View source for 1928 Winter Olympics

{{short description|Multi-sport event in Sankt Moritz, Switzerland}}
{{more footnotes|date=February 2013}}
{{Infobox Olympic games|1928|Winter|Olympics|
| image       = 1928 Winter Olympics poster.jpg
| image_size  = 150
| caption     = Hugo Laubi's poster for the 1928 Winter Olympics
| host_city   = [[St. Moritz]], [[Switzerland]]
| nations     = 25
| athletes    = 464 (438 men, 26 women)
| events      = 14{{Efn|Only 13 sets of medals were awarded, as the 10,000 metres speed skating competition was abandoned due to thawing ice.}} in 4 [[Olympic sports|sports]] (8 disciplines)
| opening     = 11 February 1928
| closing     = 19 February 1928
| opened_by   = [[President of the Swiss Confederation|President]] [[Edmund Schulthess]] 
| stadium     = [[St. Moritz Olympic Ice Rink]]
| winter_prev = [[1924 Winter Olympics|Chamonix 1924]]
| winter_next = [[1932 Winter Olympics|Lake Placid 1932]]
| summer_prev = [[1924 Summer Olympics|Paris 1924]]
| summer_next = [[1928 Summer Olympics|Amsterdam 1928]]
}}
The '''1928 Winter Olympics''', officially known as the '''II Olympic Winter Games''' ({{langx|fr|II<sup>es</sup> Jeux olympiques d'hiver}}; {{langx|de|II. Olympische Winterspiele}}; {{langx|it|II Giochi olimpici invernali}}; {{langx|rm|II Gieus olimpics d'enviern}}) and commonly known as '''St. Moritz 1928''' ({{langx|fr|Saint-Moritz 1928}}; {{langx|rm|San Murezzan 1928}}), were an international [[winter]] [[multi-sport event]] that was celebrated from 11 to 19&nbsp;February 1928 in [[St. Moritz]], [[Switzerland]].

The 1928 Games were the first true [[Winter Olympic Games|Winter Olympics]] to be held as a stand-alone event, not in conjunction with a [[Summer Olympic Games|Summer Olympics]]. The preceding [[1924 Winter Olympics|1924 Winter Games]] were retroactively renamed the inaugural Winter Olympics, although they had in fact been organised alongside the [[1924 Summer Olympics]] in France. Before 1924, the winter events were included in the schedule of the Summer Games and there were no separate Winter Games. The 1928 Winter Games also replaced the now redundant [[Nordic Games]], which had been held at varying intervals since early in the 20th century.

The hosts were challenged by fluctuating weather conditions; the [[Olympic Games ceremony|opening ceremony]] was held in a blizzard, while warm weather conditions plagued sporting events throughout the rest of the Games.<ref>{{cite book| title = Encyclopedia of the Modern Olympic Movement| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=QmXi_-Jujj0C| year = 2004| publisher = Greenwood Press| location = Westport, Connecticut| isbn = 0-313-32278-3| last2 = Pelle| last1 = Findling| first1 = John E.| first2 = Kimberly D.| page = 290 }}</ref> The [[Speed skating at the 1928 Winter Olympics – Men's 10,000 metres|10,000&nbsp;metre speed-skating event]] was controversially abandoned and officially cancelled.<ref name=warmweather>{{cite web|title=1928 Sankt Moritz Winter Games|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/winter/1928/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417041048/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/winter/1928/|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 April 2020|access-date=12 March 2009}}</ref> Filmed footage of the games exists in a silent, feature-length documentary, ''[[The White Stadium]]''.

== Highlights ==
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 102-05457, St. Moritz, Winterolympiade.jpg|thumb|1928 St. Moritz venue]]
* [[Sonja Henie]] of Norway returned to the Winter Olympics, having taken part in [[1924 Winter Olympics|1924]] at the age of 11, and made history by winning the [[Figure skating at the 1928 Winter Olympics|ladies' figure skating]] aged 15. She became the youngest Olympic champion in history (a distinction she held for 70&nbsp;years),<ref name=1928games>{{cite web|title=St. Moritz 1928|publisher=International Olympic Committee|url=http://www.olympic.org/en/content/Olympic-Games/All-Past-Olympic-Games/Winter/St-Moritz-1928/|access-date=5 March 2010}}</ref> and went on to defend her title at the next two Winter Olympics.
* Norway's [[Ivar Ballangrud]] won the Olympic title in the 5,000-metre speed skating event, and [[Clas Thunberg]] of Finland won both the 500&nbsp;m and the 1,500&nbsp;m.
* [[Norway at the 1928 Winter Olympics|Norway]] finished at the top of the medal table with a total of six gold medals, four silver, and five bronze, totalling 15&nbsp;medals. The [[United States at the 1928 Winter Olympics|United States]] finished second in the table with six medals overall.
* [[Switzerland at the 1928 Winter Olympics|Switzerland]] won a single bronze medal, the lowest medal haul by a host nation at any Olympic Games.
* American [[Irving Jaffee]] was leading the 10,000-metre speed skating race, having outskated Norwegian defending world champion [[Bernt Evensen]] in their heat, when rising temperatures thawed the ice.<ref name="google5">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Xcfef_d2es4C&pg=PA43 |title=The Big Book of Jewish Sports Heroes: An Illustrated Compendium of Sports History and The 150 Greatest Jewish Sports Stars |year= 2007|isbn=9781561719075 |access-date=February 27, 2011|last1=Horvitz |first1=Peter S. |publisher=SP Books }}</ref> In a controversial ruling, the Norwegian referee cancelled the entire competition; the [[International Olympic Committee]] stepped in to reverse the referee's decision and awarded Jaffee the gold medal, but the [[International Skating Union]] later overruled the IOC and restored the ruling.<ref name="google6">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qpiphgls99IC&pg=PA141 |title=The International Jewish Sports Hall ... |date=September 15, 1906 |isbn=9781561710287 |access-date=February 27, 2011|last1=Siegman |first1=Joseph M. |publisher=SP Books }}</ref> Evensen, for his part, stated publicly that Jaffee should be awarded the gold medal, but that did not happen.

== Events ==
Medals were awarded in 14 events contested in 4 sports (8 disciplines).
*[[Bobsleigh]]
**{{GamesSport|Bobsleigh|Events=1}}
**{{GamesSport|Skeleton|Events=1}}
*{{GamesSport|Ice hockey|Events=1}}
*[[Ice skating]]
**{{GamesSport|Figure skating|Events=3}}
**{{GamesSport|Speed skating|Events=4}}
*{{GamesSport|Nordic skiing}}
**{{GamesSport|Cross-country skiing|Events=2}}
**{{GamesSport|Nordic combined|Events=1}}
**{{GamesSport|Ski jumping|Events=1}}

===Demonstration sports===
* [[Military patrol at the 1928 Winter Olympics|Military patrol]]
* [[Skijoring at the 1928 Winter Olympics|Skijoring]]

==Venues==
{{Main|Venues of the 1928 Winter Olympics}}
* [[St. Moritz Olympic Ice Rink]] – Figure skating, Ice hockey, Speed skating
* Around the hills of [[St. Moritz]] – Cross-country skiing, Nordic combined (cross-country skiing)
* [[Olympiaschanze St. Moritz]] – Nordic combined (ski jumping), Ski jumping
* [[St. Moritz-Celerina Olympic Bobrun]] – Bobsleigh
* [[Cresta Run]] – Skeleton

==Participating nations==
Athletes from 25 nations competed at these Games, up from 16 in 1924.  Nations making their first appearance at the Winter Olympic Games were [[Argentina]] (first participation of a delegation coming from a country belonging to the Southern Hemisphere), [[Estonia]], [[Germany]], [[Japan]], [[Lithuania]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Mexico]], the [[Netherlands]], and [[Romania]].

{| class="wikitable collapsible" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Participating [[:Category:Nations at the 1928 Winter Olympics|National Olympic Committees]]
|-
|
{{div col|colwidth=18em}}
* {{flagIOC|ARG|1928 Winter|10}}
* {{flagIOC|AUT|1928 Winter|39}}
* {{flagIOC|BEL|1928 Winter|25}}
* {{flagIOC|CAN|1928 Winter|23}}
* {{flagIOC|TCH|1928 Winter|29}}
* {{flagIOC|EST|1928 Winter|2}}
* {{flagIOC|FIN|1928 Winter|18}}
* {{flagIOC|FRA|1928 Winter|38}}
* {{flagIOC|GER|1928 Winter|44}}
* {{flagIOC|GBR|1928 Winter|32}}
* {{flagIOC|HUN|1928 Winter|13}}
* {{flagIOC|ITA|1928 Winter|13}}
* {{flagIOC|JPN|1928 Winter|6}}
* {{flagIOC|LAT|1928 Winter|1}}
* {{flagIOC|LTU|1928 Winter|1}}
* {{flagIOC|LUX|1928 Winter|5}}
* {{flagIOC|MEX|1928 Winter|5}}
* {{flagIOC|NED|1928 Winter|7}}
* {{flagIOC|NOR|1928 Winter|25}}
* {{flagIOC|POL|1928 Winter|26}}
* {{flagIOC|ROU|1928 Winter|10}}
* {{flagIOC|SWE|1928 Winter|24}}
* {{flagIOC|SUI|1928 Winter|41}} '''(host)'''
* {{flagIOC|USA|1928 Winter|24}}
* {{flagIOC|YUG|1928 Winter|6}}
{{div col end}}
|}

===Number of athletes by National Olympic Committees===

{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed sortable" style="border:0;"
|- 
! [[List of IOC country codes|IOC Letter Code]]
! Country
! Athletes
|-
| GER || {{flagIOC|GER|1928 Winter}} ||align=center| 44
|-
| SUI || {{flagIOC|SUI|1928 Winter}} ||align=center| 41
|-
| AUT || {{flagIOC|AUT|1928 Winter}} ||align=center| 39
|-
| FRA || {{flagIOC|FRA|1928 Winter}} ||align=center| 38
|-
| GBR || {{flagIOC|GBR|1928 Winter}} ||align=center| 32
|-
| TCH || {{flagIOC|TCH|1928 Winter}} ||align=center| 29
|-
| POL || {{flagIOC|POL|1928 Winter}} ||align=center| 26
|-
| BEL || {{flagIOC|BEL|1928 Winter}} ||align=center| 25
|-
| NOR || {{flagIOC|NOR|1928 Winter}} ||align=center| 25
|-
| SWE || {{flagIOC|SWE|1928 Winter}} ||align=center| 24
|-
| USA || {{flagIOC|USA|1928 Winter}} ||align=center| 24
|-
| CAN || {{flagIOC|CAN|1928 Winter}} ||align=center| 23
|-
| FIN || {{flagIOC|FIN|1928 Winter}} ||align=center| 18
|-
| HUN || {{flagIOC|HUN|1928 Winter}} ||align=center| 13
|-
| ITA || {{flagIOC|ITA|1928 Winter}} ||align=center| 13
|-
| ARG || {{flagIOC|ARG|1928 Winter}} ||align=center| 10
|-
| ROM || {{flagIOC|ROM|1928 Winter}} ||align=center| 10
|-
| NED || {{flagIOC|NED|1928 Winter}} ||align=center| 7
|-
| JPN || {{flagIOC|JPN|1928 Winter}} ||align=center| 6
|-
| YUG || {{flagIOC|YUG|1928 Winter}} ||align=center| 6
|-
| LUX || {{flagIOC|LUX|1928 Winter}} ||align=center| 5
|-
| MEX || {{flagIOC|MEX|1928 Winter}} ||align=center| 5
|-
| EST || {{flagIOC|EST|1928 Winter}} ||align=center| 2
|-
| LAT || {{flagIOC|LAT|1928 Winter}} ||align=center| 1
|-
| LTU || {{flagIOC|LTU|1928 Winter}} ||align=center| 1
|- class="sortbottom"
|colspan=2; style="text-align:right; border:0px; background:#fff;"| '''Total''' ||style="text-align:center; border:0px; background:#fff;"| '''464'''
|-
|}

== Medal count ==
{{Main|1928 Winter Olympics medal table}}

{{Medals table
 | caption        = 
 | host           = SUI
 | show_limit     = 
 | remaining_text = 
 | flag_template  = flagIOC
 | event          = 1928 Winter
 | team           = 
 | gold_NOR = 6 | silver_NOR = 4 | bronze_NOR = 5
 | gold_USA = 2 | silver_USA = 2 | bronze_USA = 2
 | gold_SWE = 2 | silver_SWE = 2 | bronze_SWE = 1
 | gold_FIN = 2 | silver_FIN = 1 | bronze_FIN = 1
 | gold_CAN = 1 | silver_CAN = 0 | bronze_CAN = 0
 | gold_FRA = 1 | silver_FRA = 0 | bronze_FRA = 0
 | gold_AUT = 0 | silver_AUT = 3 | bronze_AUT = 1
 | gold_BEL = 0 | silver_BEL = 0 | bronze_BEL = 1
 | gold_TCH = 0 | silver_TCH = 0 | bronze_TCH = 1
 | gold_GER = 0 | silver_GER = 0 | bronze_GER = 1
 | gold_GBR = 0 | silver_GBR = 0 | bronze_GBR = 1
 | gold_SUI = 0 | silver_SUI = 0 | bronze_SUI = 1 | host_SUI = yes 
}}

===Podium sweeps===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Date
!Sport
!Event
!NOC
!Gold
!Silver
!Bronze
|-
|14 February
|[[Cross-country skiing at the 1928 Winter Olympics|Cross-country skiing]] 
|[[Cross-country skiing at the 1928 Winter Olympics – Men's 50 kilometre|Men's 50 kilometre]]
|{{flagIOC|SWE|1928 Winter}}
|[[Per-Erik Hedlund]]
|[[Gustaf Jonsson]]
|[[Volger Andersson]]
|-
|17 February
|[[Cross-country skiing at the 1928 Winter Olympics|Cross-country skiing]] 
|[[Cross-country skiing at the 1928 Winter Olympics – Men's 18 kilometre|Men's 18 kilometre]]
|{{flagIOC|NOR|1928 Winter}}
|[[Johan Grøttumsbråten]]
|[[Ole Hegge]]
|[[Reidar Ødegaard]]
|-
|18 February
|[[Nordic combined at the 1928 Winter Olympics|Nordic combined]] 
|[[Nordic combined at the 1928 Winter Olympics|Individual]]
|{{flagIOC|NOR|1928 Winter}}
|[[Johan Grøttumsbråten]]
|[[Hans Vinjarengen]]
|[[Jon Snersrud]]
|}

==See also==
* [[List of 1928 Winter Olympics medal winners]]
{{IOC seealso|games=1928 Winter Olympics }}

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{IOC games|games=1928 Winter Olympics }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080705133355/http://www.marcolympics.org/jeux/1928/winter/index.php The program of the 1928 St. Moritz Winter Olympics]
* [https://library.olympic.org/Default/doc/SYRACUSE/52442/rapport-general-du-comite-executif-des-iimes-jeux-olympiques-d-hiver-et-documents-officiels-divers?_lg=en-GB The official report of St. Moritz 1928] (French only)

{{s-start}}
{{s-sports|woly}}
{{s-bef|before=[[1924 Winter Olympics|Chamonix]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=II Olympic Winter Games<br/>[[St. Moritz]]|years=1928}}
{{s-aft|after=[[1932 Winter Olympics|Lake Placid]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Olympic Games}}
{{Events at the 1928 Winter Olympics}}
{{Nations at the 1928 Winter Olympics}}
{{1928 Winter Olympic venues}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Portal bar|Olympics|Switzerland|Sports|1920s}}

[[Category:1928 Winter Olympics| ]]
[[Category:Olympic Games in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Winter Olympics by year]]
[[Category:1928 in Swiss sport]]
[[Category:1928 in multi-sport events]]
[[Category:Sport in St. Moritz]]
[[Category:February 1928 sports events in Europe]]
[[Category:Winter sports competitions in Switzerland]]