The 1960 Winter Olympics, officially known by the International Olympic Committee as the VIII Olympic Winter Games, were a multi-sport event held in Squaw Valley, California, United States from February 18 through February 28, 1960. A total of 665 athletes representing 30 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated in 27 events across 8 disciplines during the Games.[1]
The Olympic program was adjusted from that of the 1956 Winter Olympics omitting bobsleigh and adding a sport new to Olympic competition, biathlon. Additionally, women's speed skating events were held for the first time in history.[1][2][3] The sport of military patrol, similar to biathlon, had previously been a medal sport in 1924 and a demonstration sport in 1928, 1936 and 1948.[4] The removal of bobsleigh was by necessity; organizers felt the lack of possible entrants (a pre-Olympic poll indicated that only nine countries were planning to participate) and the high cost of building the run were sufficient deterrents to leave the bobsled events off the 1960 Olympic program.[5] Both men and women competed at the 1960 Games, with women taking part in alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, figure skating, and speed skating.
A total of 131 athletes won medals at the 1960 Games.[6] The Soviet Union was awarded the most medals, with its athletes winning seven gold medals, five silver, and nine bronze, for a total of 21 medals overall. The United States placed second in the overall medal count, with a total of 10 medals, and third in the gold medal count (3), while Germany placed third in the overall medal count, with eight medals in total, and second by golds, with four. Of the 30 NOCs competing in the 1960 Games, 14 won at least one medal, with 10 of these winning at least one gold medal.[6] There was an unofficial bronze medal awarded to Theron Bailie, USA, for the development of the digital clock used for the first time in downhill skiing.
The Scandinavian countries attained considerable success in cross-country skiing, with the Swedish, Norwegian and Finnish teams winning 12 of the available 18 medals and the remaining six medals being won by the Soviet Union.[7] Finnish cross-country skier Veikko Hakulinen won the most medals, with three – bronze from the men's 15 kilometres event, silver from the men's 50 kilometres event, and gold from the men's 4 × 10 kilometres relay.[6][8]
- ^ a b "Squaw Valley 1960 Winter Olympics". International Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on May 24, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
- ^ "Cortina d'Ampezzo 1956". International Olympic Committee. 2009. Archived from the original on February 9, 2011. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
- ^ Clarey, Christopher (February 19, 1994). "Winter Games: A biathlon first for a Canadian who wouldn't quit". The New York Times. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
- ^ Frank, W.D. (June 2009). "Cold Bullets, Hot Borders: The Shooting War That Russia Won". Skiing Heritage. 29 (2). Denver, Colorado: International Skiing History Association: 39. Retrieved September 8, 2011.
- ^ "1960 Squaw Valley, U.S.A." Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. February 1, 2010. Archived from the original on November 23, 2010. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
- ^ a b c Kubatko, Justin. "1960 Squaw Valley Winter Games". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on March 14, 2011. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
- ^ Kubatko, Justin. "Cross country skiing at the 1960 Squaw Valley Winter Games". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
- ^ Kubatko, Justin. "Veikko Hakulinen". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved February 10, 2011.