1 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
Start:
25 Jan 1924
End:
05 Feb 1924
Countries:
16
Athletes:
258
Sports:
7
Events:
16
City:
Chamonix, France
CHAMONIX 1924 - Bid History
- In 1921, at the 19th IOC session in Lausanne, the IOC agreed to stage International Winter Sports Week in 1924 Chamonix, France - a resort town at the foot of Mont Blanc.
- This sports event had great success, and in 1926, at the annual IOC session in Lisbon, the Chamonix festival was retroactively named the First Winter Olympic Games.
- Also, the IOC decided that the Winter Olympic games would be held every four years, as with the Summer Olympics.
1 Winter Olympic Games,1924 - Interesting Facts
- Under Secretary for Physical Education, Gaston Vidal officially opened the Winter Sports Week in Chamonix.
- The Sports festival opened with the rain and too-warm temperatures that have turned snow and ice into slush, but later temperatures dropped to 25 degrees below zero.
- The first Winter Olympic champion was American speedskater Charles JEWTRAW, who won 500m.
- In women's figure skating, Sonja HENIE, an 11-year-old girl from Norway and future Olympic star, made her Olympic debut and placed last in the eight-woman field.