1956 Winter Olympics — 7th edition of Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy
The 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics introduced multi-national television broadcasting and set a record for participating nations at a Winter Games.
Key Facts
- Dates
- 26 January – 5 February 1956
- Participating nations
- 32 countries
- Events contested
- 24 events in 4 sports
- Toni Sailer achievement
- First to sweep all 3 alpine skiing events in one Olympics
- First Winter Olympics televised
- Multi-national broadcast audience
- Snow shortage remedy
- Italian army transported snow to alpine venues
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Cortina d'Ampezzo had originally been awarded the cancelled 1944 Winter Olympics and subsequently won the bid for 1956, defeating Montreal, Colorado Springs, and Lake Placid. The Italian government provided infrastructure funding, but remaining costs required private financing, pushing the organising committee toward heavy corporate sponsorship.
The VII Olympic Winter Games were held in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, from 26 January to 5 February 1956, bringing together 32 nations across 24 events in four sports. Austrian skier Toni Sailer swept all three alpine skiing disciplines, and the Games were broadcast to a multi-national television audience for the first time in Winter Olympic history.
The Games established corporate sponsorship as a viable funding model for future Olympic organising committees and demonstrated the reach of televised sports across multiple nations. Figure skating was held outdoors for the last time at an Olympics, and the record participation of 32 nations reflected the growing global scope of the Winter Games.
Result
at Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy