1940 Winter Olympics — edition of the Winter Olympics, scheduled in Sapporo, Japan, canceled due to World War II
The 1940 Winter Olympics were cancelled due to World War II, marking only the second time in history that the Olympic Games were abandoned because of war.
Key Facts
- Official designation
- V Olympic Winter Games
- Scheduled dates
- 3–12 February 1940
- Reason for cancellation
- World War II
- Cancellation order
- Second Olympics cancelled due to war
- Later Sapporo hosting
- City hosted 1972 Winter Olympics instead
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The outbreak and escalation of World War II disrupted international sporting events on a global scale. Japan was already engaged in military conflict in Asia, and the broader war in Europe made organizing and attending an international Olympic event logistically and politically impossible for participating nations.
The V Olympic Winter Games, planned to be held in Sapporo, Japan from 3 to 12 February 1940, were formally cancelled alongside the 1940 Summer Olympics. This made them the second Olympic Games in history to be called off due to wartime conditions, following the cancellations during World War I.
Sapporo did not host the Winter Olympics until 1972, when it became the first Asian city to do so. The cancellations of both the 1940 Winter and Summer Games underscored how global conflict could suspend even long-standing international institutions such as the modern Olympic movement.