January 25: First Winter Olympic Games Begin (1924)
Prayer Idea
Pray for Olympic athletes in training that they would remember to pursue the eternal things that are more important than winning a medal.
History Note
The city of Paris, France, was preparing to host the Olympic Games in the summer of 1924. The French Olympic Committee decided to host an International Winter Sports Week earlier in the year.
Athletes came to the town of Chamonix from sixteen nations: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Estonia, Finland, France, Great Britain, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States, and Yugoslavia.
About 10,000 spectators watched competitions in hockey, speed skating, figure skating, curling, bobsleigh, and skiing.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had been organizing Summer Olympic Games since 1896. With the success of the sports week (which actually lasted 12 days), the IOC worked to organize a Winter Olympic Games in 1928. The event in Chamonix retroactively received recognition as the first Winter Olympics.
The Canadian ice hockey team dominated the competition in Chamonix. They outscored their opponents 132 to 3 and won the gold medal.
Learn More
Find links to footage of the 1924 Olympics in Chamonix and learn more about the Olympic Games at Homeschool History.
