1988 Winter Olympics
| XV Olympic Winter Games | |
|
| |
| Nations participating | 57 |
| Athletes participating | 1423 (1122 men, 301 women) |
| Events | 46 in 6 sports |
| Opening ceremony | February 13, 1988 |
| Closing ceremony | February 28, 1988 |
| Officially opened by | Jeanne Sauvé |
| Athlete's Oath | Pierre Harvey |
| Official's Oath | Suzanna Morrow-Francis |
| Olympic Torch | Robyn Perry |
The XV Olympic Winter Games were held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Olympics were highly successful, financially, as they brought in million-dollar profits. The games have left a lasting impression on the host city and gave it a new identity from a cowtown to a large commercial sector of the country.
The 1988 Games were the last games where the Paralympics were not also held in the same city.
Highlights
- Two competitors, Eddie 'the Eagle' Edwards in ski jumping and the Jamaican bobsledding team, entered their respective competitions with little experience and less chance of winning any medals. However, the determination of these novices to compete in spite of being outmatched by their competitors won the affection of the spectators which overshadowed the actual winners. They were hailed as demonstrating the true Olympic spirit as playing for the simple thrill of competition. The story of the bobsledding team was made into a film called Cool Runnings.
- Curling, Freestyle skiing, short track speed skating and paralympic skiing were demonstration events.
- For the first time in history the Winter Olympics were extended to 16 days, the speed skating events were held indoors on a covered rink, the alpine events took place on artificial snow, and warm Chinook winds not only threatened to cancel events, but sent a ski jumper flying into a camera tower.
Medals awarded
See the medal winners, ordered by sport:
Medal Count
Top medal-collecting nations:
(for the full table, see 1988 Winter Olympics medal count)
| 1988 Winter Olympics medal count | File:Olympic-rings.png | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos. | Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | File:Sovetunio.gif Soviet Union | 11 | 9 | 9 | 29 |
| 2 | File:Germany flag 1949 east.png East Germany | 9 | 10 | 6 | 25 |
| 3 | File:Switzerland flag large.png Switzerland | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 |
| 4 | File:Finland flag large.png Finland | 4 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
| 5 | File:Sweden flag large.png Sweden | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| 6 | File:Austria flag large.png Austria | 3 | 5 | 2 | 10 |
| 7 | File:Netherlands flag large.png Netherlands | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| 8 | File:Germany flag large.png West Germany | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 |
| 9 | File:Wikipedia flag united states large.png United States | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| 10 | File:Italy flag large.png Italy | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
The Olympics in Canada and Calgary
1988 was the second time Canada had hosted the Olympics, this includes the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. Subsequently, Canada won the bid to host the 2010 Winter Olympics for Vancouver.
Calgary gained international stature from the Olympics, and left it, with world class facilities to host interntational meets and serve as a training facility. Ever mindful of the financial disaster of the 1976 Summer Olympics, Calgary was financially sucessful, erasing the spectre of a second Canadian games at a loss. Its use of the profits a fund for the future of Canada Olympic Park and Canadian athletes through CODA gives Calgary a lasting legacy and impact on the Canadian sports scene. It also provides for the ability to maintain and upgrade facilities in Calgary, Banff, and Lake Louise.
