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Cities that have hosted the Winter Olympics
Mark Sandten / Bongarts / Getty Images

Cities that have hosted the Winter Olympics

The rich history of the Winter Olympic Games began in 1924 and is set for its 23rd meeting in PyeongChang, South Korea. Here's a look at every city that's hosted the games over that time.

 
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1924: Chamonix, France

1924: Chamonix, France
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The first Winter Olympics were held in Chamonix, expanding upon figure skating and ice hockey competitions that were held in previous Olympics. The first gold medal was awarded to American Charles Jewtraw in the 500 metre speed skate. In total, 16 events were held in five different sports, and 16 nations participated in the games.

 
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1928: St. Moritz, Switzerland

1928: St. Moritz, Switzerland
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The second Winter Olympics was held in St. Moritz. While Switzerland hosted the games, the country won just one bronze medal. The games had 14 events in four sports, and Norway came away with the most medals, followed by the United States. Participation increased to 25 nations in 1928.

 
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1932: Lake Placid, New York, United States

1932: Lake Placid, New York, United States
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Lake Placid hosted its first Winter Olympics in 1932. The host country finished atop the medal tally with 12 medals. Fourteen events were held in four sports, and 17 countries participated.

 
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1936: Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany

1936: Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
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Germany hosted both the Winter and Summer Olympics in 1936, with the Summer Games held in Berlin. Alpine skiing was added to the games, and Norway returned atop the Winter Olympics medal standings with 15. Twenty-eight nations appeared in the games, with 17 events in four sports.

 
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1948: St. Moritz, Switzerland

1948: St. Moritz, Switzerland
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Twenty years after first hosting the Winter Olympics, St. Moritz hosted the fifth Winter Games. The St. Moritz Games were the first in 12 years, following World War II. The 1948 Games featured 28 countries and 22 events in four sports. All events were held outdoors.

 
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1952: Oslo, Norway

1952: Oslo, Norway
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The growth of the Winter Olympics continued in 1952, as a record 30 countries participated in 22 events over four sports. The host country finished with the most medals (16), while the United States came in second place (11) and Finland came in third (nine).

 
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1956: Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy

1956: Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy
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The Cortina Winter Olympics grew to 32 countries with 24 events in four sports. The most impressive feat of the games was Austrian Toni Sailer becoming the first person to win all three alpine skiing events, helping Austria finish second in medals. The Soviet Union finished with the most medals (16).

 
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1960: Squaw Valley, California, United States

1960: Squaw Valley, California, United States
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Squaw Valley was the second U.S. location to host the Winter Olympics, 28 years following Lake Placid. The location barely beat out Innsbruck, Austria, to host the games and featured 30 countries and 27 events in four sports. The Soviet Union dominated with 21 medals, while the United States finished second with 10 medals.

 
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1964: Innsbruck, Austria

1964: Innsbruck, Austria
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After failing in its bid for the Winter Olympics in 1960, Innsbruck was awarded the games four years later. The Olympics were headlined by the success of Soviet speed skater Lidiya Skoblikova, who won all of the women's speed skating events. Innsbruck featured a record 36 countries over 34 events in six sports. The Soviet Union dominated again with 25 medals, including 11 gold, while Norway finished in second place with 15 medals.

 
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1968: Grenoble, France

1968: Grenoble, France
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The Grenoble Games continued to grow the Winter Olympics, with 37 countries participating in 35 events over six sports. Jean-Claude Killy won three alpine skiing gold medals, while figure skating sensation Peggy Fleming won a gold for the United States. After recent dominance, the Soviet Union finished second place to Norway in the medal count.

 
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1972: Sapporo, Japan

1972: Sapporo, Japan
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The Winter Olympics arrived to Asia for the first time in 1972, with 35 countries partaking in 35 events in six sports. Netherlands speed skater Ard Schenk headlined the games with three gold medals. The Soviet Union led the 1972 Games with 16 medals, including eight gold, while East Germany finished second with 14 medals.

 
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1976: Innsbruck, Austria

1976: Innsbruck, Austria
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The Winter Olympics returned to Innsbruck, Austria, for the second time in 12 years. The games were initially awarded to Denver, but voters rejected funding. The Innsbruck Games featured 37 countries, and once again, the Soviet Union finished on top of the medal standings with 27 medals. East Germany came in second place for the second straight Olympics.

 
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1980: Lake Placid, New York, United States

1980: Lake Placid, New York, United States
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The Winter Olympics came to Lake Placid for the second time, 48 years after the first time it was held. United States fans remember the 1980 Games fondly for the "Miracle on Ice," when the U.S. ice hockey team defeated the heavily favored Soviet Union and went on to claim gold. The Soviets still led the games with 10 gold medals, but East Germany finished ahead by one in the total medal count. The United States came in third with 12 medals.

 
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1984: Sarajevo, Yugoslavia

1984: Sarajevo, Yugoslavia
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The Sarajevo Games featured a record 49 countries in 39 events. The events are remembered for East Germany's dominance in speed skating, as well as Katarina Witt's first figuring skating gold medal. The Soviet Union returned to lead all nations in medals, but East Germany won the most gold medals.

 
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1988: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

1988: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Canada hosted the Winter Olympics for the first time in 1988, with 57 countries participating. The Olympics were finally awarded to Calgary in the city's fourth bid for the games. The events were headlined by Katarina Witt's second figure skating gold and the Jamaican bobsleigh team. The Soviet Union led the Calgary Olympics in gold and total medals.

 
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1992: Albertville, France

1992: Albertville, France
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The Winter Olympics returned to France for the first time since 1968 with a record 64 countries. Norway dominated cross country skiing, while U.S. speed skater Bonnie Blair won the 500 metres and 1,000 metres. Competing as a unified country, Germany led all nations with 26 medals, while the six states after the collapse of the Soviet Union participated as the Unified Team and won 23 medals.

 
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1994: Lillehammer, Norway

1994: Lillehammer, Norway
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The Winter Olympics returned to Norway for the first time since Oslo hosted in 1952, and it was the first Olympics to be held only two years after the preceding games. The games were overshadowed by the controversy between figure skaters Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding after Kerrigan was attacked by a hitman who conspired with Harding's husband. Sixty-seven countries participated in the Winter Games. The host country led with 26 total medals, though Russia won the most gold medals.

 
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1998: Nagano, Japan

1998: Nagano, Japan
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The Winter Olympics were in Japan for the second time in 1998, with 72 countries participating in 68 events. The 1998 Games featured women's ice hockey for the first time. Other highlights included Bjørn Dæhlie's continued dominance in cross country skiing and Tara Lipinski becoming the youngest women's figure skating gold medalist at age 15. Germany led all countries with 29 medals.

 
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2002: Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

2002: Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
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Salt Lake City won the 2002 Olympic bid despite a bribery scandal, returning the games to the United States for the first time since 1980. Norwegian Ole Einar Bjørndalen starred with four gold medals in the biathlon, helping Norway finish third in total medals. Germany finished first, while the United States trailed by only two medals.

 
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2006: Turin, Italy

2006: Turin, Italy
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The Winter Olympics were hosted in Italy for only the second time, with Turin winning the bid. Eighty countries participated, and Germany led the games with 29 medals while the United States came in second place with 25 medals.

 
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2010: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

2010: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Canada hosted the Winter Olympics for the second time in 2010, with Vancouver following Calgary's 1988 bid. The host nation had great success, leading all countries with 14 gold medals, while the United States led in total medal wins.

 
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2014: Sochi, Russia

2014: Sochi, Russia
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Russia hosted the Winter Olympics for the first time in 2014 and spent a record $51 billion on the games. The Sochi Games featured 88 countries and 98 events. The host country led all nations with 29 medals, while the United States came in second place with 28 medals.

 
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2018: PyeongChang, South Korea

2018: PyeongChang, South Korea
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The 2018 Winter Olympics are set to take place in PyeongChang, with the opening ceremony on Feb. 9. It's South Korea's first shot at hosting the Winter Games. The competition has already had a major controversy, with the International Olympic Committee suspending the Russian Olympic Committee for doping. Some Russian athletes are participating under a neutral flag.

Seth Trachtman is a fantasy sports expert and diehard Kansas City Chiefs fan. He doesn't often Tweet, but when he does, you can find him on Twitter @sethroto.

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