1968 Winter Olympics facts for kids
The 1968 Winter Olympics, also known as the X Olympic Winter Games, were a big sports event held in 1968. They took place in Grenoble, France, starting on February 6. Athletes from 37 different countries came to compete. Norway won the most medals at these games. This was a special moment because it was the first time a country other than the Soviet Union had won the most medals since the Soviet Union first joined the Winter Games in 1956.
USA's Excitement for the Games
A French athlete named Jean-Claude Killy became a star at these Olympics. He won three gold medals in all the alpine skiing events. For the United States, Peggy Fleming won the only gold medal in women's figure skating. Many people believe these games made the Winter Olympics much more popular in the United States. This was largely thanks to the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) showing a lot of coverage of Peggy Fleming and Jean-Claude Killy. They both became very popular, especially among teenage girls.
New Rules and Changes
The 1968 Winter Olympics were important for introducing some new rules. It was the first time the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed East Germany and West Germany to compete as separate teams. Before this, they had competed together. Also, for the very first time, the IOC ordered drug and gender tests for all the athletes. This was done to make sure the competition was fair for everyone.
 Olympic Games |
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| Summer Games: 1896, 1900, 1904, 1906, 1908, 1912, (1916), 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936, (1940), (1944), 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024, 2028 |
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| Winter Games: 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936, (1940), (1944), 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 | ||
| Athens 2004 — Turin 2006 — Beijing 2008 — Vancouver 2010 — London 2012 — Sochi 2014 — Rio 2016 — Pyeongchang 2018 — Tokyo 2020 Games in italics will be held in the future, and those in (brackets) were cancelled because of war. See also: Ancient Olympic Games |
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| Youth Olympic Games |
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| Summer Games: 2010, 2014, 2018 | ||
| Winter Games: 2012, 2016, 2020 |
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| Singapore 2010 — Innsbruck 2012 — Nanjing 2014 |
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Images for kids
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Official poster for the 1968 Winter Olympics
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Jean-Claude Killy finishing his race.
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The Chamrousse ski area during the 1968 Games.
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The Olympic Village in 2014.
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A bib worn by an athlete during the games.
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Jean-Claude Killy's gold medals on display.
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The Opening Ceremony at the Olympic Stadium.
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The Ice Stadium in Paul Mistral Park.
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Preparations at the IBM computer center in January 1968.
See also
In Spanish: Juegos Olímpicos de Grenoble 1968 para niños
