Winter Olympiad (1988)

The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, celebrated in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and opened by the 45th Governor General of Canada: Jeanne Sauvé. It was the last year that the Winter Paralympics and the Winter Olympics were held in separate cities. For the first time, the Winter Olympics were extended to 16 days, including three weekends. The Alpine events were expanded from three to five with the inclusion of the super giant slalom and the Alpine combined. Team events were added in Nordic combined and ski jumping. Jumper Matti Nykanen took advantage of this new programme to win three gold medals. The speed skating races were held indoors. Seven months later, Christa Rothenburger earned a silver medal in cycling to become the only athlete ever to win medals in the Winter and Summer Olympics in the same year. Charismatic skier Alberto Tomba made his first Olympic appearance, winning both the giant slalom and the slalom.

Opening date
13 February 1988

Closing date
28 February 1988

Ceremonies

Official opening of the Games by: Her Excellency, the Right Honorable Jeanne Sauvé, Governor General of Canada, declares the XV Olympic Winter Games open.

Lighting the Olympic Flame by: Robyn Perry, a schoolgirl

Olympic Oath by: Pierre Harvey (cross country skiing)

Official Oath by: Suzanna Morrow -Francis (figure skating)

Participation

57 NOCs (Nations)
1,423 athletes (301 women, 1,122 men)
46 events
9,498 volunteers
6,838 media (2,477 written press, 4,361 broadcasters)

Country of the host city: Canada (CAN)

Candidate cities: Falun (SWE) and Cortina d'Ampezzo (ITA)

Sports

• Biathlon                    
• Bobsleigh
• Ice Hockey                
• Luge
• Skating                       
• Skiing

Venues

• Olympic Oval - for speed skating, which was the first time in Olympic history where the event took place indoors under climate-controlled conditions. This, along with the high altitude of the city, resulted in a few world records in the sport being broken during the Games.
• Olympic Saddle dome - Indoor arena for figure skating and ice hockey competitions (construction had already begun prior to the Games being awarded to Calgary). The Calgary Flames moved into the Saddle dome for the 1983-84 NHL season.
• Canada Olympic Park - Bobsleigh, luge, ski jumping, Nordic combined, freestyle skiing (aerials and ballet), disabled alpine skiing
• Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park - Cross-country skiing, biathlon, Nordic combined, blind cross-country skiing
• Max Bell Centre - Curling and short track speed skating
• McMahon Stadium - opening and closing ceremonies
• Nakiska - Alpine skiing, freestyle moguls skiing
• Stampede Corral - Figure skating and ice hockey (secondary venue)
• Father David Bauer Olympic Arena - Ice hockey (secondary venue)

Highlights

• The Games were opened by The Right Honorable Jeanne Sauvé, 45th Governor General of Canada, on behalf of the Queen of Canada, Elizabeth II at McMahon Stadium. The opening ceremony took place outdoors in a Canadian football stadium.

• For the first time, the Closing Ceremony was held in the same main Olympic stadium as the Opening Ceremony at McMahon Stadium.

• Dutch speed skater Yvonne van Gennip won three gold medals, setting two world records.

Facts

• Canada hosts the Olympic Winter Games for the first time.

• The number of events increased from 39 to 46 - notably in Alpine skiing where the super giant slalom is on the programme for the first time and the Nordic combined returns to the programme (absent since 1948).

• Curling, freestyle skiing, short track speed skating and Paralympics skiing were demonstration events.

• The speed skating events were held on a covered rink for the first time.

• For the first time, the Smoke-Free Games were held.

• Canadian musician, David Foster, of Victoria, British Columbia composed and performed the instrumental theme song ("Winter Games") and its vocal counterpart ("Can't You Feel It?").

• The official mascots of the games were two western-attired polar bears named Hidy and Howdy. They were designed by Sheila Scott of Great Scott Productions, and produced by International Mascot Corporation of Edmonton, Alberta.