HistoryData
sports1964

Alpine skiing at the 1964 Winter Olympics — 1964 edition of the alpine skiing competitions during the Olympic Winter Games

January 1, 1964

The 1964 Innsbruck alpine skiing program introduced hundredths-of-a-second timing and was the final Olympics for the United Team of Germany.

Quick Facts

Year
1964
Category
sports

Key Facts

Number of events
6
Dates held
January 30 – February 8, 1964
Timing precision (first time)
Hundredths of a second
Last Olympics for United Team of Germany
Third and final appearance
Men's downhill venue
Patscherkofel, above Igls
Fatality during training
Ross Milne (Australia), died Jan 25

By the Numbers

6
Number of events
30
Dates held
25
Fatality during training

Location

Map of Innsbruck, AustriaMap of Innsbruck, AustriaInnsbruck, Austria

Cause → Event → Consequence

Cause

Innsbruck was selected to host the 1964 Winter Olympics, providing a venue in the Austrian Alps. Mild pre-Games weather caused a serious lack of natural snow, requiring the Austrian army to truck in and pack down snow to make the courses usable.

Event

Six alpine skiing events were contested near Innsbruck between January 30 and February 8, 1964, at Patscherkofel and Axamer Lizum. It was the first Olympics to record finishing times in hundredths of a second and the third consecutive Winter Games to feature the combined East–West German team.

Consequence

Australian skier Ross Milne died from injuries sustained during a training run on January 25, highlighting course safety concerns. Innsbruck later hosted the Winter Olympics again in 1976 after Denver relinquished its winning bid, making the city a two-time Winter Olympic host.

Result

Multiple nations

at Patscherkofel (Igls) and Axamer Lizum, Innsbruck, Austria

First Olympic alpine skiing competition to record times in hundredths of a second

Timeline Context

Timeline around 196419641961196219631965196619671964 World Men's Handball Championship — 1964 edition of the World Men's Handball ChampionshipFootball at the 1964 Summer Olympics — association football played at the 1964 Summer Olympics1964 Winter Olympics — 9th edition of Winter Olympics, Innsbruck, AustriaVolleyball at the 1964 Summer Olympics — volleyball at Summer Olympics1964 Formula One season — sports seasonAthletics at the 1964 Summer Olympics1964 AFC Asian Cup — football tournament1964 Summer Olympics medal tablealpine-skiing-at-the-1964-winter-olympics-1964-edition-of-1964