sport, bandy
Bandy
Bandy is a team winter sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal.The rules of the game have many similarities to those of association football: the game is played on a rectangle of ice the same size as a football field. Each team has 11 players,...
, but only three countries, all Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n, competed in the tournament. Norway dominated the overall medal count with 16 medals, seven of them gold. The Games closed with the presentation of a flag that would be passed from one Winter Olympics host city to the next. The flag, which became known as the "Oslo flag", has been displayed in the host city during each subsequent Winter Games.
Host city selection
OsloOslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
had unsuccessfully bid to host the 1936 Winter Olympics
1936 Winter Olympics
The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1936 in the market town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria, Germany. Germany also hosted the Summer Olympics the same year in Berlin...
, losing to Germany, which had hosted the 1936 Summer Olympics
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
. At that time, the nation that hosted the Summer Olympics
Summer Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
also hosted the Winter Olympics
Winter Olympic Games
The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating...
. After the 1936 Games, the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
(IOC) decided to award the Winter and Summer Games to different countries, but the Games were suspended during World War II. London hosted the first post-war Games, the 1948 Summer Olympics
1948 Summer Olympics
The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in London, England, United Kingdom. After a 12-year hiatus because of World War II, these were the first Summer Olympics since the 1936 Games in Berlin...
, and recommended Oslo as the host city for the 1948 Winter Games
1948 Winter Olympics
The 1948 Winter Olympics, officially known as the V Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated in 1948 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The Games were the first to be celebrated after World War II; it had been twelve years since the last Winter Games in 1936...
, but the city council declined. Instead, the 1948 Winter Olympics were held in St. Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
, Switzerland.
Norwegians were undecided about hosting a Winter Olympics. Culturally they were opposed to competitive winter sports, particularly skiing events, despite the success of Norwegian athletes at previous Winter Games. But the organizers believed the 1952 Games could be an opportunity to promote national unity and to show the world that Norway had recovered from the war. Vying with Oslo for the right to host the Games were Cortina d'Ampezzo
Cortina d'Ampezzo
Cortina d'Ampezzo is a town and comune in the southern Alps located in Veneto, a region in Northern Italy. Located in the heart of the Dolomites in an alpine valley, it is a popular winter sport resort known for its ski-ranges, scenery, accommodations, shops and après-ski scene...
, Italy, and Lake Placid
Lake Placid (New York)
The body of water called Lake Placid is in the Adirondack Mountains in northern New York in the USA. The lake is approximately , and has an average depth of about . It is located in the towns of North Elba and St...
, United States. The IOC voted to award the 1952 Winter Games to Oslo on 1 June 1947 at the 40th IOC Session in Stockholm, Sweden. Later, Cortina d'Ampezzo was awarded the 1956 Games
1956 Winter Olympics
The 1956 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. This celebration of the Games was held from 26 January to 5 February 1956. Cortina, which had originally been awarded the 1944 Winter Olympics, beat out...
, and Lake Placid—which had hosted the 1932 Winter Olympics
1932 Winter Olympics
The 1932 Winter Olympics, officially known as the III Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1932 in Lake Placid, New York, United States. The games opened on February 4 and closed on February 15. It would be the first winter olympics held in the United...
—was chosen to host the 1980 Winter Games
1980 Winter Olympics
The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIII Olympic Winter Games, was a multi-sport event which was celebrated from 13 February through 24 February 1980 in Lake Placid, New York, United States of America. This was the second time the Upstate New York village hosted the Games, after 1932...
. Norway became the first Scandinavian country to host a Winter Olympics, and the 1952 Winter Games the first to be held in a nation's capital.
Results
| 1952 Winter Olympics bidding result | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City | Country | Round 1 | ||||
| Oslo Oslo Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King... |
 Norway |
18 | ||||
| Cortina d'Ampezzo Cortina d'Ampezzo Cortina d'Ampezzo is a town and comune in the southern Alps located in Veneto, a region in Northern Italy. Located in the heart of the Dolomites in an alpine valley, it is a popular winter sport resort known for its ski-ranges, scenery, accommodations, shops and après-ski scene... |
 Italy |
9 | ||||
| Lake Placid Lake Placid, New York Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638.... |
 United States |
1 | ||||
Organization
A special committee was assigned to organize the 1952 Games, which consisted of four Norwegian sports officials and four representatives from the municipality of Oslo, including mayor Brynjulf BullBrynjulf Bull
Brynjulf Friis Bull was a Norwegian lawyer, Supreme Court advocate and Mayor of Oslo.Brynjulf Bull was born in Kristiania and brought up in Alfaset in Oslo's Grorud Valley...
. The committee was in place by December 1947. The city of Oslo funded the Games entirely, in exchange for keeping all the revenue generated. To accommodate the influx of athletes and coaches, quarters for competitors and support staff were designed and constructed, with three new facilities (forerunners of the athlete's villages of later Games) built. The city of Oslo paid to have a new hotel constructed, the Viking
Hotel Royal Christiania
Hotel Royal Christiania, formerly the Hotel Viking, is a hotel in Oslo, Norway. The hotel was financed and built by Oslo Municipality to accommodate the 1952 Winter Olympics. At the time of its formal opening on December 10, 1951, it was the largest hotel in Scandinavia. The first guest was J. K....
, used for IOC delegates, out-of-town dignitaries, and as the communication hub of the Games. For the first time in a Winter Games, an indoor ice hockey arena was constructed, which hosted the eight-team tournament. Oslo's existing central arena, Bislett Stadion
Bislett stadion
Bislett Stadion is a sports stadium in Oslo, Norway. Bislett is Norway's most well known sports arena internationally, with 15 speed skating world records and more than 50 track and field world records having been set here...
, was used for the opening and closing ceremonies, and for speed skating events. Improvements to the arena included better sound and lighting systems, remodeled club house and press rooms, and the addition of a medical center.
Politics
In the aftermath of the German occupation of Norway during World War II, anti-German sentiment began to affect preparations for the 1952 Olympics. Discussions were held to consider whether Germany should be allowed to participate in the Games. When in 1950, the West German Olympic Committee requested recognition by the IOC, it raised the question of whether their participation would cause political boycotts in the upcoming Games. Once the IOC recognized the West German Olympic Committee, West Germany was then formally invited to compete at the 1952 Winter Games. East Germany was invited to participate with West Germany, as a unified team, but they declined.At first Norway was reluctant to welcome German athletes, and other Nazi sympathizers. For example, Norwegian speed skater Finn Hodt
Finn Hodt
Finn Hodt is a Norwegian speed skater who competed in the 1950s, and later speed skating coach.He was born in Drammen and represented the club Drammens SK. He placed 13th in the 500 metres at the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo...
was not allowed to compete in the Norwegian speed skating team because he collaborated with the Nazis during the war. Eventually, despite the concern, Norway agreed to allow German and Japanese
Japan at the 1952 Winter Olympics
Japan competed at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway. Japan returned to the Winter Games after not being invited to the 1948 Winter Olympics because of the nation's role in World War II.- Alpine skiing:Men- Cross-country skiing:Men...
athletes to compete. The Soviet Union sent no athletes to Oslo, despite being recognized by the IOC. They had intended to enter a team in the ice hockey tournament, but applied too late to join the International Ice Hockey Federation
International Ice Hockey Federation
The International Ice Hockey Federation is the worldwide governing body for ice hockey and in-line hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 70 members...
.
Opening ceremonies
Olympic Games ceremony
Olympic Games ceremonies were an integral part of the Ancient Olympic Games. Some of the elements of the modern ceremonies harken back to the Ancient Games from which the Modern Olympics draw their ancestry. An example of this is the prominence of Greece in both the opening and closing ceremonies...
were held in Bislett Stadion on 15 February. King George VI of Great Britain had died on 6 February 1952, eight days before the start of the Games. As a result, all national flags were flown at half-mast, and Princess Ragnhild
Princess Ragnhild of Norway
Princess Ragnhild of Norway, Mrs. Lorentzen, is the eldest daughter of King Olav V of Norway and Princess Märtha of Sweden. She is the older sister of His Majesty King Harald V of Norway and of Princess Astrid of Norway.Princess Ragnhild married Erling S...
opened the Games in place of her grandfather, King Haakon VII
Haakon VII
Haakon VII may refer to:People* Haakon VII of Norway , King of Norway Ships* HNoMS King Haakon VII, a Royal Norwegian Navy escort ship in commission from 1942 to 1951...
, who was in London attending the funeral. This was the first time an Olympic Games had been declared open by a woman. The parade of nations was held according to tradition, with Greece
Greece at the 1952 Winter Olympics
- Alpine skiing:Men-References:*...
first, the rest of the nations proceeding by Norwegian alphabetical order, with the host nation
Norway at the 1952 Winter Olympics
Norway was the host nation for the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo.By winning 7 gold medals, Norway had the most golds at these games. This would be the last time a host country would win the most gold medals at the Winter Olympics until Canada won the most gold medals at the 2010 Winter Olympics in...
last. The British
Great Britain at the 1952 Winter Olympics
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland competed as Great Britain at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway.-Medalists:- Alpine skiing:MenWomen- Figure skating:WomenPairs- Speed skating:Men-References:*...
, Australian
Australia at the 1952 Winter Olympics
Australia's second Winter Olympic Games appearance was at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway. It was 16 years since Australia's last Winter Games, as the 1940 and 1944 Winter Olympics were cancelled, and Australia did not compete in the 1948 Winter Olympics. Australia sent nine athletes and...
, Canadian
Canada at the 1952 Winter Olympics
Canada competed at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway. Canada has competed at every Winter Olympic Games.-Medalists:- Alpine skiing:MenWomen- Cross-country skiing:Men- Figure skating:MenWomenPairs- Ice hockey:...
and New Zealand
New Zealand at the 1952 Winter Olympics
New Zealand competed at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway. It was the first time that the nation had competed at the Winter Olympic Games. The country was represented by its skiing team, captained by Sir Roy McKenzie...
teams all wore black arm bands at the opening ceremonies in memory of their monarch. After the parade of nations the Olympic flame was lit. The Olympic torch was lit on 13 February in the hearth of the Morgedal
Morgedal
Morgedal, of the municipality of Kviteseid in the county of Telemark Norway, is called the cradle of skiing.Morgedal, Norway is a village whose most famous residents were Sondre Norheim, known to be the father of modern skiing plus Torjus Hemmestveit and Mikkjel Hemmestveit...
House, birthplace of skiing pioneer Sondre Norheim
Sondre Norheim
Sondre Norheim, born Sondre Auverson, was a Norwegian skier and pioneer of modern skiing. Sondre Norheim is known as the father of Telemark skiing.-Background:...
. The torch relay lasted two days and took place entirely on skis. At the opening ceremonies the final torch bearer, Eigil Nansen
Eigil Nansen
Eigil Nansen is the son of architect and humanist Odd Nansen and the grandson of explorer and humanist Fridtjof Nansen.In 1991, he won The Lisl and Leo Eitinger Prize for his work with refugees and human rights, Eigil Nansen is also known for lighting the first Winter Olympic Flame in...
, received the Olympic torch and skied to a flight of stairs where he removed his skis, ascended, and ignited the flame.
The bobsleigh and alpine skiing events were held the day before the opening ceremonies. Competitors in these events were unable to attend the festivities in Oslo; consequently simple opening ceremonies were held at Frognerseteren
Frognerseteren
Frognerseteren is a neighborhood of Oslo, Norway, located within Nordmarka. It is a popular starting point for recreational hiking and skiing in Oslo. Frognerseteren Station is the terminal station of the Holmenkollen Line of the Oslo Metro....
, site of the bobsleigh events, and Norefjell
Norefjell
Norefjell is a norwegian mountain range in the Scandes Mountains system. It stretches between the valleys Eggedal and Hallingdal in Norway...
, site of the alpine skiing events.
Bobsleigh
After a 16-year hiatus from the Olympics Germany made a triumphant return to the bobsleighBobsleigh
Bobsleigh or bobsled is a winter sport in which teams of two or four make timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sled that are combined to calculate the final score....
competition, winning the two- and four-man events. The results for both bobsleigh events were the same, with the United States
United States at the 1952 Winter Olympics
The United States competed at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway.- Medalists :- Alpine skiing:MenWomen- Bobsleigh:- Cross-country skiing:MenMen's 4 x 10 km relay- Figure skating:MenWomenPairs...
and Switzerland
Switzerland at the 1952 Winter Olympics
-Medalists:- Alpine skiing:MenWomen- Bobsleigh:- Cross-country skiing:MenMen's 4 x 10 km relay- Figure skating:MenWomenPairs- Ice hockey:The tournament was run in a round robin format with nine teams participating....
taking silver and bronze respectively. Fritz Feierabend
Fritz Feierabend
Fritz Feierabend was a Swiss bobsledder who competed from the mid 1930s to the mid 1950s...
from Switzerland competed in both the two- and four-man competitions. His two bronze medals were the fourth and fifth in an Olympic career that spanned 16 years and three Olympics. There were no weight restrictions on the bobsleigh athletes, and the average weight for each member of the winning German four-man team was 117 kg (257.9 lb), which was more than the Olympic heavyweight boxing champion in 1952
1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Helsinki had been earlier given the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War II...
. Seeing the undue advantage overweight athletes brought to their teams, the International Federation for Bobsleigh and Toboganning
Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing
The Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing or International Bobsleigh and Tobogganing Federation is the main international federation for all bobsleigh and skeleton sports...
instituted a weight limit for future Olympics.
Speed skating
All of the speed skatingSpeed skating
Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
events were held at Bislett Stadion. Americans Ken Henry and Don McDermott
Don McDermott
Donald "Don" Joseph McDermott is an American former speed skater. He was born in The Bronx, New York.At the 1952 Olympics in Oslo McDermott was silver medalist on the 500 meter.-References:...
placed first and second in the 500-meter race, but Norwegian truck driver Hjalmar Andersen
Hjalmar Andersen
Hjalmar "Hjallis" Johan Andersen is a former speed skater from Norway who won three gold medals at the 1952 Winter Olympic Games of Oslo, Norway. He was the only triple gold medalist at the 1952 Winter Olympics, and as such, became the most successful athlete there.-Short biography:Hjalmar...
electrified the partisan crowd by winning the 1,500, 5,000 and 10,000-meter events; his margins of victory were the largest in Olympic history. Dutchman
Netherlands at the 1952 Winter Olympics
Athletes from the Netherlands competed at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway.-Medalists:- Alpine skiing:MenWomen- Figure skating:- Speed skating:Men-References:*...
Wim van der Voort
Wim van der Voort
Willem "Wim" van der Voort is a Dutch former speed skater.He was born in 's-Gravenzande.At the 1952 Olympics in Oslo van der Voort was silver medalist on the 1500 meter....
placed second in the 1,500 meters and his countryman Kees Broekman
Kees Broekman
Cornelis "Kees" Broekman was a Dutch former speed skater.He was born in De Lier and died in Berlin, Germany....
placed second to Andersen in the 5,000 and 10,000-meter races, becoming the first Olympic speed skating medalists from the Netherlands. Absent from the competition was former world champion Kornél Pajor
Kornél Pajor
Kornél Pajor is a former speed skating World Champion from Hungary. He was born in Budapest.In early 1943, Pajor was a young and promising skater of 19 years old, but because World War II was in progress there were not many competitions. In Klagenfurt, Austria, at one of the few skating...
. The Hungarian-born speed skater had won both long distance races at the World Championships held in Oslo in 1949 and then defected to Sweden, but was unable to obtain Swedish citizenship in time to compete in 1952.
Alpine skiing
There were three alpine skiingAlpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
events on the Olympic program: the slalom
Slalom skiing
Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
, giant slalom and downhill
Downhill
Downhill is an alpine skiing discipline. The rules for the Downhill were originally developed by Sir Arnold Lunn for the 1921 British National Ski Championships....
. Both men and women competed in all three events, held at Norefjell and Rødkleiva
Rødkleiva
Rødkleiva is a hill located on Frognerseter Hill in Oslo, Norway.During the 1952 Winter Olympics, it hosted the slalom alpine skiing events. The course was 1400 ft long with a 560 foot drop from start to finish....
. The giant slalom made its Olympic debut at the 1952 Games. Austrian skiers dominated the competition, winning seven out of a possible 18 medals, including Othmar Schneider
Othmar Schneider
Othmar Schneider is an Austrian former Alpine skier. At the 1952 Olympics in Oslo Schneider was gold medalist in the slalom and silver medalist in the downhill.-References:...
who won gold and silver in the men's slalom and downhill. Norwegian Stein Eriksen
Stein Eriksen
Stein Eriksen is a former alpine ski racer and Olympic gold medalist.-Background:Stein Eriksen was born in Oslo, Norway. His parents were Marius Eriksen and Birgit Heien . Stein's father, Marius Eriksen competed in the 1912 Olympic Games as a gymnast...
won gold in the men's giant slalom and silver in the slalom. Greek
Greece at the 1952 Winter Olympics
- Alpine skiing:Men-References:*...
slalom skier Antoin Miliordos
Antoin Miliordos
Antoin Miliordos is a Greek former alpine skier who represented his nation at the Winter Olympic Games.-1952 Winter Olympics:...
fell 18 times on his run and crossed the finish line backwards. American skier Andrea Mead-Lawrence
Andrea Mead-Lawrence
Andrea Mead Lawrence was an American alpine ski racer. She competed in three Winter Olympics and was the first American alpine skier to win two Olympic gold medals.-Skiing career:...
was the only double gold medalist, winning the giant slalom and the slalom. She was the first skier from the United States to win two alpine skiing gold medals.
Cross-country skiing
All the cross-countryCross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
events were held next to the ski jump hill at Holmenkollbakken. As had been the case in 1948 there were three men's events: 18 kilometers, 50 kilometers, and a relay. Added to the Olympic program for the first time was a ten-kilometer race for women. All the cross-country medals were won by Nordic countries, and Finnish
Finland at the 1952 Winter Olympics
-Medalists:- Alpine skiing:Men- Cross-country skiing:MenMen's 4 x 10 km relayWomen- Figure skating:MenWomen- Ice hockey:The tournament was run in a round robin format with nine teams participating.*Sweden 9-2 Finland...
skiers won eight of the twelve possible. Lydia Wideman
Lydia Wideman
Lydia Wideman , known after marriage as Lydia Wideman-Lehtonen is a former cross-country skier from Finland.She was born in Vilppula....
of Finland became the first female Olympic champion in cross-country skiing; her teammates Mirja Hietamies
Mirja Hietamies
Mirja Kyllikki Hietamies-Eteläpää is a former cross country skier from Finland who competed during the 1950s.She was born in Lemi....
and Siiri Rantanen
Siiri Rantanen
Siiri Johanna "Äitee" Rantanen is a former cross-country skier from Finland who competed during the 1950s and early 1960s.She was born in Tohmajärvi....
won silver and bronze respectively. Veikko Hakulinen
Veikko Hakulinen
Veikko Johannes Hakulinen was a Finnish forestry technician and cross country skier, triple champion in both the olympics and world championship competition in cross country skiing...
won the 50-kilometer men's race to begin an Olympic career that would culminate in seven medals, three of them gold. Hallgeir Brenden
Hallgeir Brenden
Hallgeir Brenden was a former Norwegian cross-country skier from Tørberget in Trysil.He won Olympic gold medals in the 18 km event at the 1952 Winter Olympics and in the 15 km event at the 1956 Winter Olympics, and an Olympic silver medal in the 4 x 10 km relay at the 1952 Winter...
won the 18-kilometer race and helped Norway take the silver in the 4 × 10-kilometer relay. Brenden went on to win another gold in the men's 15-kilometer race
Cross-country skiing at the 1956 Winter Olympics – Men's 15 kilometres
The men's 15 kilometre cross-country race at the 1956 Winter Olympics was held on 30 January. It was held at the Snow Stadium , which was about from Cotrina. Sixty-one competitors from twenty countries participated in the event...
in 1956, and a silver in the relay in 1960
1960 Winter Olympics
The 1960 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VIII Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event held between February 18 and 28, 1960 in Squaw Valley, California, United States. In 1955 at the 50th IOC meeting, the organizing committee made the surprise choice to award Squaw Valley as...
.
Nordic combined
The nordic combinedNordic combined
The Nordic combined is a winter sport in which athletes compete in both cross-country skiing and ski jumping.- History :While Norwegian soldiers are known to have been competing in Nordic skiing since the 19th century, the first major competition in Nordic combined was held in 1892 in Oslo at the...
event was held at the cross-country and ski jump venues. The event started with an 18-kilometer cross-country race. The next day the competitors took three jumps from the Holmenkollbakken. The best two marks were scored, along with the results of the cross-country race, to determine a winner. Norwegians Simon Slåttvik
Simon Slåttvik
Simon Slåttvik was a Norwegian nordic combined skier who competed in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He won gold in individual event at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo....
and Sverre Stenersen
Sverre Stenersen
Sverre Stenersen was a Norwegian Nordic combined skier who dominated the event throughout the 1950s. His biggest triumphs were winning individual golds both at the 1956 Winter Olympics and the 1954 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships...
won the gold and bronze respectively. Stenersen went on to win the gold at the 1956 Games in the same event. Heikki Hasu
Heikki Hasu
Heikki Vihtori Hasu is a Finnish Nordic skier who competed in the late 1940s and early 1950s who was born in Sippola....
from Finland won the silver, preventing a Norwegian sweep of the medals.
Ski jumping
Crowds in excess of 100,000 greeted the ski jumpers as they competed at Holmenkollbakken. In 1952 there was only one event, the men's normal hill, which was held on 24 February. The King, Crown Prince HaraldHarald V of Norway
Harald V is the king of Norway. He succeeded to the throne of Norway upon the death of his father Olav V on 17 January 1991...
, and Princess Ragnhild were in attendance. The Norwegian athletes did not disappoint the crowd, as Arnfinn Bergmann
Arnfinn Bergmann
Arnfinn Bergmann was a ski jumper from Norway.He was born in Trondheim and represented the clubs SK Freidig and SFK Lyn. He won a gold medal in the normal hill event at the 1952 Winter Olympics, accompanied on the podium by Torbjørn Falkanger who won the silver medal...
and Torbjørn Falkanger
Torbjørn Falkanger
Torbjørn Falkanger is a retired Norwegian ski jumper who was active in the late 1940s and early 1950s.Falkanger earned a silver medal at the 1952 Winter Olympics in ski jumping and also won the Holmenkollen ski festival ski jumping competition twice...
placed first and second; Swedish jumper Karl Holmström
Karl Holmström
Karl "Bratt-Kalle" Holmström was a Swedish ski jumper who competed in the 1950s. He won a Bronze medal in the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo.-External links:...
took the bronze. Norwegian athletes won the ski jumping gold medal in every Winter Olympics from 1924 to 1952.
Figure skating
There were three events in the Olympic figure skatingFigure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
competition: men's singles, women's singles and mixed pairs. The events were held at the Bislett Stadion on a rink constructed inside the speed skating track. The collusion of judges to influence results was an emerging trend in the years leading up to the Oslo Games. Between 1949 and 1952 the International Skating Union
International Skating Union
The International Skating Union is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded in Scheveningen, Netherlands in 1892, making it one of the oldest international...
had banned five judges for attempting to fix scores, although no evidence of wrongdoing was found in the judging of the Olympic competitions.
Dick Button
Dick Button
Richard Totten "Dick" Button is an American former figure skater and a well-known long-time skating television analyst. He is a two-time Olympic Champion and five-time World Champion...
of the United States won the men's singles event. Helmut Seibt
Helmut Seibt
Helmut Seibt was an Austrian figure skater. He won the silver medal at the 1952 Winter Olympics. He was the 1951–1952 European Champion. He placed 9th at the 1948 Winter Olympics and won a bronze medal at the 1951 World Figure Skating Championships...
of Austria
Austria at the 1952 Winter Olympics
-Medalists:- Alpine skiing:MenWomen- Bobsleigh:- Cross-country skiing:MenMen's 4 x 10km relayWomen- Figure skating:MenWomenPairs- Nordic combined :Events:* 18 km cross-country skiing* normal hill ski jumping...
took silver and James Grogan
James Grogan
James Grogan was an American figure skater. He won the bronze medal at the 1952 Oslo Olympics. He won four silver medals at the United States Figure Skating Championships and at the World Figure Skating Championships...
of the United States won bronze. Button became the first figure-skater to land a triple jump in competition when he performed the triple loop
Loop jump
The Loop jump is a figure skating jump that takes off from a back outside edge and lands on the same backwards outside edge. For a jump with counterclockwise rotation, this is the right back outside edge. It is named from its similarity to the loop compulsory figure. The invention is widely...
in the men's free skate. British skater Jeannette Altwegg
Jeannette Altwegg
Jeannette Altwegg CBE is a British figure skater. She is the 1952 Olympic champion in Ladies' Singles, the 1948 Olympic bronze medalist, the 1951 World champion, and the 1951 & 1952 European champion...
won the gold medal in the women's singles, the silver was awarded to American Tenley Albright
Tenley Albright
Tenley Emma Albright, M.D. is an American figure skater. She is the 1956 Olympic champion in Ladies' Singles, 1952 Olympic silver medalist, the 1953 & 1955 World Champion, the 1953 & 1955 North American champion, and the 1952–1956 U.S...
, who went on to win gold at the 1956 Winter Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo, and Jacqueline du Bief
Jacqueline du Bief
Jacqueline du Bief is a French figure skater who competed in single skating and pair skating. As a single skater, she is the 1952 World Champion, the 1952 Olympic bronze medalist, the 1950-1952 European silver medalist, and the 1947-1952 French national champion.As a pair skater, she competed with...
of France
France at the 1952 Winter Olympics
-Medalists:- Alpine skiing:MenWomen- Bobsleigh:- Cross-country skiing:MenMen's 4 x 10 km relayWomen- Figure skating:MenWomen- Ski jumping :-References:*...
won the bronze. The German husband and wife pair of Ria and Paul Falk
Paul Falk
Paul Falk was a German pair skater. He skated with Ria Baran and became two-time World champion and 1952 Olympic champion.Ria Baran married Paul Falk during their active international figure skating....
won the mixed pairs competition. They defeated Americans Karol
Karol Kennedy
Karol Estelle Kennedy Kucher was an American pair skater. With her brother, Peter, she won five U.S. Championship titles from 1948-1952...
and Peter Kennedy, who placed second, and Hungarian
Hungary at the 1952 Winter Olympics
-Medalists:- Alpine skiing:MenWomen- Cross-country skiing:Men- Figure skating:MenWomenPairs- Speed skating:Men-References:*...
siblings Marianna and László Nagy
László Nagy (figure skater)
László Nagy was a Hungarian pair skater. He and his partner and sister Marianne Nagy were two time Olympic bronze medalists, two-time European champions , and three-time World bronze medalists . He was born in Szombathely.-Competitive highlights:-References:* -Navigation:...
, who won the bronze medal.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
matches took place at Jordal Amfi
Jordal Amfi
Jordal Amfi is an indoor sporting arena located in Oslo, Norway. The capacity of the arena is 4,450 and was opened in 1952. It is the home arena of the Vålerenga ice hockey team.-History:Jordal Amfi is one of Norway's most legendary sporting arenas...
, a new hockey stadium built for the Olympics. Eight teams played in the tournament and Canada
Canada at the 1952 Winter Olympics
Canada competed at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway. Canada has competed at every Winter Olympic Games.-Medalists:- Alpine skiing:MenWomen- Cross-country skiing:Men- Figure skating:MenWomenPairs- Ice hockey:...
again won the gold medal. Canada had won all but one Olympic hockey tournament thus far, but in 1956 the Soviet team began to compete and ended Canadian dominance. Canada was represented by the Edmonton Mercurys
Edmonton Mercurys
The Edmonton Mercurys were an intermediate senior-A ice hockey team that played in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 1940s and 50s. Known as the Forgotten Team, the Mercurys won the 1950 World Ice Hockey Championships in London, England, and the gold medal at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway —...
, an amateur hockey team sponsored by the owner of a Mercury
Mercury (automobile)
Mercury was an automobile marque of the Ford Motor Company launched in 1938 by Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, to market entry-level luxury cars slotted between Ford-branded regular models and Lincoln-branded luxury vehicles, similar to General Motors' Buick brand, and Chrysler's namesake brand...
automobile dealership. The gold medal game ended in a 3–3 tie, which, based on international rules at the time, gave the gold to Canada and the silver to the United States. Sweden
Sweden at the 1952 Winter Olympics
-Medalists:- Alpine skiing:MenWomen- Bobsleigh:- Cross-country skiing:MenMen's 4 x 10 km relayWomen- Figure skating:Pairs- Ice hockey:The tournament was run in a round robin format with nine teams participating....
and Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia at the 1952 Winter Olympics
- Cross-country skiing:MenMen's 4 x 10 km relay- Ice hockey:The tournament was run in a round robin format with nine teams participating.*Czechoslovakia 8-2 Poland*Norway 0-6 Czechoslovakia*Czechoslovakia 6-1 Germany FR*Canada 4-1 Czechoslovakia...
played for the bronze medal, which went to Sweden. The result was criticized in the Soviet press, which accused the Canadian and American teams of a colluding to reach a tie, and thus preventing a team from a communist country winning the tournament. Teams from North America were criticized for their rough play; although body checking
Checking (ice hockey)
Checking in ice hockey is any one of a number of defensive techniques. It is usually not a penalty.- Types :There are various types of checking:...
was legal, it was not often used by European teams, and opponents and spectators alike took a dim view of that style of play.
Bandy
The IOC lobbied the organizing committee to host either military patrolBiathlon
Biathlon is a term used to describe any sporting event made up of two disciplines. However, biathlon usually refers specifically to the winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting...
or curling
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
as a demonstration sport. The committee instead selected bandy
Bandy
Bandy is a team winter sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal.The rules of the game have many similarities to those of association football: the game is played on a rectangle of ice the same size as a football field. Each team has 11 players,...
, which had never been included in the Winter Games. Bandy was played by teams of eleven on a soccer field-sized rink, using a ball instead of a puck
Hockey puck
A puck is a disk used in various games serving the same functions as a ball does in ball games. The best-known use of pucks is in ice hockey, a major international sport.- Etymology :The origin of the word "puck" is obscure...
. With sticks about 1.2 m (3.9 ft) long, players attempted to make a goal with the ball in the opposing team's net. As a demonstration sport the players were ineligible for medals. Three nations participated: Finland, Norway and Sweden. Each of the three teams won one game and lost one game; with Sweden winning the competition based on number of goals scored, followed by Norway in second place, and Finland in third place. Two of the games were played at Dæhlenenga Stadion and one at Bislett.
Closing ceremonies
At the 1952 Winter Games the closing ceremonies were a distinct program listing, unlike previous Winter Games when the closing ceremonies were held directly after the final event. The closing ceremonies were held in Bislett Stadion, on Monday evening, 25 February. The flag bearers entered the stadium in the same order they followed for the opening ceremonies. That evening four medal ceremonies were also held for the women's cross-country race, the men's cross-country relay, the ski jumping competition, and the ice hockey tournament.Since 1920, the "Antwerp flag" has been passed from host city to host city during closing ceremonies for the Summer Games. The city of Oslo gave an Olympic flag to establish the same tradition for the Winter Games. Brynjulf Bull, Oslo's mayor, passed the flag to the president of the IOC, Sigfrid Edström
Sigfrid Edström
Johannes Sigfrid Edström was a Swedish industrialist, chairman of the Sweden-America Foundation, and an official with the International Olympic Committee.-Early life:...
, who declared the flag was to pass from host city to host city for future Winter Games. The flag, which came to be known as the "Oslo Flag", has since been preserved in a display case, with the name of every Winter Olympics host city engraved on brass plaques, and is brought to each Winter Games to be displayed. A replica is used during the closing ceremonies.
After the flag ceremony the Olympic flame was extinguished, a special speed skating race was held, and the figure skating competitors gave an exhibition, followed by 40 children dressed in national costumes performing an ice dance. For a finale, to the close the Games, the lights were extinguished and a 20-minute fireworks display lit up the night sky.
Calendar
The official opening ceremonies were held on 15 February, although two smaller ceremonies were held on 14 February to conform with competition schedules. From 15 February until 25 February, the day of the closing ceremonies, at least one event final was held each day.| OC | Opening ceremonies | ● | Event competitions | 1 | Event finals‡ | CC | Closing ceremonies |
| February 1952 | 14 Thu |
15 Fri |
16 Sat |
17 Sun |
18 Mon |
19 Tue |
20 Wed |
21 Thu |
22 Fri |
23 Sat |
24 Sun |
25 Mon |
Events |
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| Ceremonies | OC Olympic Games ceremony Olympic Games ceremonies were an integral part of the Ancient Olympic Games. Some of the elements of the modern ceremonies harken back to the Ancient Games from which the Modern Olympics draw their ancestry. An example of this is the prominence of Greece in both the opening and closing ceremonies... |
CC Olympic Games ceremony Olympic Games ceremonies were an integral part of the Ancient Olympic Games. Some of the elements of the modern ceremonies harken back to the Ancient Games from which the Modern Olympics draw their ancestry. An example of this is the prominence of Greece in both the opening and closing ceremonies... |
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 Bobsleigh at the 1952 Winter Olympics At the 1952 Winter Olympics, two bobsleigh events were contested. The two-man competition was held on Thursday, February 14, 1952 and on Friday, February 15, 1952 while the four-man competition was held on Thursday, February 21, 1952 and on Friday, February 22, 1952.-Medal summary:-Participating... |
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 Ice hockey at the 1952 Winter Olympics The Ice hockey medalists at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway. Games were mainly played at the Jordal Amfi Arena, as well as the stadiums at Dælenenga, Kadettangen, Marienlyst and Lillestrøm... |
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 Figure skating at the 1952 Winter Olympics At the 1952 Winter Olympics, three figure skating events were contested. Compulsory figures were skated at the outdoor Jordal Amfi rink, while the free skating portions of the competition were held at the huge Bislett Stadion, on a regulation-sized ice surface set inside the speed skating track... |
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 Speed skating at the 1952 Winter Olympics At the 1952 Winter Olympics, four speed skating events were contested. The competitions were held from Saturday, February 16 to Tuesday, February 19, 1952.-Medal summary:-Participating nations:Seven speed skaters competed in all four events.... |
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 Alpine skiing at the 1952 Winter Olympics At the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway, the six alpine skiing events were held from Thursday, February 14 to Wednesday, February 20, 1952.The giant slalom made its Olympic debut, and the combined event was dropped as an Olympic medal event for four decades, until 1988... |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||||||
 Cross-country skiing at the 1952 Winter Olympics The 1952 Winter Olympics cross-country skiing competition consisted of three events for men and the first women's cross-country competition at an Olympic Games, of 10 km. The competitions were held from Monday, February 18 to Saturday, February 23, 1952.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal... |
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 Nordic combined at the 1952 Winter Olympics At the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, one Nordic combined event was contested.This marked the first time in Olympic history that the ski jumping portion of the competition was held before the 18 km cross-country skiing segment.-Medalists:... |
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 Ski jumping at the 1952 Winter Olympics At the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, one ski jumping event was contested.The competition took place at the Holmenkollen ski jump with a K-Point of 72m.-Medalists:-Results:-External references:*... |
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| Bandy Bandy at the 1952 Winter Olympics Bandy was held as a demonstration sport at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo. This was the first official international bandy tournament, since the first Bandy World Championships were not held until five years later, in 1957.... † |
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| Total event finals | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 22 |
| Cumulative Total | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 22 |
† Bandy was a demonstration sport at the 1952 Winter Games, and no medals were awarded.
‡ The numeral indicates the number of event finals for each sport held that day.
Venues
With a seating capacity of 29,000, the Bislett StadionBislett stadion
Bislett Stadion is a sports stadium in Oslo, Norway. Bislett is Norway's most well known sports arena internationally, with 15 speed skating world records and more than 50 track and field world records having been set here...
became the centrepiece of the Games. It was the venue for the speed skating events and the figure skating competition. Bislett was large enough for a 400 m (1,312.3 ft) speed skating track, and a figure skating ice-rink of 30 by; a snow bank separated the track and the rink. Because Bislett was an outdoor arena, the organizing committee chose Tryvann Stadion
Tryvann stadion
Tryvann stadion was a speed skating rink located at Tryvannshøyden in Oslo, Norway.Traditionally the main speed skating venues in Oslo was Frogner stadion and Bislett stadion. In 1933, the city council decided to build a skating rink at Tryvann to allow for a longer season...
and Hamar Stadion
Hamar stadion
Hamar stadion is a former athletics, speed skating and bandy stadium in Hamar, Norway. The home ground of Hamar IL, it was owned by Hamar Municipality...
as secondary alternative skating venues to be used the case of bad weather. In 1994 Hamar
Hamar
is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Hamar. The municipality of Hamar was separated from Vang as a town and municipality of its own in 1849...
became the venue for the speed skating events
Speed skating at the 1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympic Games Speed Skating results.-500 m:Monday February 14, 1994 — 40 competitors from 16 countries-1,000 m:Friday February 18, 1994 — 43 competitors from 17 countries-1,500 m:...
at the 1994 Winter Olympics
1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
in Lillehammer
Lillehammer
is a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was...
.
The Oslo Winter Games were the first to feature an Olympic ice hockey tournament held on artificial ice. A new stadium was built for the hockey tournament in a residential area of eastern Oslo, called Jordal Amfi
Jordal Amfi
Jordal Amfi is an indoor sporting arena located in Oslo, Norway. The capacity of the arena is 4,450 and was opened in 1952. It is the home arena of the Vålerenga ice hockey team.-History:Jordal Amfi is one of Norway's most legendary sporting arenas...
, which accommodated 10,000 spectators in stands rising steeply from the rink. Twenty-three of the 36 hockey matches were played at Jordal Amfi, with the remaining matches played at Kadettangen
Kadettangen
Kadettangen is a small peninsula outside of Sandvika in Bærum, Norway. Originally named Sandvikstangen, it got its current name from the cadet training conducted by the Norwegian Military Academy for the better part of the nineteenth century...
, Dælenenga idrettspark
Dælenenga idrettspark
Dælenenga idrettspark is a park located in the Grünerløkka borough of Oslo, Norway. For the 1952 Winter Olympics, it hosted eight of the 37 ice hockey matches that took place there.-1952 Winter Olympics:...
, Lillestrøm Stadion
Lillestrøm stadion
Lillestrøm stadion is a sports field in Lillestrøm, Norway. Located close to Åråsen, the home ground of football team Lillestrøm S.K., Lillestrøm stadion is used as a football training facility in addition to reserve team matches. The grass turf of the main football field was replaced by...
and Marienlyst Stadion
Marienlyst stadion
Marienlyst Stadion has been the home ground of Strømsgodset IF since 1967. It's located on Marienlyst in Drammen.The pitch was opened in 1924, and was the home ground of Drafn, Skiold and Drammens Ballklubb. During the 1952 Winter Olympics in neighboring Oslo, the venue hosted two ice hockey...
.
The cross-country races and ski-jump competition were held at Holmenkollbakken, located roughly 8 km (5 mi) from the center of Oslo. The expected number of spectators caused concerns about traffic, so a new road was constructed and the existing thoroughfare widened. Holmenkollbakken was built in 1892 and improvements were needed to meet international standards. The original wood ski-jump was replaced with a concrete tower and jump that was abbr=on 87 long. New stands were built to seat 13,000 people, and an area was added at the base of the hill to accommodate 130,000 spectators.
The hills and terrain in the surrounding area met the competitive demands for an elite cross-country ski event. A notice board was posted at the start and finish lines to help spectators monitor the progress of the competitors. The cross-country and nordic combined races began and ended at the base of the ski jump hill. The stands for the ski jump competition had to be removed during the cross-country races; spectators had only a small area from which to watch the races but were allowed on the course to cheer on the competitors.
The alpine skiing events were split between Norefjell and Rødkleiva. The slalom courses were at Rødkleiva, located on the same mountain as Holmenkollen and Frognerseteren. The course had an elevation difference, from start to finish, of 200 m (656.2 ft) and was 480 m (1,574.8 ft) in length. A rope tow
Ski tow
thumb|right|A rope tow or ski tow.A ski tow, also called rope tow or handle tow, is a mechanised system for pulling skiers and snowboarders uphill....
had to be built to bring the skiers from the bottom to the top of the hill. The downhill race and the giant slalom—which made its Olympic deput in 1952—were held at Norefjell, which was 113 km (70.2 mi) from Oslo and the only venue located away from the capital city. Work had to be done to make the area suitable for Olympic competition. A bridge across Lake Krøderen
Krøderen (lake)
Krøderen, sometimes called Krøderfjorden, is a lake in Buskerud, Norway.The lake stretches about north from the village of Krøderen in Krødsherad on it southern end and reaches north to the village of Gulsvik in Flå municipality in the valley of Hallingdal. The lake has a surface area of 42.88...
was built to help alleviate transportation congestion. A new hotel, two ski lifts, and a new road were also constructed.
There was no permanent bobsleigh run in Norway. Instead the organizers built a temporary course out of snow and ice. Korketrekkeren
Korketrekkeren
Korketrekkeren is a bobsleigh course used for the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo.The track was laid on the Frognerseter hill in time for the test runs to be performed in February 1951. Costing NOK 615,000 to complete, the track had 50 telephone lines of communications to keep up with the competition...
was selected as the site for the bobsleigh events, where a 1508 m (4,947.5 ft) long, thirteen-turn course was designed and built. The bobsleigh run was first constructed and tested in 1951, then rebuilt for the Games in 1952.
Participating nations
Thirty nations sent competitors, which was the highest number of participants at a Winter Games. New ZealandNew Zealand at the Olympics
New Zealand first participated at the Olympic Games in 1908, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then. For their first two Games in 1908 and 1912, New Zealand competed with Australia in a combined Australasia team...
and Portugal
Portugal at the Olympics
The participation of Portugal at the Olympics began on Scandinavian soil, for both the Summer and Winter editions of the Olympic Games. With the creation of the Olympic Committee of Portugal in 1909, and recognition by the International Olympic Committee in the same year, Portugal was the...
took part in the Winter Olympic Games for the first time. Australia, Germany
Germany at the Winter Olympics
Athletes from Germany have appeared in only 18 of the 20 editions of the Winter Olympic Games as they were not invited to two events after the World Wars, in 1924 and 1948...
, and Japan
Japan at the Olympics
Japan first participated at the Olympic Games in 1912, and has competed at almost every Games since then. The nation was not invited to the 1948 Games after World War II, and Japan was part of the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.Japan has hosted the Games on three...
returned after a 16-year absence. South Korea
South Korea at the Olympics
Republic of Korea first participated at the Olympic Games in 1948, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then, except for 1980 which they boycotted...
, Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein at the Olympics
Liechtenstein first participated at the Olympic Games in 1936, and has sent athletes to compete in most Summer Olympic Games and Winter Olympic Games since then.Athletes from Liechtenstein have won a total of nine medals, all in alpine skiing...
, and Turkey
Turkey at the Olympics
Turkey first participated at the Olympic Games in 1908, and has sent athletes to compete in most editions of the Summer Olympic Games since then...
competed in 1948 but did not participate in the 1952 Games.
Medal count
These are the nations that topped the medal count at the 1952 Winter Games.| 1 | (host nation) | 7 | 3 | 6 | 16 |
| 2 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 11 | |
| 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 9 | |
| 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | |
| 5 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 | |
| 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 9 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
| 10 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
See also
- 1952 Summer Olympics1952 Summer OlympicsThe 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Helsinki had been earlier given the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War II...
- Events at the 1952 Winter Olympics
- List of 1952 Winter Olympics medal winners
- List of IOC country codes
- Other Olympic Games celebrated in Norway
- 1994 Winter Olympics1994 Winter OlympicsThe 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
– LillehammerLillehammeris a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was...