1952 Winter Olympics

Oslo unsuccessfully put forward his bid for the 1936 Winter Olympics , losing to German Garmisch-Partenkirchen . It is also worth noting the fact that in the same 1936 Germany hosted the Summer Games . This was the last of three cases when one country hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics in one year ^[2] . After this year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to hold summer and winter games in different countries, but the implementation of this decision had to be postponed until the end of World War II . After choosing the capital of the 1948 Summer Olympics ( London became it), Oslo representatives proposed a city for the Winter Olympics of the same year , but the city council rejected this proposal ^[2] . That year, the Winter Games were held in Swiss St. Moritz ^[3] .

When choosing the capital of the next Winter Olympics, the Norwegians found it difficult to answer the IOC about the possibility of holding these Games in Oslo ^[4] . They were opposed by the majority of Norwegians, who began to focus on summer sports, while not paying attention to the success of their athletes at the Winter Olympics ^[5] . But the organizers of the 1952 Games believed that competitions could be held in Norway. In their opinion, this event will help to prove that the country was fully rehabilitated after the World War ^[6] .

In addition to Oslo, Lake Placid ( USA ), which held them in 1932 , and Cortina d'Ampezzo ( Italy ), which was supposed to hold them in 1944 , also claimed to host the games ^[2] . On June 21, 1947, at the 40th session of the IOC in Stockholm , Oslo was announced to be the venue for the 1952 Winter Olympics ^[7] . Subsequently, both losers of the candidate held the winter games. The following games took place in Cortina d'Ampezzo (1956) , and in Lake Placid in 1980 . Norway became the first Scandinavian country to host the Winter Olympics ^[2] . Oslo, in turn, became the first (and so far the only) capital of the country where the Winter Games were held ^[1] .

A special committee was created to organize the 1952 Games. It consisted of four city officials and four representatives of the Oslo city municipality, including Brinulf Bull, the mayor of Oslo at that time ^[7] . The committee was established in December 1947 ^[9] . The Oslo City Administration has taken over the financing of the Games. To increase the number of participating athletes, three specially designed houses were built for them ^[10] . Also, the Viking Hotel was built for the Olympic Games, which was designed for representatives of the IOC, as well as high-ranking people from all over Norway ^{[11] [12]} . These buildings became the first Olympic village in history. For the first time, an ice hockey arena was built under the roof ^{[13] [14]} . In this arena, eight national teams fought for gold medals. The main stadium of the Games was Bislett , which hosted the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as competitions among skaters . The best, at that time, sound and lighting systems were installed in the arena. Specially for the Olympic Games, lodges for the press were reconstructed, and a medical center was also built ^[15] .

After Norway was occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II, people opposed to Germany tried to ban its participation in the 1952 Games ^{[16] [17]} . In 1950, when representatives of Germany sent an application for participation in the IOC, the question was raised about the participation of the former aggressor country of World War II at the 1952 Games ^[18] . Representatives of the IOC allowed athletes from Germany to participate ^[19] . Representatives of the GDR were also invited to the Games, but this state refused, due to the reluctance to participate in the same team with Germany ^[20] .

At first, Norway refused to host representatives of states that had Nazi regimes and athletes who held Nazi attitudes during the Second World War. For example, the Norwegian skater not allowed to participate in the Games because of his collaboration with Nazi Germany. In the end, despite the relationship between the Norwegians and representatives of the former fascist states, the IOC allowed both Germans (from Germany) and the Japanese to participate ^[17] . Representatives of the Soviet Union did not send a single athlete to Oslo, although this state has already been recognized by the IOC. The USSR NOC planned to send a hockey team to the Games, but the application for participation in the competition was submitted to the IIHF (International Hockey Federation) very late ^{[21] [22]} .

A total of 22 sets of medals were played in 8 sports (the number of medal sets played in this sport is indicated in brackets):

•   Bobsleigh (2) ( more )
•   Alpine skiing (6) ( more )
•   Speed ​​Skating (4) ( more )
•   Nordic Combined (1) ( more )
•   Cross-country skiing (4) ( more )
•   Ski Jumping (1) ( more )
•   Figure Skating (3) ( more )
•   Hockey (1) ( more )

Demo View

•   Ball hockey (1) ( more )

Opening Ceremony

On February 13, the Olympic flame arrived in Norway ^[1] . The Olympic torch relay was held on skis and took place over two days ^{[1] [23]} .

The opening ceremony was held at Bislett Stadium on February 15 ^[13] . The King of Great Britain, George VI, died on February 6, 1952, 8 days before the Games. ^[24] As a result of this event, the flags of all states were raised only by half, and Princess Ranghilda of Norway opened the games instead of her grandfather, King Haakon VII , who left for London to commemorate George VI. ^[25] This case was the first when a woman opened the Olympic Games ^[1] . The parade of nations was held according to the tradition, according to which the representatives of Greece came out first, followed by other countries that entered the stadium in the Norwegian alphabet order, and at the end the hosts of the Games came out ^[23] . Athletes from Great Britain , Australia , Canada and New Zealand honored the memory of the deceased monarch with access to the stadium with black armbands ^[26] . After the parade of nations, the Olympic flame was lit. ^[13] The torchbearer Eigil Nansen, having received the torch, ran with him to the stairs, then took off his skis and climbed it and lit the Olympics fire ^[27] .

The day before the official opening, bobsled and skiing competitions took place ^[28] . Athletes participating in these types did not have time for the opening ceremony, therefore, simplified opening ceremonies were held in Frognerseteren, where the bobsledders competed, and in Norefjell, the venue for the competition of skiers ^[29] .

Bobsleigh

After a 16-year absence at the Olympics, German officials celebrated their return with a triumphant performance in bobsled competitions . There, the Germans won both the race of twos and the competition among the fours. ^[30] . The results of both races were the same. In both cases, after the Germans, US representatives won silver, and the Swiss closed the top three ^[30] . won the bronze in the doubles and fours. These two “bronzes” became the fourth and fifth Olympic medal in the career of the Swiss, in the history of which there are 3 Olympics and a 16-year absence at the Games ^[31] . The German bobsledders who won the fours had an average weight of 117 kg. The champion of the 1952 Summer Heavyweight Boxing Games weighed less than this ^[30] . Having noticed this fact, the International Bobsleigh Federation has introduced a restriction on the weight of athletes, which is still in force ^[32] .

Alpine skiing

Alpine skiing was represented by three disciplines: slalom , giant slalom and downhill . Both men and women participated in all three disciplines, competitions in which were held in Norfjell and . ^[33] The giant slalom competitions debuted at these Games. ^[34] Austrian skiers dominated the Norwegian slopes, winning 7 out of 18 possible medals, including gold in slalom and silver downhill of Otmar Schneider . Norwegian Stein Eriksen won gold in giant slalom and silver in simple ^[33] . Greek skier fell 18 times during the slalom descent and crossed the finish line with his back ^{[35] [36] [37]} . American skier became the only two-time champion in this sport, winning both the giant and the regular slalom. She became the first US representative in Olympic skiing to win 2 gold medals in the same Games ^[38] .

Speed ​​Skating

All speed skating competitions were held in Bislett ^[39] . Americans Kenneth Henry and became the first and second at a distance of 500 meters. But the ordinary Norwegian truck driver Yalmar Andersen won the remaining 3 gold medals (1500, 5000 and 10000 m) ^{[39] [40]} . This success is considered one of the most significant in the history of the Olympic Games ^[1] . The Dutchman Wim van der Worth became the second in the 1500 meter race, and his compatriot Kes Brookman the second in the distances of 5000 and 10000 meters, they became the first Dutch to win the Olympic medal ^[39] . World champion Cornel Payor did not participate in the competition . This Hungarian skater, who won both long distances at the 1949 World Championships in Oslo, fled to Sweden, but was unable to play for her since he did not receive Swedish citizenship before the Olympics ^[39] .

Nordic Combined

Nordic combined took place on the Holmenkollbakken ski jump and ski run. For the first time, the competition started not from skiing, but from ski jumping, from which the athletes made 3 jumps each. The second stage was held the day after the jumps and was represented by a 18 km ski race. The final results of the winners and prize winners were determined by the average score for the two best attempts in ski jumping, this result, in turn, was summed up with the total time on the ski track ^[41] . Norwegians Simon Slattvik and won gold and bronze respectively ^[42] . In the following games, Sterensen won the exact same competition ^[43] . The representative of Finland, Heikki Hasu, won the silver medal, preventing the Norwegians from winning the entire podium ^[42] .

Cross country skiing

All cross-country skiing took place next to the ski jump in . The men won the same 3 sets of medals as at the previous Games: 18 and 50 km and the relay ^[44] For the first time, women participated in skiing: they ran a 10-kilometer ^[45] . All medals in cross-country skiing were won by representatives of the Scandinavian countries, and eight out of 12 possible medals went to Finnish skiers ^[44] . Lidia Wiedemann became the first female skier to become an Olympic champion in her sport; in addition, her compatriots Mirja Hietamies and Siiri Rantanen took the remaining prizes in that race ^[45] . Halgeir Brenden won the 18-kilometer race and helped the Norwegians win silver in the relay at a distance of 4 × 10 km. Brenden later won the gold medal in the 15-kilometer race in 1956, and the silver medal in the relay at the 1960 games ^[46] .

Ski Jumping

More than 100 thousand people supported ski jumpers when they competed in Holmenkollbakken ^[47] . This happened on February 24th at men's competitions ^[48] . Prince Harald and Princess Ranghild were among the spectators. ^[47] Norwegians did not disappoint the royal family of their state, pleased with successful performances; Arnfinn Bergman and Thorbjörn Falkanger won the first two places respectively, while Swede took bronze ^[49] . These were the last games when the Norwegians won gold medals in ski jumping (the series began in 1924 ) ^[50] .

Figure Skating

Ice Hockey

Ball Hockey

For the first and last time, ball hockey was presented at the Winter Olympics. Competitions were held as an indicative form. The tournament was attended by teams from Norway, Finland and Sweden. According to the results of the tournament, Sweden took the first place, followed by the team of the hosts of the Olympics and in third place was the Finnish team.

Closing Ceremony

30 countries presented their athletes at these Games, which was a record for the number of NOCs at the Winter Olympics alone ^[13] . New Zealanders and Portuguese for the first time took part in the "white" Olympics. Australia , Germany, and Japan returned to the Games after a 16-year absence. South Korea , Liechtenstein and Turkey participated in the 1948 Winter Games, but did not submit candidates for this Olympics.

* For a more complete acquaintance with the results of individual sports at this Olympiad, click on the names of a particular sport in this table.

• 1952 Summer Olympics
• Winners of the 1952 Winter Olympics

• Olympics page . IOC official website .