The 1928 Winter Olympics

1928 Winter Olympics

The 1928 Winter Olympics, officially known as the II Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated February 11–19, 1928 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The 1928 Games were the first true Winter Olympics held on its own as they were not in conjunction with a Summer Olympics...

, referred to by the International Olympic Committee

International Olympic Committee

The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...

 (IOC) as the II Olympic Winter Games, were held in St. Moritz

St. Moritz

St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...

, Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

, from February 11 through February 18, 1928. A total of 464 athletes from 25 National Olympic Committee

National Olympic Committee

National Olympic Committees are the national constituents of the worldwide Olympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Olympic Committee, they are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Olympic Games...

s (NOCs) participated in these Games. Overall, 14 events were contested in 8 disciplines

Olympic sports

Olympic sports, as defined by the International Olympic Committee, are all the sports contested in the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. The Summer Olympics, as of 2012, will include 26 sports, with two additionall sports due to be added in 2016...

. Athletes competed in skeleton

Skeleton (sport)

Skeleton is a fast winter sliding sport in which an individual person rides a small sled down a frozen track while lying face down, during which athletes experience forces up to 5g. It originated in St. Moritz, Switzerland as a spin-off from the popular British sport of Cresta Sledding...

 for the first time, but unlike the previous Olympic Games there was no curling

Curling

Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...

 competition and military patrol

Military patrol at the 1928 Winter Olympics

At the 1928 Winter Olympics, in St. Moritz, Switzerland, in 1928, a military patrol competition was held. Because of a snowstorm the night before the competition, the start of the event was delayed 45 minutes to the cleaning up of the track. The competition was contested over a 30 km distance...

 was a demonstration event rather than a medal event. Both men and women competed in these Games, although women were only allowed to compete in the figure skating ladies' singles and pairs events.

Eighty-three individual athletes won medals, but the ones representing Norway

Norway at the 1924 Winter Olympics

-Medalists:- Cross-country skiing:Men- Figure skating:Women- Nordic combined :Events:* 18 km cross-country skiing* normal hill ski jumping...

 far surpassed their competitors in the medal count, winning fifteen medals to the six won by the nearest NOC, the United States

United States at the 1928 Winter Olympics

The United States competed at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland.- Medalists :- Bobsleigh:- Cross-country skiing:Men- Figure skating:MenWomenPairs- Nordic combined :Events:* 18 km cross-country skiing...

. The only three other NOCs that had medalists in more than one event were Sweden

Sweden at the 1928 Winter Olympics

Athletes from Sweden competed in the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland.-Medalists:- Cross-country skiing:Men- Figure skating:Men- Ice hockey:-Group B:The top team advanced to the medal round....

, Finland

Finland at the 1928 Winter Olympics

Finland competed at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Finland took home 4 medals, all in speed skating. These were won by Clas Thunberg, Julius Skutnabb, and Jaakko Friman...

, and Austria

Austria at the 1928 Winter Olympics

Austria competed at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland.-Medalists:- Bobsleigh:- Cross-country skiing:Men- Figure skating:MenWomenPairs- Ice hockey:-Group C:...

. Twelve of the 25 participating NOCs secured at least one medal, and among these, six NOCs won at least one gold medal.

Sonja Henie

Sonja Henie

Sonja Henie was a Norwegian figure skater and film star. She was a three-time Olympic Champion in Ladies Singles, a ten-time World Champion and a six-time European Champion . Henie won more Olympic and World titles than any other ladies figure skater...

 of Norway won the gold medal in the women's individual figure skating

Figure skating at the 1928 Winter Olympics - Ladies' singles

The ladies's individual figure skating event was held as part of the figure skating programme at the 1928 Winter Olympics. It was the fourth appearance of the event, which had previously been held at the Summer Olympics in 1908 and 1920 and was also part of the first Winter Games in 1924...

 competition, the first of three consecutive Winter Olympics where she would do so. She was only 15 years old when she competed at the 1928 Games, setting the record for the youngest person to win an Olympic medal, a record she held for 74 years. Competing with an injured knee, Swedish figure skater Gillis Grafström

Gillis Grafström

Gillis Emanuel Grafström was a Swedish figure skater. He was born in Stockholm, Sweden. He won three successive Olympic gold medals in Men's Figure Skating as well as Olympic silver medal in same event in 1932, and three World Championships...

 won the men's individual competition

Figure skating at the 1928 Winter Olympics - Men's singles

The men's individual figure skating event was held as part of the figure skating programme at the 1928 Winter Olympics. It was the fourth appearance of the event, which had previously been held at the Summer Olympics in 1908 and 1920 and was also part of the first Winter Games in 1924...

 for the third consecutive Winter Games. In the 50–km cross-country skiing competition

Cross-country skiing at the 1928 Winter Olympics - Men's 50 km

The 50 kilometre cross-country skiing event was part of the cross-country skiing at the 1928 Winter Olympics programme. It was the second appearance of the event...

, Swedish athletes took all three medals. Per-Erik Hedlund won the race, which took place during unusual weather conditions (temperatures rose from 0 to 25 °C [32 to 77 °F]), by a span of 13 minutes. Norwegian speed skater Bernt Evensen

Bernt Evensen

Bernt Sverre Evensen was a Norwegian speed skater and racing cyclist.At the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Bernt Evensen became the first Norwegian skater to win an Olympic gold medal by winning gold on the 500 m Bernt Sverre Evensen (8 April 1905 in Kristiania (Oslo) – 24 August 1979)...

 topped the medal count, winning one gold, one silver, and one bronze medal. Four athletes won two medals each: Johan Grøttumsbråten

Johan Grøttumsbråten

Johan Grøttumsbråten was a Norwegian skier who competed in Nordic combined and cross-country. Dominating both events in the 1920s and early 1930s, he won several medals in the early Winter Olympics. Most notably, he won two gold medals at the 1928 Winter Olympics, and as one of the only two dual...

 and Ivar Ballangrud

Ivar Ballangrud

Ivar Ballangrud was a Norwegian speed skater, a four-time Olympic champion in Speed Skating. As the only triple gold medalists at the 1936 Winter Olympics, Ballangrud was the most successful athlete there.-Biography:Ivar Ballangrud was one of the best speed skaters in the world for a period of 15...

 of Norway, Clas Thunberg

Clas Thunberg

Arnold Clas Robert Thunberg was a Finnish speed skater who won five Olympic gold medals – three at the inaugural Winter Olympics held in Chamonix in 1924 and two at the 1928 Winter Olympics held in St. Moritz...

 of Finland, and Jennison Heaton

Jennison Heaton

Jennison Heaton was an American bobsled and skeleton racer who competed in the late 1920s. He was born in New Haven, Connecticut. At the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, he won two medals with a gold in the men's skeleton event and a silver in the five-man bobsleigh competition...

 of the United States. Both Grøttumsbråten and Thunberg were multiple medal winners in the previous Olympic Games as well.

Bobsleigh

Five-man	USA II Billy Fiske Billy Fiske William Meade Lindsley "Billy" Fiske III was the 1928 and 1932 Olympic champion bobsled driver and, following Jimmy Davies, was one of the first American pilots killed in action in World War II... Clifford Grey Clifford Grey Clifford Grey was an English songwriter, actor, librettist and Olympic medalist. His birth name was Percival Davis, and he was also known as Clifford Gray, Tippi Gray, Tippi Grey, Tippy Gray and Tippy Grey.As a writer, Grey contributed prolifically to West End and Broadway shows, as librettist and... Geoffrey Mason Geoffrey Mason Geoffrey Travers Mason was an American bobsledder who competed in the late 1920s. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he won a gold medal in the five-man event at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz. He died in Rumford, Rhode Island.-References:* *... Richard Parke Richard Parke Richard Averell Parke was an American bobsledder who competed in the late 1920s. He won a gold medal in the five-man event at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz.-References:* *... Nion Tocker Nion Tocker Nion Robert Tocker, Sr. was an American bobsledder who competed in the late 1920s. He won a gold medal in the five-man event at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz. He was born in Sacramento, California and died in San Francisco, California.-References:* * *...	USA I Thomas Doe Thomas Doe Thomas Bartwell Doe, Jr. was an American bobsledder who competed in the late 1920s. He won a silver medal in the five-man bobsleigh event at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz. He died in Hendersonville, North Carolina.-References:**... David Granger David Granger (bobsleigh) David Granger was an American bobsledder and businessman who competed in the late 1920s. He won a silver medal in the five-man bobsleigh event at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz. He died in New York City.... Jennison Heaton Jennison Heaton Jennison Heaton was an American bobsled and skeleton racer who competed in the late 1920s. He was born in New Haven, Connecticut. At the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, he won two medals with a gold in the men's skeleton event and a silver in the five-man bobsleigh competition... Lyman Hine Lyman Hine Lyman Northrop Hine was an American bobsledder who competed in the late 1920s. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he won a silver medal in the five-man bobsleigh event at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz.-References:*... Jay O'Brien Jay O'Brien Jay James O'Brien was an American bobsledder who competed in the late 1920s and early 1930s. He won two medals at the Winter Olympics with a gold in the four-man event at Lake Placid, New York in 1932 and a silver in the five-man event at St...	Germany II Hans Heß Hans Hess (bobsledder) Hans Hess was a German bobsledder who competed in the late 1920s. He won a bronze medal in the five-man event at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz.-References:* *... Sebastian Huber Sebastian Huber Sebastian "Wastl" Huber was a German bobsledder who competed from the late 1920s to the mid 1930s... Hanns Kilian Hanns Kilian Hans Kilian Hans Kilian Hans Kilian (alternate listings: Hanns Kilian, Hans Killian, or Hanns Killian (2 May 1905 – 17 April 1981) was a German bobsledder who competed from the late 1920s to the late 1930s... Valentin Krempl Valentin Krempl Valentin Krempl was a German bobsledder who competed in the late 1920s. He won a bronze medal in the five-man event at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz.-References:**... Hanns Nägle Hanns Nägle Hanns Nägle was a German bobsledder who competed in the late 1920s. He won a bronze medal in the five-man event at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz.-References:* *...

Cross-country skiing

18 km
50 km

Figure skating

Men's singles
Ladies' singles
Pairs	Andrée Joly Andrée Brunet Andrée Brunet was a French figure skater and two-time Olympic champion in pair skating.-Biography:... Pierre Brunet	Lilly Scholz Lilly Scholz Lilly Scholz was an Austrian pair skater. She and partner Otto Kaiser won the 1929 World Championship in pair skating. They won the silver medal at the 1928 Winter Olympics... Otto Kaiser Otto Kaiser (figure skater) Otto Kaiser was an Austrian pair skater. He and his partner Lilly Scholz won the 1929 World Championship in pair skating...	Melitta Brunner Melitta Brunner Melitta Brunner was an Austrian figure skater in both pairs and singles. As a single skater, she won the bronze medal at the 1929 World Championships. As a pair skater, she skated with Ludwig Wrede and won the bronze at the 1928 Olympics in St. Moritz... Ludwig Wrede Ludwig Wrede Ludwig Wrede was an Austrian figure skater in both pairs and singles skating.He competed with Herma Szabo and won the World Championships in 1925 and 1927. They won the bronze in 1926. After Szabo retired, Wrede competed with Melitta Brunner, with whom he won the bronze medal at the 1928 Winter...

Ice hockey

Men's team	Charles Delahay Charles Delahay Competitor for CanadaFrederick Charles Delahaye, sometimes spelled Delahay or Delahey , was a Canadian ice hockey player who competed in the 1928 Winter Olympics. In 1928 he was a member of the University of Toronto Grads, the team which won the Olympic gold medal for Canada.-External links:**... Frank Fisher Frank Fisher Franklyn Wood Fisher was a Canadian ice hockey player who competed in the 1928 Winter Olympics.In 1928, he was a member of the University of Toronto Grads, the Canadian team which won the gold medal.... Louis Hudson Louis Hudson Louis Henry Dewey Hudson was a Canadian ice hockey player who competed in the 1928 Winter Olympics.In 1928 he was a member of the University of Toronto Grads, the Canadian team which won the gold medal.... Norbert Mueller Norbert Mueller Norbert Edward "Stuffy" Mueller was a Canadian ice hockey player who competed in the 1928 Winter Olympics.In 1928 he was a member of the University of Toronto Grads, the Canadian team which won the gold medal.... Herbert Plaxton Herbert Plaxton Herbert Alfred Wellington "Bert" Plaxton was a Canadian ice hockey player who competed in the 1928 Winter Olympics.... Hugh Plaxton Hugh Plaxton Hugh John Plaxton was a Canadian ice hockey player who competed in the 1928 Winter Olympics and later served in the Canadian House of Commons.... Roger Plaxton Roger Plaxton Hayward Alan "Roger" Plaxton was a Canadian ice hockey player who competed in the 1928 Winter Olympics.In 1928 he was a member of the University of Toronto Grads, the Canadian team which won the gold medal.... John Porter John Porter (ice hockey) John Chester "Red" Porter was a Canadian ice hockey player who competed in the 1928 Winter Olympics. In 1928 he was a member of the University of Toronto Grads, the Canadian team which won the gold medal.... Frank Sullivan Frank Sullivan (ice hockey) Frank Gerald Sullivan was a Canadian ice hockey player who competed in the 1928 Winter Olympics.In 1928 he was a member of the University of Toronto Grads, the Canadian team which won the gold medal.... Joseph Sullivan Joseph Albert Sullivan Joseph "Joe" Albert Taylor Sullivan was a Canadian Olympic ice hockey player, physician, surgeon, and politician.... Ross Taylor Ross Taylor (ice hockey) Ross Croft Taylor was a Canadian ice hockey player who competed in the 1928 Winter Olympics.In 1928 he was a member of the University of Toronto Grads, the Canadian team which won the gold medal.-External links:*... David Trottier	Carl Abrahamsson Carl Abrahamsson Karl Gustaf Emanuel "Carl, Calle Aber" Abrahamsson was a Swedish track and field athletic, bandy and ice hockey player who competed in the 1928 Winter Olympics. He was also a coach and captain, mainly in the Swedish club Södertälje SK.Abrahamsson participated in building the bandy section of... Emil Bergman Emil Bergman Emil "Nacka" Bergman was a Swedish ice hockey player who competed in the 1928 Winter Olympics.He was a member of the Swedish ice hockey team, which won the silver medal.-External links:*... Birger Holmqvist Birger Holmqvist Birger Ivar "Bigge" Holmqvist was a Swedish ice hockey player who competed in the 1924 Winter Olympics and in the 1928 Winter Olympics.... Gustaf Johansson Henry Johansson Henry Johansson Henry Johan Johansson was a Swedish ice hockey player who competed in the 1928 Winter Olympics.He was a member of the Swedish ice hockey team, which won the silver medal.-External links:*... Nils Johansson Ernst Karlberg Ernst Karlberg Ernst Wilhelm Ludvig Karlberg was a Swedish ice hockey player who competed in the 1924 Winter Olympics and in the 1928 Winter Olympics.... Erik Larsson Erik Larsson (ice hockey) Erik Waldemar "Burret" Larsson was a Swedish ice hockey player who competed in the Olympic games in 1928. He was a member of the national team that won the silver medal in St. Moritz.-External links:* at... Bertil Linde Bertil Linde Knut Bertil Hilding Linde was a Swedish ice hockey player who competed in the 1928 Winter Olympics.He was a member of the Swedish ice hockey team, which won the silver medal.-External links:** at... Sigfrid Öberg Sigfrid Öberg Sigfrid Emil "Sigge" Öberg was a Swedish ice hockey player who competed in the 1928 Winter Olympics.He was a member of the Swedish ice hockey team, which won the silver medal.-External links:** at... Wilhelm Petersén Kurt Sucksdorff Kurt Sucksdorff Kurt Sucksdorff was a Swedish ice hockey player who competed in the 1928 Winter Olympics.He was a member of the Swedish ice hockey team, which won the silver medal.-External links:*...	Giannin Andreossi Giannin Andreossi Giannin Andreossi was a Swiss ice hockey player who competed in the 1928 Winter Olympics.He was a member of the Swiss ice hockey team, which won the bronze medal.-External links:*... Mezzi Andreossi Mezzi Andreossi Murezzan "Mezzi" Andreossi was a Swiss ice hockey player who competed in the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland.He was a member of the Switzerland national men's ice hockey team, which won the bronze medal.... Robert Breiter Robert Breiter Robert Breiter was a Swiss ice hockey player who competed in the 1928 Winter Olympics.He was a member of the Swiss ice hockey team, which won the bronze medal.-External links:**... Louis Dufour Louis Dufour Louis Dufour was a Swiss ice hockey player who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics, in the 1924 Winter Olympics, and in the 1928 Winter Olympics.... Charles Fasel Charles Fasel Charles Fasel was a Swiss ice hockey player who competed in the 1928 Winter Olympics.He was a member of the Swiss ice hockey team, which won the bronze medal.-External links:*... Albert Geromini Albert Geromini Albert Geromini was a Swiss ice hockey player who competed in the 1928 Winter Olympics.He was a member of the Swiss ice hockey team, which won the bronze medal.-External links:*... Fritz Kraatz Fritz Kraatz Friedrich Hermann Heinrich "Fritz" Kraatz was a Swiss ice hockey player who competed in the 1928 Winter Olympics.He was a member of the Swiss ice hockey team, which won the bronze medal.-External links:*... Arnold Martignoni Arnold Martignoni Arnold Martignoni was a Swiss ice hockey player who competed in the 1928 Winter Olympics.He was a member of the Swiss ice hockey team, which won the bronze medal.-External links:*... Heini Meng Heini Meng Heinrich "Heini" Meng was a Swiss ice hockey player who competed in the 1928 Winter Olympics.He was a member of the Swiss ice hockey team, which won the bronze medal.-External links:*... Anton Morosani Anton Morosani Anton Morosani was a Swiss ice hockey player who competed in the 1928 Winter Olympics.He was a member of the Swiss ice hockey team, which won the bronze medal.-External links:*... Luzius Rüedi Luzius Rüedi Luzius Rüedi was a Swiss ice hockey player who won a bronze medal in the 1928 Winter Olympics.He was born in Thusis and died in Zürich.... Richard Torriani Bibi Torriani Richard "Bibi" Torriani was a Swiss ice hockey player and luger who competed from the 1920s to the 1950s.-Hockey career:...

Nordic combined

Men's individual

Skeleton

Men's individual

Ski jumping

Men's individual

Speed skating

500 metres		none awarded
1500 metres
5000 metres
10000 metres	The competition was cancelled because of thawing ice.

Medal leaders

Athletes who won multiple medals are listed below.

Athlete	Nation	Sport	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
		Cross-country skiing & Nordic combined	2	0	0	2
		Speed skating	2	0	0	2
		Speed skating	1	1	1	3
		Skeleton & Bobsleigh	1	1	0	2
		Speed skating	1	0	1	2

External links

• The International Olympic Committee's 1928 Winter Olympics page