1976 Winter Olympics - Highlights

Highlights

• Austrian favorite Franz Klammer won the men's downhill event in alpine skiing in 1:45.73, after great pressure from his country and defending champion Bernhard Russi of Switzerland.
• Dorothy Hamill of the US won the gold in Figure Skating, and inspired the popular "wedge" haircut.
• Elegant British skater John Curry altered his routine to appeal to Olympic judges, winning gold.
• American skater Terry Kubicka attempted – and completed – a dangerous backflip in figure skating.
• Rosi Mittermaier of West Germany nearly swept the women's alpine skiing events, earning two golds and a silver, missing the third gold by 0.13 seconds.
• Soviet speed skater Tatiana Averina won four medals. The U.S. team won six medals in speed skating.
• In the 4-man bobsled, the East German team won for the first of three consecutive titles.
• The USSR won its fourth straight ice hockey gold medal; for the second consecutive Olympics Canada refused to send a team.
• Sports technology, in the guise of innovative perforated skis, sleek hooded suits and streamlined helmets appeared in alpine skiing, speed skating and ski jumping, making headlines in Innsbruck.
• A second cauldron for the Olympic flame was built to represent the 1976 Games, and together with the 1964 Winter Games cauldrons were lit.
• The Soviet Union won the most medals with 13 gold, 6 silver, and 8 bronze.
• The mascot was the Tyrolean snowman.
• Bobsleigh and luge competed on the same track for the first time ever.