1924 Winter Olympics

The first gold medal to be awarded at the Olympic Winter Games was won by Charles Jewtraw of the United States in the 500-meter speed skate,{{cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/news/26-january-1924-charles-jewtraw-was-the-inaugural-winner-at-the-olympic-winter-games-in-chamonix |title=26 January 1924: Charles Jewtraw was the inaugural winner at the Olympic Winter Games in Chamonix |date=26 January 2020 |website=olympic.org |access-date=16 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810062540/https://www.olympic.org/news/26-january-1924-charles-jewtraw-was-the-inaugural-winner-at-the-olympic-winter-games-in-chamonix |archive-date=10 August 2020 |url-status=live}} making him the first Winter Olympic champion.{{cite web|url=https://stillmed.olympic.org/Documents/Reference_documents_Factsheets/The_Olympic_Winter_Games.pdf |title=IOC Factsheet, Olympic Winter Games |date=September 2014 |website=olympic.org |page=1 |access-date=17 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180323221203/https://stillmed.olympic.org/Documents/Reference_documents_Factsheets/The_Olympic_Winter_Games.pdf |archive-date=23 March 2018 |url-status=dead }}

Sonja Henie of Norway, at just eleven years old, took part in the ladies' figure skating competition. Although she finished last, she became popular with fans and went on to take gold at the following three Winter Olympics.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2018/02/21/the-worlds-first-olympic-ice-queen-became-a-hollywood-star-and-a-hitler-admirer/ |title=The world's first Olympic ice queen became a Hollywood star – and a Hitler admirer |last=Bogage |first=Jacob |date=21 February 2018 |newspaper=The Washington Post |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200324191654/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2018/02/21/the-worlds-first-olympic-ice-queen-became-a-hollywood-star-and-a-hitler-admirer/ |archive-date=24 March 2020 |url-status=dead |access-date=16 March 2021 }}

Figure skater Gillis Grafström of Sweden became the first athlete to successfully defend his Summer Olympic title at the Winter Olympics (having won a gold medal in 1920).

The Canadian ice hockey team (Toronto Granites) finished their qualifying round with three wins against Czechoslovakia (30–0), Sweden (22–0), and Switzerland (33–0), scoring a total of 85 goals and conceding none.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/news/harry-watson-and-the-canadian-ice-hockey-goal-glut |title=Harry Watson and the Canadian ice hockey goal glut |website=olympic.org |access-date=17 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161225080010/https://www.olympic.org/news/harry-watson-and-the-canadian-ice-hockey-goal-glut |archive-date=25 December 2016 |url-status=live}}

Finding themselves in the same situation as Gillis Grafström, the Canadian ice hockey team is the last to defend its Summer Olympics title at the Winter Olympics successfully. Canada would dominate ice hockey in early Olympic competitions, winning six of the first seven gold medals awarded.

Taffy Abel (1900–1964) was an Indigenous Ojibwe ice hockey player. He was the first Native American in the Winter Olympic Games (1924 Hockey Silver Medal), 1924 Flag Bearer for the United States at the 1924 Winter Olympics, first Native American in the National Hockey League (1926), Stanley Cup champion (1929) and (1934).

At the closing ceremony, a prize for a sport not part of the Olympic Winter Games was awarded for alpinism by Pierre de Coubertin to Lt Col Edward Strutt, the deputy leader of and on behalf of the British expedition which had attempted to climb Mount Everest in 1922.{{cite news |last=Online |first=Wales |date=8 February 2014 |title=Remembering Wales' winter Olympic heroes of 90 years ago |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/remembering-wales-winter-olympic-heroes-6685583 |url-status=live |work=WalesOnline |publisher=Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales |location=UK |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316235311/https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/remembering-wales-winter-olympic-heroes-6685583 |archive-date=16 March 2022 |access-date=24 November 2022}}

For the first time in the history of the modern Olympics, the host country (in this case, France) failed to win any gold medals, finishing with three bronze medals. The same outcome occurred at the next Winter Olympics in St. Moritz where Switzerland won only a single bronze medal, the lowest ever output by a host nation at an Olympics. Later host nations to finish without gold medals included Canada at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Yugoslavia at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, and Canada for a second time at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.

In 1925, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to organize the Olympic Winter Games every four years, independent of the Olympic Games proper, and recognized the International Winter Sports Week as the first Olympic Winter Games in retrospect.

The final individual medal of Chamonix 1924 was presented in 1974. The ski jumping event was unusual because the bronze medalist was not determined for fifty years. Norway's Thorleif Haug was awarded third place at the event's conclusion, but a clerical error in calculating Haug's score was discovered in 1974 by skiing historian Jakob Vaage, who further determined that Anders Haugen of the United States, who had finished fourth, had actually scored 0.095 points more than Haug. This was verified by the IOC, and in Oslo in September 1974, Haug's daughter presented the medal to the 86-year-old Haugen.{{cite web|url=http://archivepyc.nbcolympics.com/news/86-year-old-bricklayer-anders-haugenwon-us-only-ski-jumping-medal |title=How an 86-year-old bricklayer won the U.S.'s only ski jumping medal |date=7 February 2018 |last=Bowker |first=Matt |website=NBC Olympic broadcasts |access-date=17 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210317231112/http://archivepyc.nbcolympics.com/news/86-year-old-bricklayer-anders-haugenwon-us-only-ski-jumping-medal |archive-date=17 March 2021 |url-status=live}}

In 2006, the IOC confirmed that the medals awarded to the 1924 curling and military patrol teams were official.{{cite web |url=http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/sports/curling/stories/index.shtml?/story/olympics/national/2006/02/08/Sports/curling_1924medals060208.html |title=1924 curling medals count: IOC |date=8 February 2006 |work=CBC Sports |access-date=16 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060215152237/http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/sports/curling/stories/index.shtml?%2Fstory%2Folympics%2Fnational%2F2006%2F02%2F08%2FSports%2Fcurling_1924medals060208.html |archive-date=15 February 2006 |url-status=dead }} The IOC verified that curling was officially part of the program, after the Glasgow Herald newspaper filed a claim on behalf of the families of the team.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/winter_sports/4699008.stm |title=GB curlers awarded belated gold |last=Thompson |first=Anna |date=9 February 2006|work=BBC Sport |access-date=23 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060315071439/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/winter_sports/4699008.stm |archive-date=15 March 2006 |url-status=live}}

Medals were awarded in 16 events contested in 5 sports (9 disciplines). Many sources do not list curling and the military patrol, or list them as demonstration events. However, no such designation was made in 1924. In February 2006, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ruled that curling and military patrol were full part of the Olympic program, and have included the medals awarded in the official count.

• {{GamesSport|Bobsleigh|Events=1}}
• {{GamesSport|Curling|Events=1}}
• {{GamesSport|Ice hockey|Events=1}}
• Skating
• {{GamesSport|Figure skating|Events=3}}
• {{GamesSport|Speed skating|Events=5}}
• {{GamesSport|Nordic skiing}}
• {{GamesSport|Military patrol|Events=1}}{{efn |name=IOCMilitaryPatrol|The official website of the Olympic Movement now treats Men's Military Patrol at the 1924 Games as an event within the sport of Biathlon.{{cite web|url=http://www.olympic.org/content/results-and-medalists/gamesandsportsummary/?sport=31666&games=1924%2F2&event= |title=Biathlon Results – Chamonix 1924 |website=olympic.org |publisher=International Olympic Committee |access-date=17 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140121014142/http://www.olympic.org/content/results-and-medalists/gamesandsportsummary/?sport=31666&games=1924%2F2&event= |archive-date=21 January 2014 |url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.olympic.org/content/results-and-medalists/eventresultpagegeneral/?athletename=&country=&sport2=&games2=1924%2f2 |title=Olympic Games Medals, Results, Chamonix 1924 |website=olympic.org |publisher=International Olympic Committee |access-date=17 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227180720/http://www.olympic.org/content/results-and-medalists/eventresultpagegeneral/?athletename=&country=&sport2=&games2=1924%2f2 |archive-date=27 February 2014 |url-status=dead}} However, the 1924 Official Report treats it as an event and discipline within what was then called Skiing and is now called Nordic Skiing.Official Report (1924), p 646: Le Programme ... II. — Epreuves par équipes - 12. Ski : Course militaire (20 à 30 kilomètres, avec tir). (The Programme ... II. — Team events - 12. Skiing : Military Race (20 to 30 kilometres, with shooting)).Official Report (1924), p 664: CONCOURS DE SKI - Jurys - COURSE MILITAIRE. (Skiing Competitions - Juries - Military Race)}}
• {{GamesSport|Cross-country skiing|Events=2}}
• {{GamesSport|Nordic combined|Events=1}}
• {{GamesSport|Ski jumping|Events=1}}

{{Main|Venues of the 1924 Winter Olympics}}

• La Piste de Bobsleigh des Pellerins – Bobsleigh
• Le Tremplin Olympique du Mont – Ski jumping, Nordic combined (ski jumping)
• Stade Olympique de Chamonix – Cross-country skiing, Curling, Figure skating, Ice hockey, Military patrol, Nordic combined (cross-country skiing), and Speed skating

Athletes from 16 nations competed in the first Winter Olympic Games. Germany was banned from competing in the games, and instead hosted a series of games called Deutsche Kampfspiele.

• {{flagIOC|EST|}} speed skater Christfried Burmeister was also in the list of participants but the message about his withdrawal was not sent to the organizers.{{cite web|title=I taliolümpiamängud Chamonix 1924 (25. jaanuar – 5. veebruar) |url=http://www.postimees.ee/150206/esileht/sport/189123.php |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120912032356/http://www.postimees.ee/150206/esileht/sport/189123.php |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 September 2012 |publisher=Postimees |language=et |date=18 January 2006 }}

{{Main|1924 Winter Olympics medal table}}

{{Medals table

| caption =

| host = FRA

| show_limit =

| remaining_text =

| flag_template = flagIOC

| event = 1924 Winter

| team =

| gold_NOR = 4 | silver_NOR = 7 | bronze_NOR = 6

| gold_FIN = 4 | silver_FIN = 4 | bronze_FIN = 3

| gold_AUT = 2 | silver_AUT = 1 | bronze_AUT = 0

| gold_SUI = 2 | silver_SUI = 0 | bronze_SUI = 1

| gold_USA = 1 | silver_USA = 2 | bronze_USA = 1

| gold_GBR = 1 | silver_GBR = 1 | bronze_GBR = 2

| gold_SWE = 1 | silver_SWE = 1 | bronze_SWE = 0

| gold_CAN = 1 | silver_CAN = 0 | bronze_CAN = 0

| gold_FRA = 0 | silver_FRA = 0 | bronze_FRA = 3 | host_FRA = yes

| gold_BEL = 0 | silver_BEL = 0 | bronze_BEL = 1

}}

• List of 1924 Winter Olympics medal winners

{{IOC seealso|games=1924 Winter Olympics }}

{{notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

{{commons category}}

• {{IOC games|games=1924 Winter Olympics }}
• Official Report (1924) of both Summer and Winter games: {{cite book|title=Les Jeux de la VIII^e Olympiade Paris 1924 – Rapport Officiel |editor=M. A. Avé, Comité Olympique Français |publisher=Librairie de France |location=Paris |language=fr |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1924/1924.pdf |access-date=7 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110505162957/http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1924/1924.pdf |archive-date=5 May 2011 |url-status=dead }}

{{s-start}}

{{s-sports|woly}}

{{s-new|sports}}

{{s-ttl|title=I Olympic Winter Games
Chamonix|years=1924}}

{{s-aft|after=St. Moritz}}

{{s-end}}

{{Olympic Games}}

{{Events at the 1924 Winter Olympics}}

{{Nations at the 1924 Winter Olympics}}

{{1924 Winter Olympic venues}}

{{Portal bar|Olympics|France|Sports|1920s}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Winter Olympics 1924}}

1924

1924

Category:1924 in multi-sport events

Category:1924 in French sport

Category:January 1924 sports events in Europe

Category:February 1924 sports events in Europe

Olympics 1924

Category:Sport in Chamonix