1998 Winter Olympics facts for kids
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, were a big international sports event held in 1998. They took place in Nagano, Japan. Many athletes from all over the world came together to compete in various winter sports.
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What were the 1998 Winter Olympics?
The 1998 Winter Olympics were a special time when athletes from different countries competed in winter sports. It's like a huge festival of sports that happens every four years. The goal is to promote friendship and fair play among nations through sports.
Where did the Games take place?
The city of Nagano, Japan, was chosen to host the 1998 Winter Olympics. This decision was made in Birmingham, United Kingdom, in 1991. Other cities that wanted to host the Games included Aosta in Italy, Jaca in Spain, Östersund in Sweden, and Salt Lake City in the USA. Nagano worked hard to prepare for this huge event, building new facilities and improving its transportation.
What sports were part of the Games?
The 1998 Winter Olympics featured many exciting sports. Athletes competed in events like alpine skiing, ice hockey, figure skating, speed skating, bobsleigh, luge, biathlon, cross-country skiing, Nordic combined, ski jumping, and freestyle skiing. For the first time, snowboarding was also included as an official Olympic sport, which was very exciting for many young fans!
Who participated in the 1998 Winter Olympics?
Many countries sent their best athletes to Nagano. A total of 72 nations participated in the Games. Some countries were joining the Winter Olympics for the very first time, which made the event even more special and diverse. Athletes competed for gold, silver, and bronze medals in their chosen sports.
Memorable moments and athletes
The 1998 Games had many unforgettable moments. For example, Kazuyoshi Funaki from host Japan won two gold medals and one silver in ski jumping, becoming a national hero. In ice hockey, the Czech Republic won the gold medal, which was a big surprise and a very exciting moment for their fans. Marianne Timmer from the Netherlands won two gold medals in speed skating.
The first snowboarding gold medal
A new and exciting sport, snowboarding, made its debut at these Games. The first-ever gold medal in men's giant slalom snowboarding was won by Ross Rebagliati from Canada. This marked a new era for winter sports, bringing a popular youth sport to the Olympic stage.
The Olympic Torch and Opening Ceremony
The opening ceremony is a grand event that officially starts the Games. It includes a parade of athletes and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron. For the 1998 Games, the Olympic cauldron was lit by Midori Ito, a famous Japanese figure skater. The Olympic torch traveled through many places before reaching Nagano, symbolizing peace and unity.
Images for kids
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Main hall of Zenkō-ji in Nagano City.
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Japanese macaque at Jigokudani hotspring in Yamanouchi.
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Furuhashi Hironoshin, past president of the JOC
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Elan by Nag Arnoldi, a gift from the IOC to Nagano, in front of M-Wave
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M-Wave
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A Nagano Shinkansen E2 Series "J" set in February 1998
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Jōshin-etsu Expressway in Ueda, Nagano.
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Asagawa Loop Line to Iizuna Kogen Ski Area built in preparations for the Games
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Stylized manhole cover displaying the Nagano Olympics emblem, with tactile paving
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M-Wave interior
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Hakuba Happo'one Resort
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Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort
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Mount Yakebitai
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Media Village at Asahi, with the M-Wave in the background
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The Nagano Olympic torch, displayed at the Olympic Museum in Nagano
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Participating nations Countries participating for the first time. Previously participating countries.
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The men's ice hockey gold medal game: Russia vs Czech Republic.
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Midori Ito (seen here in 1989) lit the cauldron at the opening ceremony.
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The silver, gold and bronze medals of Nagano 1998
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Countries participating at the 1998 Winter Olympics Winners of at least one gold medal Winners of at least one silver medal Winners of at least one bronze medal Countries without a medal Non-participating countries
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Uschi Disl of Germany, won one gold, one silver, and one bronze in the biathlon.
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Georg Hackl, seen here during competition at Oberhof, Germany in 2005, won gold in the men's singles luge competition.
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Marianne Timmer won two gold medals for the Netherlands in speed skating.
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Bjørn Dæhlie, pictured in January 2011
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Kazuyoshi Funaki (pictured in 2014) won two gold medals and one silver for host Japan.
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Ross Rebagliati (pictured in 2007) won the first-ever gold medal in men's giant slalom, before being disqualified, and then having his medal reinstated.
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Nicola Thost (pictured in 2015) won the gold medal in women's halfpipe.
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Related pages
 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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See also
In Spanish: Juegos Olímpicos de Nagano 1998 para niños
