January 25, 2022 – 1924 Winter Olympics

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of the Olympics – I can’t wait for the winter Olympics to start in a few weeks! But it was on this day in 1924 that the very first ever winter Olympics games started in Chamonix in the French Alps. There were originally 5 sports and 9 disciplines: bobsleigh, curling, ice hockey, Nordic skiing (which included military patrol, cross country skiing, Nordic combined, and ski jumping), and skating (figure skating and speed skating). More than 250 athletes from 16 countries participated. Finland and Norway dominated, winning 28 medals. But it was United States speed skater Charles Jewtraw who won the first gold medal, winning the 500-meter speed skate. The U.S. won a total of 4 medals that year, with a silver in women’s figure skating, a silver in hockey, and a bronze in ski jumping. The United States is the only country to have won a gold medal at every Winter Olympic Games – a record I’m sure will continue at the upcoming games. Learn more here.