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1956 Olympics

Games

By MBPublished 4 years ago 3 min read
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The 1956 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VII Winter Games, were a multi-sport festival held from 26 January to 5 February 1956 in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. First awarded at the 1944 Winter Olympics, Cortina defeated Toronto, Colorado Springs, and Lake Placid in 1956 for the right to host the Games. The Cortina Games were unique in that each location was within walking distance. The organising committee provided financial assistance for infrastructure upgrades to the Italian government, but much of the Games 'expense had to be privately funded. The planning committee was also the first to rely heavily on support for corporate sponsorship. Thirty-two nations took part in the four sporting competitions, and twenty-four – by far the highest number of countries taking part in the Winter Olympics. Toni Sailer from Austria was the first competitor to sweep all three alpine skiing events in one single Olympics. For the last time in those Games the figure skating exhibition was played outdoors. Logistically the only obstacle faced at alpine ski competitions was a shortage of snow. To counter this, the Italian army brought in huge quantities of snow to provide sufficient protection for the courses. Politics didn't influence the 1956 Winter Games — unlike the Melbourne Summer Games, Where later in the year other nations boycotted the Hungarian Revolution after the Soviet repression, and the Suez War. The Cortina Olympics was the first reporting for international viewers during the Winter Olympics. Cortina is expected to co-host Winter Olympics with Milan in 2026, 70 years from the Games in 1956. Cortina d'Ampezzo is a ski resort village located in the Mountains of the Dolomites, in Italy's north east corner. It had a population of 6,500, in 1956. Count Alberto Bonacossa, an experienced alpine skier, figure skater and member of the International Olympic Committee since 1925, led the campaign to add Cortina d'Ampezzo to the Olympic Games. He persuaded the city council of Cortina to apply for the Games of 1944. Cortina d'Ampezzo was awarded the 1944 Winter Olympics at the 38th IOC Congress held in London in 1939 but the Games were cancelled due to the start of World War II. The Italian Winter Sports Federation met in Milan in 1946 and voted to approve a new effort to host the Winter Games at Cortina. Cortina's bid to host the 1952 Winter Olympics at the 40th IOC Session in Stockholm, Sweden, was suggested by a delegation headed by Count Bonacossa They received support from both the town hall and the National Olympic Committee of Italy. Cortina is strongly rejected by a competing offer from Oslo, Norway. Count Bonacossa and CONI also tabled a new proposal for the Winter Games of 1956. Selection of the host city took place in Rome, at the 43rd IOC conference. On 28 April 1949, Cortina d'Ampezzo was chosen from bids from Toronto, Colorado Springs and Lake Placid, with 75% of the vote. Unfortunately, three years before he could see Cortina organising the Games, Bonacossa died on 30 January 1953. In all, 32 nations had sent the athletes to Cortina d'Ampezzo. Bolivia and Iran first participated along with the Soviet Union in the Winter Olympics, making Bolivia the first entirely tropical nation to take part in a Winter Olympic. After skipping the 1952 Winter Olympics, Japan, Liechtenstein and Turkey joined, while Canada, Denmark, New Zealand and Portugal did not partake in those Games, despite having played in the previous edition. Participants from West Germany and East Germany competed together as Germany's Joint Team, an alliance which would continue for the next two Olympiads. Since the allies triumphed in World War II, the Cold War came to an end. Most soviet countries in Eastern Europe had participated in Worker's Games or Spartakiads until 1952. The Soviet Union returned from international exile by eschewing the Spartakiad and taking part in the 1952 Helsinki Summer Olympics; they made their debut at the Cortina Games at the Winter Olympics.

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About the Creator

MB

I am a bird aficionado and really enjoy spotting them them on hikes. I greatly appreciate the variety of birds cross North America and the world. They are amazing and intelligent creatures, each so unique and with a wonderful life.

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