List of participating nations at the Winter Olympic Games

This is a list of nations, as represented by National Olympic Committees (NOCs), that have participated in the Winter Olympic Games between 1924 and 2006. The Winter Olympic Games have been held every four years (once during each Olympiad) since 1924, except for the cancelled Games of 1940 and 1944, and in 1994 when the Winter Games were moved to the middle of the Olympiad, two years after the previous Games. Ninety-six of the current 205 NOCs have participated in at least one Winter Games, and twelve nations (Austria, Canada, Finland, France, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States) have participated in all twenty Winter Games to date. Including continuity from Czechoslovakia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia have also been represented in every edition.

History

Origin and early Games

The first winter sport to be contested at the modern Olympic Games was figure skating at the 1908 Games in London. A total of 21 skaters from six countries (Argentina, Germany, Great Britain, Sweden, Russia, and the United States) competed in four events on October 28–29. [cite book |author=Cook, Theodore Andrea |title=The Fourth Olympiad London 1908 Official Report |publisher=British Olympic Association |location=London |month=May |year=1909 |pages=pp. 284–295 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1908/1908.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-03-24] Skating was not in the program of the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, but returned for the 1920 Games in Antwerp. Ice hockey was also part of the 1920 program of events, with seven teams competing. [cite book |title=Olympic Games Antwerp 1920 — Official Report |publisher=Belgian Olympic Committee |year=1957 |language=French |pages=pp. 144, 168–170 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1920/1920.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-03-24]

The first Winter Games were held in 1924, in Chamonix, France. They were originally called "International Winter Sports Week" and held in association with the 1924 Summer Olympics, but were in retrospect designated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the "I Olympic Winter Games". [cite journal |journal=Official Bulletin of the International Olympic Committee |issue=1 |year=1926 |month=January |title=Decisions taken by the Technical Congress at Prague |pages=p. 17 |publisher=International Olympic Committee |location=Lausanne |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/OlympicInformationCenter/OlympicReview/1926/BODE1/BODE1c.pdf |type=PDF |accessdate=2008-03-24] Sixteen nations participated in these Games: fourteen from Europe and two from North America.cite book |title=Les Jeux de la VIII^e Olympiade Paris 1924 - Rapport Officiel |author=(ed.) M. Avé, Comité Olympique Français |publisher=Librairie de France |location=Paris |language=French |pages=p. 669 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1924/1924.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-01-31] Four years later, 25 nations were represented at the 1928 Winter Olympics, in St. Moritz, Switzerland, including Argentina (the first nation from the Southern Hemisphere), Japan (the first Asian nation), and Mexico.cite book |title=Rapport Général du Comité Exécutif des II^mes Jeux Olympiques d'hiver |author=Comité Olympique Suisse |publisher=Imprimerie du Léman |location=Lausanne |year=1928 |language=French |pages=p. 7 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1928/1928w1.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-01-31] Participation in the 1932 Games, held in Lake Placid, United States, during the Great Depression, was reduced to 17 nations.cite book |title=Official Report III Olympic Winter Games Lake Placid 1932 |author=(ed.) George Lattimer |publisher= |location= |year=1932 |pages=pp. 70–72, 270 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1932/1932w.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-01-31] The 1936 Winter Games, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, had 28 participating nations, the largest number to that date.cite book |title=IV. Olympische Winterspiele 1936 Amtlicher Bericht |author=(ed.) Peter von le Fort |publisher=Reichssportverlag |location=Berlin |year=1936 |language=German |pages=p. 272 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1936/1936win.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-01-31] These would be the last Winter Games for twelve years, as the planned 1940 Games and 1944 Games were cancelled due to World War II. [cite journal |journal=Olympic Review |issue=8 |year=1940 |month=January |title=The Fifth Olympic Winter Games Will Not Be Held |pages=pp. 8–10 |author=(ed.) Carl Diem |publisher=International Olympic Institute |location=Berlin |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/OlympicInformationCenter/OlympicReview/1940/ORUE8/ORUE8c.pdf |type=PDF |accessdate=2008-03-24]

Post-war years and Cold War era

After the war, 28 nations would return to St. Moritz for the 1948 Winter Olympics, but not Germany or Japan, who were not invited because of their roles in the war.cite book |title=Rapport Général sur les V^es Jeux Olympiques d'hiver St-Moritz 1948 |author=Comité Olympique Suisse |pages=p. 11 |publisher=H. Jaunin |location=Lausanne |year=1951 |month=January |language=French |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1948/ORW1948.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-01-31] The 1952 Winter Games in Oslo, Norway, featured 30 participating nations.cite book |title=The Official Report of the Organising Committee of the VIth Winter Olympic Games 1952 at Oslo |author=(ed.) Rolf Petersen |location=Oslo |year=1952 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1952/or1952w.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-01-31] The 1956 Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, marked the Winter Games debut of the Soviet Union, along with 31 other nations.cite book |title=VII Olympic Winter Games Cortina d'Ampezzo 1956 Official Report |pages=p. 70 |publisher=Società Grafica Romana |location=Rome |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1956/orw1956.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-01-31] The NOCs of East Germany and West Germany would be represented by a single German team, an arrangement that would continue until 1964.cite journal |author=(ed.) Berlioux, Monique |title=The Federal Republic of Germany and Olympism |journal=Olympic Review |issue=93–94 |year=1975 |month=July–August |pages=pp. 290–306 |publisher=International Olympic Committee |location=Lausanne |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/OlympicInformationCenter/OlympicReview/1975/ore93/ore93zb.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-02-08] Thirty nations would participate at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, United States,cite book |title=VIII Olympic Winter Games Squaw Valley California 1960 Final Report |author=(ed.) Robert Rubin |publisher=California Olympic Commission |pages=p. 92 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1960/1960w.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-01-31] including South Africa, the first African nation to participate in the Winter Games.Thirty-six nations were represented in Innsbruck, Austria, in 1964.cite book |title=Offizieller Bericht der IX. Olympischen Winterspiele Innsbruck 1964 |author=(ed.) Friedl Wolfgang and Bertl Neumann |publisher=Österreichischer Bundesverlag für Unterricht, Wissenschaft und Kunst |location=Vienna, Munich |year=1967 |pages=p. 51 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1964/orw1964.pdf |language=German |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-01-31]

The 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France, marked the first time that East Germany and West Germany competed as independent teams, two of the 37 nations that took part.cite book |title=X^th Winter Olympic Games Official Report |publisher=Comité d'Organisation des xèmes Jeux Olympiques d'Hiver de Grenoble |year=1969 |pages=p. 399 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1968/or1968.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-01-31] The Games of 1972 were held in Sapporo, Japan, the first time the Winter Games were held outside of Europe or the United States. A total of 35 nations were represented, including the Philippines, the first appearance by a southeast Asian nation.cite book |title=The Official Report of XIth Winter Olympic Games, Sapporo 1972 |publisher=The Organizing Committee for the Sapporo Olympic Winter Games |year=1973 |pages=pp. 228–229 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1972/orw1972.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-01-31] The Winter Games returned to Innsbruck, in 1976, with 37 participating nations.cite book |title=XII.Olympische Winterspiele Innsbruck 1976 Final Report |author=(ed.) Bertl Neumann |publisher=Organizing Committee for the XIIth Winter Olympic Games 1976 at Innsbruck |pages=p. 163 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1976/orw1976.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-01-31]

Lake Placid was once again the site of the Winter Games, in 1980, with 37 competing nations.cite book |title=Final Report XIII Olympic Winter Games |publisher=Ed Lewi Associates |year=1980 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1980/orw1980v2.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-01-31] The People's Republic of China made their Olympic debut but, in response, the Republic of China boycotted the Games, after participating in 1972 and 1976.
Sarajevo, SFR Yugoslavia was host to the 1984 Winter Olympics, which welcomed 49 nations.cite book |title=Official Report of the Organising Committee of the XlVth Winter Olympic Games 1984 at Sarajevo |publisher=Oslobodenje |location=Sarajevo |year=1984 |pages=pp. 89–90 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1984/or1984w.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-01-31]
Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands were the first two Caribbean NOCs to compete in the Winter Games.Several more tropical nations would participate at the 1988 Winter Olympics, in Calgary, Canada, including the famed Jamaican Bobsled Team.cite book |title=XV Olympic Winter Games Official Report |author=(ed.) Rodney Chapman |pages=pp. 621–645 |publisher=Calgary Olympic Development Association |isbn=0-921060-26-2 |year=1988 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1988/orw1988pt1.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-01-31]

Recent Games

The post-Cold War events of the early 1990s led to a large increase in participating nations at the Olympics. At the 1992 Games, in Albertville, France, a total of 64 NOCs were represented, including a single Germany team—following the German reunification in 1990—and a Unified Team composed of six of the ex-republics of the Soviet Union.cite book |title=Official Report of the XVI Winter Olympic Games of Albertville and Savoie |author=(ed.) Claudie Blanc, Jean-Marc Eysseric |isbn=2-9507109-0-5 |chapter=Results |pages=p. 3 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1992/orw1992.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-01-31] The Baltic states competed independently for the first time since 1936, and some of the ex-Yugoslav nations started to compete independently in 1992.

In October 1986, the IOC had voted to hold the Olympic Winter Games half-way through the four-year Olympiad, rather than in the same year as the summer Games, [cite journal |title=Decisions of the 91st IOC Session |journal=Olympic Review |pages=p. 651 |issue=229–230 |year=1986 |month=November–December |author=(ed.) Gafner, Raymond |publisher=International Olympic Committee |location=Lausanne |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/OlympicInformationCenter/OlympicReview/1986/ore229/ore229j.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-03-31] and this change started with the XVIIth Olympic Winter Games in 1994 in Lillehammer, Norway. A total of 67 nations took part, including the Czech Republic and Slovakia as independent teams, and each of the ex-Soviet nations.cite book |title=Official Report of the XVII Olympic Winter Games |year=1994 |chapter=Volume IV |pages=p. 63 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1994/E_BOOK4.PDF |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-01-31]

The Winter Games have continued to grow in the recent past, with 72 nations at the 1998 Winter Olympics, in Nagano, Japan,cite book |title=The XVIII Olympic Winter Games Official Report |author=(ed.) Shinano Mainichi Shimbun |publisher=The Organizing Committee for the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, Nagano 1998 |year=1998 |chapter=Volume Three Competition Results and Participants |pages=p. 12 |isbn=4-7840-9827-5 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1998/Vol3_e.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-01-31] 77 nations at the 2002 Winter Olympics, in Salt Lake City, United States,cite book |title=Official Report of the XIX Olympic Winter Games |publisher=Salt Lake Organizing Committee |year=2002 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/2002/2002v1.pdf |isbn=0-9717961-0-6 |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-01-31] and 80 nations at the 2006 Winter Olympics, in Turin, Italy. [cite web |title=Turin 2006 |url=http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/past/index_uk.asp?OLGT=2&OLGY=2006 |publisher=International Olympic Committee |accessdate=2008-03-18] cite web |title=Turin 2006 Winter Olympics - Countries Index |url=http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/torino2006/countries |publisher=Yahoo! Sports |accessdate=2008-03-18]

List of nations

Description

This list includes 96 of the 205 current NOCs, [cite web |url=http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/index_uk.asp |title=National Olympic Committees |publisher=International Olympic Committee |accessdate=2008-03-11] arranged alphabetically. The three-letter country code is also listed for each NOC. Since the 1960s, these codes have been frequently used by the IOC and each Games organizing committee to identify NOCs, such as within the official report of each Games. [cite journal |title=IOC and OCOG Abbreviations for NOCs |last=Mallon |first=Bill |coauthors=Karlsson, Ove |journal=Journal of Olympic History |volume=12 |issue=2 |year=2004 |month=May |pages=pp. 25–28 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/JOH/JOHv12n2/johv12n2l.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-02-08]

Several nations have changed during their Olympic history; these are explained by footnotes linked within the table itself. A select number of historical nations are also included in the table to more clearly illustrate past Olympic appearances for their successor nations:
*Soviet Union — now represented by fifteen successor NOCs, fourteen of which have competed in the Winter Games
*East Germany and West Germany — participated as two distinct teams for six Olympiads, but also together as a united team for three Olympiads
*Czechoslovakia — now represented by two successor NOCs
*Yugoslavia — now represented by six successor NOCs, four of which have competed in the Winter Games
*Serbia and Montenegro — now represented by two separate NOCs, yet to compete at the Winter Games.

Table legend

B

E

H

K

N

V

Y

Notes

Name changes

Participation notes

1. note label|EUA|A|noneGermany participated as a United Team, representing the National Olympic Committees of both West Germany and East Germany, for the Games of 1956–1964. Retrospectively, the IOC uses the country code EUA for this team. [cite web |title=Olympic Medal Winners |publisher=International Olympic Committee |url=http://www.olympic.org/uk/athletes/results/search_r_uk.asp |accessdate=2008-03-13]
2. note label|EUN|B|anote label|EUN|B|bnote label|EUN|B|cnote label|EUN|B|dnote label|EUN|B|enote label|EUN|B|fnote label|EUN|B|gAfter the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, nine of the fifteen ex-republics of the Soviet Union were represented at the 1992 Winter Olympics. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania participated as independent teams, and Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan participated as a combined "Unified Team" (EUN).
3. note label|EST|C|noneA single speed skater from Estonia registered for the 1924 Winter Olympics and carried the flag in the opening ceremonies, but did not compete.
4. note label|ISV|D|noneAnne Abernathy was the lone competitor from the Virgin Islands at the 2006 Winter Olympics, but withdrew from the women's luge event after injuring herself during a practice run. [cite web |title=Olympics: 'Grandma Luge' crashes out |date=2006-02-13 |publisher=CNN.com |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2006/SPORT/02/13/olympics.grandma/index.html |accessdate=2008-04-01]

References

ee also

* Tropical nations at the Winter Olympics
* List of participating nations at the Summer Olympic Games
* List of IOC country codes
* Lists of National Olympic Committees by continental association:
** Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa
** European Olympic Committees
** Oceania National Olympic Committees
** Olympic Council of Asia
** Pan American Sports Organisation

External links

* [http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/index_uk.asp Olympic Games] . International Olympic Committee
* [http://www.la84foundation.org/5va/review_frmst.htm Olympic Review and Revue Olympique] . LA84 Foundation