Ist Olympic Winter Games

"In 1921, the International Olympic Committee voted to stage "International Sports Week 1924" in Chamonix, France. This event was a complete success and was retroactively named the First Olympic Winter Games. The first event to be decided in Chamonix was the men’s 500m speed skating. The first gold medal went to Charles Jewtraw of the United States. A. Clas Thunberg of Finland earned medals in all five speed skating events: three gold, one silver and one bronze. Norway’s Thorleif Haug dominated Nordic skiing, winning both cross-country races and the Nordic combined. The Canadian ice hockey team won all five of their matches, outscoring their opponents 110 to 3."

While the rest of the world prepares for the 2006 games that begin today, this page takes you back to the first winter games. Here you can find facts, highlights, photos, and even a couple of video clips.

This is from the official Olympic website, so you can also get info on the current winter games as well as all the other winter and summer games since 1896.