Football is in full swing, the F1 has polished off their season and the Six Nations is about to get going this weekend. But what about the group of us whose greatest sporting adrenaline rush comes from sporting events that don’t come around every year?
We are already used to long intervals between getting our Olympics and as the wait seems to be stretching even longer we have to find alternative ways to get our fix when and where we can.
So what better excuse than the anniversary of the closing of the first Winter Olympiad – then called ‘International Winter Sports Week’ – to celebrate and reminisce with the hope we will soon be reunited with the Olympics this summer in Toyko.
On this day (February 5th) in 1924 in Chamonix, France, the flag was waved symbolising the end of the first ‘International Winter Sports Week’. It was declared a success and thus the Winter Olympics was born.
The residents of France were pretty spoilt that year, with preparations already underway for the July Summer Olympics in Paris.
Welcoming 258 athletes from 16 nations, spectators were able to witness first-hand an international sports competition centred around snow and ice.
From 25th January to 5th February, 16 golds were officially awarded through five different sports divided into nine disciplines.
Imagine only 16 events over ten days – enough to watch every single one on the variety of broadcasting platforms we have now. You’d never have to miss a thing.
Ice hockey and figure skating were moved from their place in the Summer Olympics to be a part of this international celebration of winter sports and spectators were also treated to bobsleigh, curling, and nordic skiing.
So, who came out on top?
Simple answer – Norway.
With four gold medals, they even dominated cross-country skiing (50km) and nordic combined (normal hill) in podium sweeps.
Great Britain took 44 athletes (the most of any other competing nation) but only managed to bag four medals in total – one gold, one silver, and two bronze, with the top prize being awarded to the men’s curling team.
In an unsurprising turn of events, Canada snagged the ice hockey gold medal. At least some things don’t change too much in 98 years.
But special mention has to go to the ladies.
Out of 16 events, women only competed in two – both of which were on ice rather than snow. Ladies’ singles’ ice skating and mixed pairs skating were the only medals awarded to the fabulous female athletes.
And now, nearly a century later, we have crossed off 23 Winter Olympics and look, hopefully, forward to 2022 in Beijing.
Although we don’t have to wait quite as long for our Olympic fix anymore (both Summer and Winter Olympiads were held in the same year, every four years until 1992) it will still be too long for all us Olympic lovers out there.
Happy anniversary to the Winter Olympics – a chilly jewel in our quadrennial sporting calendar.
Bonus fact: a sport has to be widely played in at least 25 countries on three continents in order to be included in the Olympics programme.
Did I mention that I really miss the Olympics?
