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.

1 Medals awarded
2 Medal Count
3 The Olympics in Canada and Calgary
4 See also
5 External links

Contents

1 Highlights

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:

• Biathlon
• Bobsleigh
• Ice Hockey
• Luge
• Skating
• Skiing
• Curling (demonstration sport)

Medal Count

Top medal-collecting nations:
(for the full table, see 1988 Winter Olympics medal count)

1988 Winter Olympics medal count
Pos.	Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Soviet Union	11	9	9	29
2	East Germany	9	10	6	25
3	Switzerland	5	5	5	15
4	Finland	4	0	3	7
5	Sweden	4	0	2	6
6	Austria	3	5	2	10
7	Netherlands	3	2	2	7
8	West Germany	2	4	2	8
9	United States	2	1	3	6
10	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.

See also

• 1988 in Canada
• Winter Olympics
• Olympics
• 1988 Winter Paralympics
• 1976 Summer Paralympics

External links

• The Calgary Olympic Development Association
• The Calgary Canada Olympic Park

Olympic Games

Summer Olympic Games

1896 | 1900 | 1904 | 1906* | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016

Winter Olympic Games

1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1994 | 1998 | 2002 | 2006 | 2010 | 2014 | 2018

* The 1906 Olympic were organised by the IOC, but are currently not officially recognised by the IOC, although most Olympic historians disagree.