1952 Winter Olympics

Multi-sport event in Oslo, Norway April 2020 1952 Winter Olympics 1952 Winter Olympics.svg 200 Emblem of the 1952 Winter OlympicsThe emblem is the New Oslo City Hall overlaid by the Olympic rings, and surrounded by the phrase, "The 6th Olympic Winter Games / Oslo 1952". Oslo, Norway 30 693 (584 men, 109 women) 22 in 4 sports (8 disciplines) Princess Ragnhild 14 February 1952 25 February 1952 Eigil Nansen Bislett Stadium St. Moritz 1948 Cortina 1956 London 1948 Helsinki 1952 The 1952 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VI Olympic Winter Games (no De 6. olympiske vinterleker; nn Dei 6. olympiske vinterleikane) and commonly known as Oslo 1952, were a winter multi-sport event held from 14 to 25 February 1952 in Oslo, the capital of Norway. Discussions about Oslo hosting the Winter Olympic Games began as early as 1935; the city was keen to host the 1948 Winter Olympics, but that was made impossible by World War II. 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 Olympic venues were in Oslo's metropolitan area, except for the alpine skiing events, which were held at Norefjell, 113 km mi on from the capital. A new hotel was built for the press and dignitaries, along with three dormitories to house athletes and coaches, creating the first modern athlete's village. Oslo bore the financial burden of hosting the Games in return for the revenue they generated. The 1952 Winter Olympics was the first of the two consecutive Olympics to be held in Northern Europe, preceding the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. The 1952 Winter Games attracted 694 athletes representing 30 countries, who participated in four sports and 22 events.Oslo 1952 International Olympic Committee http://www.olympic.org/oslo-1952-winter-olympics 27 April 2011 25 December 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181225173303/https://www.olympic.org/oslo-1952 live Japan and Germany made their returns to Winter 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 after East Germany declined to compete as a unified team. Portugal and New Zealand made their Winter Olympic debuts, and women were allowed to compete in cross-country skiing for the first time. Norwegian truck driver Hjalmar Andersen won three out of four speed skating events to become the most decorated athlete of the 1952 Winter Olympics. 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 popular Nordic sport bandy featured as a demonstration sport, but only three Nordic countries competed in the tournament. Norway dominated the overall medal count with 16 medals, including seven golds. The Games closed with the presentation of a flag that would be passed to the host city of the next Winter Olympics. The flag, which became known as the "Oslo flag", has been displayed in the host city during subsequent Winter Games. Host city selection Norway Oslo Green pog.svg 59.56 10.45 230 right thumb A map of Norway with Oslo marked in the south east of the country. Location of Oslo in Norway Oslo 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.Findling and Pelle (1996), p. 252 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.St. Moritz, 1948 International Olympic Committee http://www.olympic.org/st-moritz-1948-winter-olympics 26 August 2010 17 April 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160417233806/http://www.olympic.org/st-moritz-1948-winter-olympics live Norwegians were undecided about hosting a Winter Olympics.Klausen (1999), p. 28 Culturally, they were opposed to competitive winter sports, particularly skiing events, despite the success of Norwegian athletes at previous Winter Games.Klausen (1999), pp. 28–29 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.Klausen (1999), p. 29 Vying with Oslo for the right to host the Games were Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, and Lake Placid, New York, United States. The IOC voted to award the 1952 Winter Games to Oslo on 21 June 1947 at the 40th IOC Session in Stockholm, Sweden.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), p. 20 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 were the first to be held in a nation's capital. Results +1952 Winter Olympics bidding resulthttp://www.gamesbids.com/english/archives/past.shtml Past Olympic host city election results GamesBids 17 March 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20080821055613/http://www.gamesbids.com/eng/past.html 21 August 2008 live City Country Round 1 Oslo Norway Norway 17 Cortina d'Ampezzo Italy Italy 9 Lake Placid United States 1912 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 Bull. The committee was in place by December 1947.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), p. 21 The city of Oslo funded the Games entirely, in exchange for keeping all the revenue generated.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), p. 57 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.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), p. 23 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.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), pp. 42–43Ringstad J. Telecommunications for the VI Olympic Winter Games, Oslo 1952 Telektronikk 1995 91 1 71–77 http://www.telenor.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/T95_1.pdf 9 January 2014 Telenor 0085-7130 9 January 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140109222125/http://www.telenor.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/T95_1.pdf live For the first time in a Winter Games, an indoor ice hockey arena was constructed, which hosted the eight-team tournament.1952 Oslo Winter Games Sports Reference LLC https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/winter/1952/ 26 August 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100829092629/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/winter/1952/ 29 August 2010 dead Oslo's existing central arena, Bislett Stadium, 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.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), pp. 29–30 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.With Fascism on the Doorstep: The Nobel Institution in Norway, 1940–1945 Nobelprize.org 21 August 2001 Tønnesson Øyvind http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/articles/tonnesson/ 27 June 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110623204137/http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/articles/tonnesson/ 23 June 2011 live 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.Espy (1981), p. 32 Once the IOC recognized the West German Olympic Committee, West Germany was then formally invited to compete at the 1952 Winter Games.Hill (1992), p. 34 East Germany was invited to participate with West Germany, as a unified team, but they declined.Hill (1992), p. 35 At first Norway was reluctant to welcome German athletes and others considered 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, sending observers instead.Findling and Pelle (1996), pp. 254–255 Events Medals were awarded in 22 events contested in four sports (eight disciplines). Bobsleigh 2 Ice hockey 1 Skating Figure skating 3 Speed skating 4 Skiing Alpine skiing 6 Nordic skiing Cross-country skiing 4 Nordic combined 1 Ski jumping 1 Demonstration sport 20px Bandy (1) (details) Opening ceremonies thumb|alt=Long-shot of Olympic stadium with many athletes standing in neat formation behind their national flags|A scene from the opening ceremony at Bislett Stadium The opening ceremonies were held in Bislett Stadium on 15 February. King George VI of Great Britain had died on 6 February 1952 with his daughter Elizabeth II taking the throne as Queen, eight days before the start of the Games.1952: King George VI dies in his sleep BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/6/newsid_2711000/2711265.stm 26 August 2010 6 February 1952 https://web.archive.org/web/20101007104517/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/6/newsid_2711000/2711265.stm 7 October 2010 live 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 state funeral.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), p. 175 This was the first time an Olympic Games had been declared open by a female official. The parade of nations was held according to tradition, with Greece first and the rest of the nations proceeding by alphabetical order in the Norwegian language, with the host nation last.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), p. 176 The British, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand teams all wore black arm bands at the opening ceremonies in memory of their monarch.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), p. 178 Following the parade of nations, the Olympic flame was lit. On 13 February, at the start of the inaugural Winter Olympics torch relay, the torch was lit in the hearth of the Morgedal House, birthplace of skiing pioneer Sondre Norheim. The torch relay lasted two days and was conducted 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.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), p. 177 The bobsleigh and alpine skiing events were held the day before the opening ceremonies.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), p. 172 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.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), p. 180 Bobsleigh Bobsleigh at the 1952 Winter Olympics thumb|upright|alt=metallic sled with the word Deutschland 1 emblazoned on the front|The gold medal-winning four-man bobsleigh from Germany After a 16-year hiatus from the Olympics, Germany made a triumphant return to the bobsleigh competition, winning the two- and four-man events.Bobsleigh at the 1952 Oslo Winter Games Sports Reference LLC https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/winter/1952/BOB/ https://web.archive.org/web/20200417043459/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/winter/1952/BOB/ dead 17 April 2020 31 August 2010 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.Fritz Feierabend International Olympic Committee http://www.olympic.org/fritz-feierabend 3 September 2010 17 February 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110217013631/http://www.olympic.org/fritz-feierabend live 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 lb on, 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.Findling and Pelle (1996), pp. 255–256 Speed skating Speed skating at the 1952 Winter Olympics All of the speed skating events were held at Bislett Stadium.Speed Skating at the 1952 Oslo Winter Games Sports Reference LLC https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/winter/1952/SSK/ https://web.archive.org/web/20200417043455/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/winter/1952/SSK/ dead 17 April 2020 31 August 2010 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;Speed Skating History National Speed Skating Museum http://www.nationalspeedskatingmuseum.org/Docs/Handbook-History/SSHIST.doc 31 August 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20110727112640/http://www.nationalspeedskatingmuseum.org/Docs/Handbook-History/SSHIST.doc 27 July 2011 dead 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. Alpine skiing Alpine skiing at the 1952 Winter Olympics thumb|Stein Eriksen in the alpine skiing during the Olympics There were three alpine skiing 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.Alpine Skiing at the 1952 Oslo Winter Games Sports Reference LLC https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/winter/1952/ASK/ 31 August 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100918022112/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/winter/1952/ASK/ 18 September 2010 dead The giant slalom made its Olympic debut at the 1952 Games.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), p. 37 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.Wallechinsky David The complete book of the Olympics 1984 Viking Press 0-670-23403-6 604 https://books.google.com/books?id=pJAVQdZ4GFcCConnor Floyd Olympic's Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of the Olympics' Gold Medal Gaffes, Improbable Triumphs, and Other Oddities 2001 Brassey's 978-1-57488-413-5 202 https://books.google.com/books?id=m81aVh2jZA8C&pg=PA202Bainbridge Jim A Record Unlikely Ever to Be Broken http://www.gazette.com/stories/0205spts6-4.php?section=4 9 January 2014 The Gazette 5 February 2002 https://web.archive.org/web/20020206170053/http://www.gazette.com/stories/0205spts6-4.php?section=4 6 February 2002 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.2002 Vermont Ski Museum Hall of Fame Induction Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum http://www.vtssm.com/hall-of-fame/2002 15 March 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120220022444/http://www.vtssm.com/hall-of-fame/2002 20 February 2012 dead Cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing at the 1952 Winter Olympics All the cross-country 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.Cross Country Skiing at the 1952 Oslo Winter Games Sports Reference LLC https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/winter/1952/CCS/ https://web.archive.org/web/20200417043453/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/winter/1952/CCS/ dead 17 April 2020 31 August 2010 Added to the Olympic program for the first time was a ten-kilometer race for women.Judd (2008), p. 27 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.Hallgeir Brenden Sports Reference LLC https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/br/hallgeir-brenden-1.html https://web.archive.org/web/20200417161734/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/br/hallgeir-brenden-1.html dead 17 April 2020 8 September 2010 Nordic combined Nordic combined at the 1952 Winter Olympics The Nordic combined event was held at the cross-country and ski jump venues. For the first time, the ski jump part took place first with competitors taking three jumps from the Holmenkollbakken. The 18-km cross country skiing event took place the next day. Results were tallied by the best two marks were scored, along with the results of the cross-country race, to determine a winner.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), p. 203 Norwegians Simon Slåttvik and Sverre Stenersen won the gold and bronze respectively.Nordic Combined at the 1952 Oslo Winter Games Sports Reference LLC https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/winter/1952/NCO/ https://web.archive.org/web/20200417043439/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/winter/1952/NCO/ dead 17 April 2020 31 August 2010 Stenersen went on to win the gold at the 1956 Games in the same event.Sverre Stenersen Sports Reference LLC https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/st/sverre-stenersen-1.html https://web.archive.org/web/20200417111624/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/st/sverre-stenersen-1.html dead 17 April 2020 31 August 2010 Heikki Hasu from Finland won the silver, preventing a Norwegian sweep of the medals. Ski jumping Ski jumping at the 1952 Winter Olympics Crowds in excess of 100,000 greeted the ski jumpers as they competed at Holmenkollbakken.Organising committee for VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), p. 207 In 1952 there was only one event, the men's normal hill, which was held on 24 February.Organising committee for VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), p. 206 The King, Prince Harald, 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.Ski Jumping at the 1952 Oslo Winter Games Sports Reference LLC https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/winter/1952/SKJ/ https://web.archive.org/web/20200417043501/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/winter/1952/SKJ/ dead 17 April 2020 31 August 2010 Norwegian athletes won the ski jumping gold medal in every Winter Olympics from 1924 to 1952.Judd (2008), p. 230 Figure skating Figure skating at the 1952 Winter Olympics There were three events in the Olympic figure skating competition: men's singles, women's singles and mixed pairs. The events were held at Bislett Stadium on a rink constructed inside the speed skating track.Figure Skating at the 1952 Oslo Winter Games Sports Reference LLC https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/winter/1952/FSK/ 31 August 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100830150849/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/winter/1952/FSK/ 30 August 2010 dead 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.Figure Skating at the 1952 Oslo Winter Games-Men's Singles Sports Reference LLC https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/winter/1952/FSK/mens-singles.html https://web.archive.org/web/20200417201147/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/winter/1952/FSK/mens-singles.html dead 17 April 2020 31 August 2010 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.Oslo 1952-Overview ESPN http://espn.go.com/olympics/winter/history/_/year/1952 31 August 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100731001212/http://espn.go.com/olympics/winter/history/_/year/1952 31 July 2010 deadJudd (2008), p. 95 British skater Jeannette Altwegg won the gold medal in the women's singles, the silver was won by American Tenley Albright, who went on to win gold at the 1956 Winter Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo,Dr. Tenley E. Albright National Library of Medicine https://www.nlm.nih.gov/changingthefaceofmedicine/physicians/biography_3.html 22 September 2011 20 January 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120120103245/http://www.nlm.nih.gov/changingthefaceofmedicine/physicians/biography_3.html dead and Jacqueline du Bief of France won the bronze.Figure Skating at the 1952 Oslo Winter Games-Women's Singles Sports Reference LLC https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/winter/1952/FSK/womens-singles.html https://web.archive.org/web/20200417200212/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/winter/1952/FSK/womens-singles.html dead 17 April 2020 31 August 2010 The German husband and wife pair of Ria and Paul Falk won the mixed pairs competition.Germany Figure Skating at the 1952 Oslo Winter Games Sports Reference LLC https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/GER/winter/1952/FSK/ https://web.archive.org/web/20200417080935/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/GER/winter/1952/FSK/ dead 17 April 2020 31 August 2010 They defeated Americans Karol and Peter Kennedy, who placed second,United States Figure Skating at the 1952 Oslo Winter Games Sports Reference LLC https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/USA/winter/1952/FSK/ https://web.archive.org/web/20200417161729/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/USA/winter/1952/FSK/ dead 17 April 2020 31 August 2010 and Hungarian siblings Marianna and László Nagy, who won the bronze medal.Hungary Figure Skating at the 1952 Oslo Winter Games Sports Reference LLC https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/HUN/winter/1952/FSK/ https://web.archive.org/web/20200417161752/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/HUN/winter/1952/FSK/ dead 17 April 2020 31 August 2010 Ice hockey Ice hockey at the 1952 Winter Olympics thumb|The jersey of Canada's Edmonton Mercurys, the ice hockey gold medal winners A majority of the ice hockey matches took place at Jordal Amfi, a new hockey stadium built for the Olympics.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), p. 41 Nine teams played in the tournament and Canada again won the gold medal.Ice Hockey at the 1952 Oslo Winter Games Sport Reference LLC https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/winter/1952/ICH/ https://web.archive.org/web/20200417043440/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/winter/1952/ICH/ dead 17 April 2020 31 August 2010 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.1952 – Winter Olympics VI (Oslo, Norway) The Sports Network (TSN) https://www.tsn.ca/olympics/feature/?fid=10270 2 May 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110604053103/http://www.tsn.ca/olympics/feature/?fid=10270 4 June 2011 dead Canada played the United States to a three all tie on the final day to clinch the gold, and the Americans won silver.Jeux Olympiques d'Oslo 1952 Passionhockey.com http://www.hockeyarchives.info/JO1952.htm 27 May 2012 30 September 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110930153050/http://www.hockeyarchives.info/JO1952.htm live The official report of the USOC for the 1952 Olympics covers the game in great detail. According to the report, by the end of the game against Canada, the Americans were mentally and physically exhausted and after scoring the third goal and tying the game they decided to focus on defense in order not to lose silver. Canadians at the time were considered unbeatable.https://digital.la84.org/digital/api/collection/p17103coll6/id/5011/download United States 1952 Olympic Book, Quadrennial Report of the United States Olympic Committee Asa S. Bushnell United States Olympic Association New York 1953 11 January 2019 12 January 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190112044236/https://digital.la84.org/digital/api/collection/p17103coll6/id/5011/download live Sweden and Czechoslovakia ended up tied for third (Czechoslovakia defeated the Swedes in the head-to-head game, but according to the rules at the time they had to play a tiebreaker game because they were tied in points). Sweden won that game and avenged the loss in the round-robin. The Czechs believed they had already won the bronze when they defeated the Swedes in the round-robin, calling the decision to play a tie-breaking game a "plot of the capitalist countries". Canadian team was criticized for its 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.Findling and Pelle (1996), p. 256 Bandy Bandy at the 1952 Winter Olympics The IOC lobbied the organizing committee to host either military patrol or curling as a demonstration sport.Findling and Pelle (1996), p. 255 The committee instead selected bandy, which had never been included in the Winter Games.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), p. 215 Popular in Nordic countries, bandy is played by teams of eleven on an outdoor soccer field-sized ice rink, using a small ball and sticks about 1.2 m ft on long.What is Bandy American Bandy Association http://www.usabandy.com/page/show/604524-american-bandy-association 9 January 2014 1 December 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131201213301/http://www.usabandy.com/page/show/604524-american-bandy-association live As it was a demonstration sport, the players were ineligible for medals. Three nations participated: Finland, Norway and Sweden.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), p. 147 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 Stadium and one at Bislett Stadium.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), p. 216 Closing ceremonies thumb|upright|alt=White flag hanging from the ceiling with the five interlocking rings symbolic of the Olympic Games. The rings are each a different color with blue, yellow, black, green, and red.|The "Oslo flag" 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 Stadium, on Monday evening, 25 February.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), pp. 182–183 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.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), p. 187 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.The Olympic Flag and Emblem The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games http://www.olympic.org/vancouver-2010-winter-olympics 2 September 2010 11 May 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120511154121/http://www.olympic.org/vancouver-2010-winter-olympics live 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.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), pp. 184–185 For a finale, to the close the Games, the lights were extinguished and a 20-minute fireworks display lit up the night sky. Venues Venues of the 1952 Winter Olympics thumb|upright|Holmenkollbakken ski jumping hill during the Olympics With a seating capacity of 29,000, Bislett Stadium 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 ft on speed skating track, and a figure skating ice-rink of 30 by 60 m ft on; a snow bank separated the track and the rink.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), p. 28 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.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), pp. 31–32 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.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), pp. 30–31 23 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 mi on 0 from the center of Oslo.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), p. 32 The expected number of spectators caused concerns about traffic, so a new road was constructed and the existing thoroughfare widened.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), p. 34 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 on 87 m ft 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.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), pp. 32–33 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.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), p. 35 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 ft on and was 480 m ft on in length.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), pp. 35–37 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 debut in 1952—were held at Norefjell, which was 113 km mi on 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.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), p. 38 Instead the organizers built a temporary course out of snow and ice.Findling and Pelle (1996), p. 254 This is often wrongly assumed to have been built at Korketrekkeren.http://www.skiforeningen.no/marka/nytt/?id=1979 Bobsleighbanen 1952 Oslo, Norway live Markadatabasen https://web.archive.org/web/20160404191513/http://www.skiforeningen.no/marka/nytt/?id=1979 2016-04-04 From Frognerseteren a separate 1508 m ft on on long, 13-turn course was designed and built.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), p. 39 The bobsleigh run was first constructed and tested in 1951, then rebuilt for the Games in 1952. A car was used to return the bobsleighs to the start of the track.http://www.skiforeningen.no/cgi/newimgshow.cgi?id=23783 Bobsleighbanen fra OL i 1952 Markadatabasen live https://web.archive.org/web/20150721060957/http://www.skiforeningen.no/cgi/newimgshow.cgi?id=23783 2015-07-21 Participating nations Thirty nations sent competitors, which was the highest number of participants at a Winter Games. New Zealand 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. Participating National Olympic Committees22em ARG 1952 Winter 12 AUS 1952 Winter 9 AUT 1952 Winter 39 BEL 1952 Winter 9 BUL 1952 Winter 10 CAN 1952 Winter 39 CHI 1952 Winter 3 TCH 1952 Winter 22 DEN 1952 Winter 1 FIN 1952 Winter 50 FRA 1952 Winter 26 GER 1952 Winter 53 GBR 1952 Winter 18 GRE 1952 Winter 3 HUN 1952 Winter 12 ISL 1952 Winter 11 ITA 1952 Winter 33 JPN 1952 Winter 13 LIB 1952 Winter 1 NED 1952 Winter 11 NZL 1952 Winter 3 NOR 1952 Winter 73 (host) POL 1952 Winter 30 POR 1952 Winter 1 ROU 1952 Winter 16 ESP 1952 Winter 4 SWE 1952 Winter 65 SUI 1952 Winter 55 USA 1952 Winter 65 YUG 1952 Winter 6 Number of athletes by National Olympic Committees IOC Letter Code Country Athletes NOR NOR 1952 Winter 73 SWE SWE 1952 Winter 65 USA USA 1952 Winter 65 SUI SUI 1952 Winter 55 GER GER 1952 Winter 53 FIN FIN 1952 Winter 50 AUT AUT 1952 Winter 39 CAN CAN 1952 Winter 39 ITA ITA 1952 Winter 33 POL POL 1952 Winter 30 FRA FRA 1952 Winter 26 TCH TCH 1952 Winter 22 GBR GBR 1952 Winter 18 ROU ROU 1952 Winter 16 JPN JPN 1952 Winter 13 ARG ARG 1952 Winter 12 HUN HUN 1952 Winter 12 ISL ISL 1952 Winter 11 NED NED 1952 Winter 11 BUL BUL 1952 Winter 10 AUS AUS 1952 Winter 9 BEL BEL 1952 Winter 9 YUG YUG 1952 Winter 6 ESP ESP 1952 Winter 4 CHI CHI 1952 Winter 3 GRE GRE 1952 Winter 3 NZL NZL 1952 Winter 3 DEN DEN 1952 Winter 1 LIB LIB 1952 Winter 1 POR POR 1952 Winter 1 Total 694 Calendar All dates are in Central European Time (UTC+1) The official opening ceremonies were held on 15 February, although two smaller ceremonies were held on 14 February to conform with competition schedules.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), pp. 180–181 From 15 February until 25 February, the day of the closing ceremonies, at least one event final was held each day.Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games (1952), p. 75  OC Opening ceremonies  ● Event competitions 1 Event finals CC Closing ceremonies February 14Thu15Fri16Sat17Sun18Mon19Tue20Wed21Thu22Fri23Sat24Sun25MonEvents 20px|alt=|link= Ceremonies OC CC20px|alt=|link= Bobsleigh● 1● 1220px|alt=|link= Ice hockey● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 1120px|alt=|link= Figure skating● ● ● 111320px|alt=|link= Speed skating1111420px|alt=|link= Alpine skiing111111620px|alt=|link= Cross-country skiing112420px|alt=|link= Nordic combined● 1120px|alt=|link= Ski jumping11 Demonstration sport 20px Bandy ●  ●  1 1Daily medal events 1 2 2 3 2 2 3 1 2 2 1 1 22Cumulative total 1 3 5 7 10 12 15 16 18 20 21 22 February14Thu15Fri16Sat17Sun18Mon19Tue20Wed21Thu22Fri23Sat24Sun25MonTotal events Medal count 1952 Winter Olympics medal table These are the nations that topped the medal count at the 1952 Winter Games. NOR flagIOC 1952 Winter 7 3 6 yes 4 6 1 3 4 2 3 2 2 2 4 2 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 4 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 1 Podium sweeps +DateSportEventNOCGoldSilverBronze23 FebruaryCross-country skiing Women's 10 kilometreFIN 1952 WinterLydia WidemanMirja HietamiesSiiri Rantanen See also Olympics 1952 Summer Olympics List of 1952 Winter Olympics medal winners Notes References Citations Sources 30em The Politics of the Olympic Games Espy Richard University of California Press Berkeley, United States 1981 0-520-04395-2 https://books.google.com/books?id=JEA_Ss_2wK0C&q=olympic+politics+1952+winter&pg=PA31 25 July 2011 Historical Dictionary of the Modern Olympic Movement Findling John E. Pelle Kimberly D. Greenwood Publishing Group Westport, United States 1996 https://archive.org/details/historicaldictio00find registration 258 1956 winter olympics. 0-313-28477-6 25 July 2011 Timelines of American Women's History Heinemann Sue The Berkeley Publishing Company New York, United States 1996 0-399-51986-6 https://books.google.com/books?id=5kjkZjvnI-sC&q=1952+winter+olympics&pg=PA281 25 July 2011 Olympic Politics Hill Christopher R. Manchester University Press Manchester, United Kingdom 1992 0-7190-3542-2 https://books.google.com/books?id=VAO9AAAAIAAJ&q=east+germany+at+the+1968+winter+olympics&pg=PA38 1 June 2011 The Winter Olympics Judd Ron C. The Mountaineers Books Seattle, United States 2008 978-1-59485-063-9 https://books.google.com/books?id=Hc2dCHfyh0AC 1 June 2011 14 May 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150514015658/https://books.google.com/books?id=Hc2dCHfyh0AC live Olympic Games and Performance and Public Event Klausen Arne Martin Arne Martin Klausen Berghahn Books New York, United States 1999 https://books.google.com/books?id=RNYNg-qFz6QC&q=1952+winter+olympics&pg=PA29 1-57181-706-9 25 July 2011 Olympic Winter Games Oslo 1952 Organising Committee for the VI Winter Olympic Games http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1952/or1952w.pdf 1952 Oslo, Norway 1 June 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110604123755/http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1952/or1952w.pdf 4 June 2011 dead External links 1952 Winter Olympics The program of the 1952 Oslo Winter Olympics la84.org official games report woly St. Moritz VI Olympic Winter GamesOslo 1952 Cortina d'Ampezzo Olympics Norway Sports 1950s Category:Olympic Games in Norway Category:International sports competitions in Oslo Category:Winter Olympics by year Winter Olympics Winter Olympics Category:Winter multi-sport events in Norway Category:1950s in Oslo Winter Olympics