1928 Winter Olympics — 2nd edition of Winter Olympics, in Sankt Moritz, Switzerland
The 1928 Winter Olympics were the first Winter Games held independently of a Summer Olympics, establishing the Winter Games as a distinct quadrennial event.
Key Facts
- Official edition
- II Olympic Winter Games
- Dates
- 11–19 February 1928
- First stand-alone Winter Games
- Not held alongside a Summer Olympics
- Cancelled event
- 10,000 metre speed-skating (warm weather)
- Documentary filmed
- The White Stadium (silent feature-length)
- Replaced event series
- The Nordic Games
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following the 1924 Winter Games — retroactively recognized as the first Winter Olympics but organised alongside the Summer Games in France — the International Olympic Committee moved to establish a fully independent Winter Games. The redundant Nordic Games, held sporadically since the early 20th century, also needed a successor, prompting St. Moritz to host a self-standing winter edition.
From 11 to 19 February 1928, St. Moritz, Switzerland hosted the II Olympic Winter Games. The event was marked by severe weather instability: the opening ceremony took place during a blizzard, while subsequent warm spells disrupted competitions. The 10,000 metre speed-skating event was abandoned and officially cancelled mid-Games.
The 1928 Games confirmed the Winter Olympics as an independent institution separate from the Summer Games and rendered the Nordic Games obsolete. A silent feature-length documentary, The White Stadium, preserved filmed footage of the event, providing a lasting historical record of early Winter Olympic competition.
Result
at St. Moritz, Switzerland