Lebanon at the 1956 Winter Olympics

The Lebanese Olympic Committee was founded in 1946 and officially recognised by the International Olympic Committee on 22 November 1947.{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.lebolymp.org/about-us/ |website=Lebanese Olympic Committee |access-date=19 February 2025}} A few months later, the nation made its debut in the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland. As such, their appearance in 1956 marked their third Winter Games appearance.{{cite web |title=Lebanon (LBN) |url=https://www.olympedia.org/countries/LBN |website=Olympedia |publisher=OlyMADMen |access-date=19 February 2025}} The 1956 Games were held in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, from 26 January to 5 February and hosted 821 athletes in 24 events from 32 different nations.{{cite web |title=Cortina d'Ampezzo 1956 |url=https://www.olympics.com/en/olympic-games/cortina-d-ampezzo-1956 |website=Olympics |publisher=International Olympic Committee |access-date=21 March 2025}}

Lebanon sent a total delegation of nine people: chef de mission Mansour Geagea, officials Louis Baz, Raoul Maghrabi, and Robert Nassif, and assistants Faas Chaleb and Michel Samen, along with the three skiiers: Ibrahim Geagea, Georges Gereidi, and Jean Keyrouz, who competed in four different skiing events in alpine skiing and cross-country skiing. They were lodged at the Albergo Cortina for the duration of the Games.{{Harvnb|VII Giochi Olimpici Invernali|1956|p=57-58}}

{{main|Alpine skiing at the 1956 Winter Olympics}}

Lebanon sent three alpine skiers and competed in three alpine skiing events. In the men's downhill event, the country was represented by Jean Keyrouz, a leading figure in the early history of skiing in Lebanon and a founder of the Lebanese Ski Federation,{{cite news |title=اتحاد التزلج نعى أحد مؤسسيه الراحل جان كيروز |lang=ar|url=https://addiyar.com/article/2216865-%D8%A7%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%B2%D9%84%D8%AC-%D9%86%D8%B9%D9%89-%D8%A3%D8%AD%D8%AF-%D9%85%D8%A4%D8%B3%D8%B3%D9%8A%D9%87%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AD%D9%84-%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%83%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B2 |access-date=21 March 2025 |work=Ad-Diyar |date=8 December 2024}} and Ibrahim Geagea, who had previously represented the nation in the 1948 and 1952 Games in various alpine skiing events.{{cite web |title=Ibrahim Geagea |url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/85990 |website=Olympedia |publisher=OlyMADMen |access-date=21 March 2025}} The competition took place on 3 February on Tofane. Geagea, skiing in sixty-ninth position, posted a time of 4 minutes, 33 seconds, in his run, finishing in forty-second place in the forty-seven person field. Keyrouz, in eighty-first position, skied the route in 4 minutes, 57 seconds, good for a placement of forty-third, just behind Geagea. Toni Sailer of Austria won the event with a time of 2 minutes, 52 seconds.{{Harvnb|VII Giochi Olimpici Invernali|1956|p=595-596}}{{cite web |title=Downhill, Men |url=https://www.olympedia.org/results/1204 |website=Olympedia |publisher=OlyMADMen |access-date=21 March 2025}}

Geagea, Keyrouz, and Georges Gereidi all competed in the men's giant slalom event, held on 29 January on Mount Faloria. Of the three, Gereidi went first, skiing in ninety-fifth position. He finished his run in 5 minutes, 34 seconds, finishing in eighty-sixth place out of eighty-seven, almost two minutes ahead of last-place finisher Christos Papageorgiou of Greece. Geagea skied in ninety-seventh position and finished with a time of 4 minutes, 10 seconds, good for a ranking of seventy-first. Last of the three to go was Keyrouz, who ran in 102nd position. He ran the course in 4 minutes, 40 seconds, which put him in eighty-first. Sailer of Austria also won this event, finishing with a time of 3 minutes.{{Harvnb|VII Giochi Olimpici Invernali|1956|p=587-588}}{{cite web |title=Giant Slalom, Men |url=https://www.olympedia.org/results/1205 |website=Olympedia |publisher=OlyMADMen |access-date=21 March 2025}}

Geagea also competed in the men's slalom event, held on 31 January on Tofane. He ran in 102nd position and finished his first run in 2 minutes, 49 seconds, and his second run in 3 minutes, 18 seconds, for a grand total of 6 minutes, 8 seconds. He finished in last place out of 57 competitors, about fifteen seconds behind next-placing finisher Luis Molné of Spain. Keyrouz, slated to run in the 98th position, was disqualified in the first run. Sailer once again won the event, completing his gold medal sweep of alpine skiing events.{{Harvnb|VII Giochi Olimpici Invernali|1956|p=591-592}}{{cite web |title=Slalom, Men |url=https://www.olympedia.org/results/1206 |website=Olympedia |publisher=OlyMADMen |access-date=21 March 2025}}

;Men

{{main|Cross-country skiing at the 1956 Winter Olympics}}

Although not listed in the official Olympic reports, Olympedia lists Gereidi as a competitor at the men's 15 kilometre race on 30 January at the Stadio della neve, although he was disqualified prior to the race and did not record a time. Hallgeir Brenden of Norway won the gold medal with a time of 49 minutes, 39 seconds.{{cite web |title=15 kilometres, Men |url=https://www.olympedia.org/results/1914 |website=Olympedia |publisher=OlyMADMen |access-date=21 March 2025}}

;Men

• Skiing in Lebanon

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book |title=VII Giochi Olimpici Invernali |date=1956 |publisher=Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano |location=Cortina D'Ampezzo |url=http://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll8/id/12644/rec/25|ref={{SfnRef|VII Giochi Olimpici Invernali|1956}}}}

• [https://www.olympedia.org/countries/LBN/editions/35 Results] at Olympedia

{{Nations at the 1956 Winter Olympics}}

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Category:Nations at the 1956 Winter Olympics

1956

Category:1956 in Lebanese sport