Alpine skiing at the 1948 Winter Olympics — 1948 edition of the alpine skiing competitions during the Olympic Winter Games
The 1948 Winter Olympics alpine skiing events marked the last Games to include the combined as an Olympic medal event for four decades, while excluding Germany and Japan post-WWII.
Key Facts
- Total events contested
- 6 alpine skiing events
- Venue
- Piz Nair
- Competition dates
- 2–5 February 1948
- Top male medalist
- Henri Oreiller (France): 2 gold, 1 bronze
- Top female medalists
- Trude Beiser (AUT) and Gretchen Fraser (USA): 1 gold, 1 silver each
- Nations excluded
- Germany and Japan not invited
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The 1948 Winter Olympics were the first Games held after World War II, resuming international competition after a twelve-year gap. Germany and Japan were excluded from participation as defeated wartime aggressors, reflecting the political climate of the post-war period.
Six alpine skiing events were held on Piz Nair in St. Moritz, Switzerland, from 2 to 5 February 1948. Henri Oreiller of France was the standout competitor, winning two gold medals and a bronze across three events, while Trude Beiser and Gretchen Fraser each took a gold and a silver.
Following these Games, the giant slalom was added to the Olympic alpine programme and the combined event was dropped as an Olympic medal event for four decades until 1988. From 1956 to 1980, the combined continued only as an FIS World Championship medal event, calculated as a paper race from existing results.
Result
at Piz Nair, St. Moritz, Switzerland