The Winter Olympics: A Century of Games on Ice and Snow

Abstract

The Olympic Winter Games, although younger than their summer counterpart, nonetheless have a long and storied history. From the first iteration in Chamonix, France, in 1924, through the first off-set games in Lillehammer, Norway, in 1994, to the most recent edition in PyeongChang, South Korea, the Olympic Winter Games are truly a mega-event. This introduction to a winter Olympics anthology considers the nearly one-hundred years of the Olympic Winter Games, including its growth in athletes and events, and the broader impact of that expansion. The sports on the winter Olympic program are at least not easy and in many places largely impossible to practice in at least half of the world’s countries. These challenges make the Olympic Winter Games a compelling event to study because its sports are not universally practiced by people in every country across the globe. How the Olympic Winter Games have grown in scale and size from an event for northern and central Europeans, Americans, and Canadians to include participants from countries that lack snow and ice is itself a testament to the global power of the Olympic brand. The essays in the winter games collection take a broad view of topics related to the Olympic Winter Games, including new approaches to understanding the history and historical significance of athlete eligibility and inclusion, youth culture, demonstration sports, and legacy.