1976 Olympics

The 1976 Winter Olympics, also known as the XII Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport festival that took place in Innsbruck, Austria from 4–15 February 1976. The Tyrolean city hosted the Games which were awarded to Innsbruck for the second time since Denver, the first host city, withdrew in 1972. The 1976 Winter Olympic season selection process consisted of four bids, with Denver, USA, being selected ahead of Sion, Switzerland; Tampere, Finland; and Vancouver, British Columbia. The selection was made on 12 May 1970, at the 70th IOC Session in Amsterdam. In a national referendum on November 7, 1972, Colorado voters rejected support for the games, and a area that won the Games first lost them. On November 15, Denver formally resigned and instead the IOC awarded the games to Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, but refused after the referendum due to a constitutional amendment. Whistler will continue to be a participant in the successful bid for the 2010 games by neighbouring Vancouver. Salt Lake City agreed to host the games but the IOC, already reeling from Denver's rejection, refused and picked Innsbruck on 5 February 1973 to host the 1976 Winter Olympics which had hosted twelve years earlier the 1964 Winter Olympics. Then, Salt Lake City will host the 2002 Winter Olympics. Denver, Colorado, USA; Sion, Switzerland; Tampere, Finland; and Sports bids were made by Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; the table below shows the number of votes cast for the 69th IOC Conference on 12 May 1970 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Schneemann a snowman, in a red Tyrolean hat, was the mascot of the 1976 Winter Olympics. Crafted by Walter Pötsch, Schneeman was said to reflect the "Games of Simplicity" of 1976. This was often considered a symbol of good luck to avert the snow dearth that had marred the Innsbruck Winter Olympics of 1964. First Games presided by Michael Morris, 3rd Austrian favourite Baron Killanin Franz Klammer won the men's downhill alpine skiing event at 1:45.73, gaining immense support from his country and reigning Swiss champion Bernhard Russi. The gold caught by US Dorothy Hamill in figure Skating and influenced the iconic "wedge" haircut. John Curry, an exquisite British figure skater has adapted his style to suit Olympic jurors, earning gold. U.S. skater Terry Kubicka attempted a risky spinning backflip, only stopped it. West Germany's Rosi Mittermaier almost swept away the alpine women's skiing competitions, winning two golds and one silver, missing the third gold by 0.13 seconds. The soviet speed skater Tatiana Averina won four prizes. The East German team won one of three consecutive titles in the 4-man bobsled. The USSR won its fourth straight gold medal in ice hockey; for the second consecutive Olympics, Canada refused to send a team, rejecting the laws that permitted the USSR to sell professional players while restricting Canada to amateurs. Sweden had joined the campaign, as well. Sport innovations have arisen in the form of innovative perforated skis in alpine skiing, speed skating and ski jumping, lightweight hooded garments and minimalist helmets, making headlines in Innsbruck. A second Cauldron was designed to represent the 1976 Olympic flame games. It was lit up like the cauldron from the 1964 match. For the very first time Bobsleigh and luge were running on the same course. Galina Kulakova of the Soviet Union finished 3rd at the 5 km women's ski event, but was disqualified as a result of a positive test for banned drug ephedrine. She said it was the result of using things from the nasal spray. The FIS and the IOC also qualified her to compete in the 10 km and 45 km relay. That was the first gold to be stripped off at the Winter Olympics. At the opening, at the closing ceremony, the victory ceremony, and the handover ceremony, the Austrian anthem was played three times to remember the song's three verses. 37 Athletic events took place in 6 different disciplines. In 1976 37 countries competed in the Olympic Winter Games.