Lyla Lindsey
Austria has hosted the Winter Olympics twice, both times in Innsbruck, in 1964 and 1976. The Innsbruck Games of 1964 were the ninth occurrence of the Winter Olympics and were attended by 36 countries and more than 1,000 athletes, a first for the Winter Games. The Austrian city became the first Olympic host to hold events throughout the surrounding area, enabling more than one million spectators to watch the contests.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year | 1964 and 1976 |
| Season | Winter |
| City | Innsbruck |
| Number of Hostings | Twice |
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What You'll Learn
Austria hosted the Winter Olympics in 1964 and 1976
Austria has twice hosted the Winter Olympics, in 1964 and 1976, both times in the city of Innsbruck.
1964 Winter Olympics
The 1964 Winter Olympics were held in Innsbruck, Austria, from 29 January to 9 February. Innsbruck became the first Olympic city to host events throughout the surrounding area, allowing more than one million spectators to watch the contests. The Games were attended by 36 countries and more than 1,000 athletes—a first for a Winter Games. Thirty-four events were staged, including the debut of the large-hill ski jump. The Olympic torch was lit in ancient Olympia, Greece, and then relayed to Innsbruck, the first time this had happened in a Winter Games. The only major problem was the lack of snow—the Austrian army had to bring in over 25,000 tons for the Alpine ski events.
1976 Winter Olympics
Innsbruck stepped in to host the 1976 Winter Olympics after the original host city, Denver, withdrew following a referendum that rejected the building of Olympic facilities for ecological reasons. The Austrian city had previously hosted the Winter Games twelve years prior, in 1964. The 1976 Games were memorable for local hero Franz Klammer's gold medal in the downhill skiing event. Ice dancing also debuted as a full medal discipline and was dominated by the Russians.
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Both times the games were held in Innsbruck
Austria has hosted the Olympic Games twice, both times the Winter Games, and both times in Innsbruck, in 1964 and 1976. The Innsbruck Games of 1964 were the ninth occurrence of the Winter Olympic Games. The city had previously lost the bid for the 1960 Games to Squaw Valley, California, but was chosen to host the 1964 Winter Olympics. Innsbruck became the first Olympic city to hold events throughout the surrounding area, enabling more than one million spectators to watch the contests. The Games were attended by 36 countries and more than 1,000 athletes—a first for a Winter Games.
The Innsbruck Games of 1964 also saw the debut of computers at the Olympics, allowing for more accurate scoring and the smoother running of events. For the first time in a Winter Games, the Olympic torch was lit in ancient Olympia, Greece, and then relayed to Innsbruck. The only major problem was the lack of snow. The country suffered its mildest February in almost 60 years, forcing the Austrian army to carry in more than 25,000 tons of snow for the Alpine ski events.
The 1964 Games also saw the debut of the large-hill ski jump, though this was surrounded by controversy, as many critics claimed the sport was too dangerous. Indeed, two weeks before the opening ceremonies, a British luger was killed during practice. In the men’s downhill, an Australian skier was also killed during a practice run. The event was won by Egon Zimmermann of Austria, who continued the Olympic tradition of Lech, a hamlet with fewer than 200 residents, which had produced two other Alpine gold medalists.
Innsbruck was chosen to host the Winter Games again in 1976 after the original host city, Denver, withdrew following a referendum which rejected the building of Olympic facilities for ecological reasons. The 1976 Games were memorable for the gold medal won by local hero Franz Klammer in the downhill skiing event. In figure skating, American Terry Kubicka performed a backflip – the first time in the history of the sport that this dangerous move had been successfully performed. British figure skater John Curry also impressed, combining his natural elegance with a series of stunning jumps to be rewarded with the highest points total in the history of men's figure skating.
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The 1976 games were originally awarded to Denver
The 1976 Winter Olympics were originally awarded to Denver, Colorado, in 1970. However, in 1972, Denver withdrew as host city following a statewide referendum in which voters rejected funding for the Games. This was the first time that a city awarded the Winter Games rejected them.
The referendum was driven by a combination of public pressure and organisational issues. Citizens' groups, such as Citizens for Colorado's Future, Protect Our Mountain Environment, and environmentalists, opposed the Games due to concerns about the financial burden on taxpayers and the potential damage to the environment. They argued that the costs of hosting the Olympics would outweigh the benefits and that the state would become a laughing stock if it tried to stage the Olympic events.
The Denver Organizing Committee (DOC) had initially sold the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on a bid that included glossy brochures and a film showcasing mountain vistas, but in reality, they faced significant challenges. They needed to construct several venues, including a ski jump, bobsled and luge tracks, and a speedskating facility, which would result in high costs and potential environmental damage.
After Denver's withdrawal, the IOC offered the Games to several other cities, including Whistler, British Columbia, and Salt Lake City, but these cities also declined. Finally, on February 5, 1973, the IOC selected Innsbruck, Austria, as the new host city, marking the second time that Innsbruck had hosted the Winter Games, the first being in 1964.
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Innsbruck had the first Olympic cauldron lighting ceremony
Austria has hosted the Olympic Winter Games twice, both times in Innsbruck, in 1964 and 1976. The 1976 Winter Olympics were particularly memorable as Innsbruck was only chosen as the host city on 4 February 1973, three years before the Games, after the original host city, Denver, withdrew due to a referendum that rejected the building of Olympic facilities for ecological reasons.
The 1976 Games in Innsbruck featured the first Olympic cauldron lighting ceremony. This ceremony starts the Olympic torch relay and ends with the lighting of the Olympic cauldron during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. The flame is transported from Greece to the host country, where it is then transported around the host nation to the main stadium. The lighting of the cauldron symbolises the commencement of the Games.
Innsbruck's 1976 Olympic cauldron was ignited by Josef Feistmantl, a gold medallist in luge, and Christl Haas, an Alpine skiing gold medallist, lit the 1964 cauldron. Two cauldrons were lit to celebrate the present Games and the previous time the Winter Games were held in Innsbruck.
The lighting of the Olympic cauldron has since become a highly anticipated event, with famous athletes of the host nation often given the honour of being the final runner in the Olympic torch relay and lighting the cauldron.
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The 1964 games were the first to use computers
Austria has twice hosted the Olympic Winter Games, in 1964 and 1976, both times in Innsbruck. The 1964 Games in Innsbruck took place from 29 January to 9 February.
The 1964 Games in Innsbruck were not the only Olympic Games to take place that year. The Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games were held later that year, from 10–24 October. These Games were known as the "Technology Olympics", as they introduced a number of technological innovations.
The 1964 Tokyo Olympics were the first to use computers to keep statistics. They also featured improved timing and scoring technologies, such as a starting gun linked to a photo-finish camera and touchpad sensors on the walls of the Olympic pool for swimming competitions.
The Tokyo 1964 Games also saw significant advancements in broadcast coverage. A collaboration between the Japanese government and NASA facilitated the launch of a communications satellite, which was used to relay live pictures to a global audience for the first time. This allowed the men's marathon event to be broadcast live in its entirety, covering one-third of the globe in real-time.
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Frequently asked questions
Austria has hosted the Olympic Winter Games twice, in 1964 and 1976, both times in Innsbruck.
The 1964 Innsbruck Winter Olympics took place from 29 January to 9 February 1964.
The 1964 Innsbruck Winter Olympics was the first time computers were used in the Olympics, allowing for more accurate scoring and smoother event management. It was also the first Winter Games where the Olympic torch was lit in ancient Olympia, Greece, and then relayed to the host city.
The 1976 Innsbruck Winter Olympics featured the debut of ice dancing as a full medal discipline, which was dominated by Russian competitors. It was also the first time a backflip was successfully performed in figure skating by American Terry Kubicka.
