Volta
Culture26 January – 5 February 1956

1956 Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics

Also called: VII Olympic Winter Games, 1956 Winter Olympics, Cortina 1956

Games at Cortina d’Ampezzo in the Italian Dolomites, where the Soviet Union competed for the first time and went straight to the top of the medal table.

Soviet speed skater Boris Shilkov on the Olympic rink at Cortina d’Ampezzo, 1956 — the Soviet Union’s first Winter Olympics
Soviet speed skater Boris Shilkov on the Olympic rink at Cortina d’Ampezzo, 1956 — the Soviet Union’s first Winter Olympics

Keystone / Getty Images · Public domain · Source

Thirty-two nations took part from 26 January to 5 February, in the first Winter Olympics broadcast live on television. Newcomers the Soviet Union topped the medal table, carrying the Cold War rivalry into winter sport. Austria’s Toni Sailer swept all three Alpine events (downhill, giant slalom and slalom), and Japan’s Chiharu Igaya took silver in the slalom, Asia’s first Winter Olympic medal. South Korea returned to the Winter Games from this edition.

Show on the map

The map in 1956

Open the full map

OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap contributors

States at the time
Italy · host

Before and after

Earlier
1938 Munich Agreement
Later
1960 1960 Rome Olympics

Themes that include this event

  • Winter Olympics1924 – 2026

    From the “International Winter Sports Week” at Chamonix to PyeongChang and Milano Cortina — a century on snow and ice, with Korea’s first appearance and first gold