The United States was the host nation for the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California.
History
In 1955, Alexander Cushing put forth a bid for Squaw Valley to host the Olympic games. However, at the time, the resort did not even exist. In fact, Cushing was the only inhabitant and homeowner in the area.[1] 1960 was a landmark year for the Winter Olympic games, with many new additions including:
- The addition of men's Biathlon and women's Speed Skating to the games
- The adoption of the official Olympic anthem, composed in 1958 by Spiros Samara, with words by Kostis Palamas.
- The use of instant replay (in the men's Slalom event)
- Metal skis for downhill competitions (all previous races had been won using wooden skis).[2]
Notably missing from the program was the Bobsleigh event, which organizers refused to construct a track for. This was the first time that Bobsleigh was not part of the Winter Olympics.[3]
On February 18, 1960, Vice-President Richard Nixon officially opened the Squaw Valley Olympic games. The Olympic torch was ignited by Kenneth Charles Henry, gold-medalist 500 meter speed skating in the 1952 Winter Olympics.
Medalists
Alpine skiing
- Men
Athlete |
Event |
Race 1 |
Race 2 |
Total |
Time |
Rank |
Time |
Rank |
Time |
Rank |
Marvin Melville |
Downhill |
|
2:15.9 |
22 |
Max Marolt |
|
2:14.2 |
18 |
Gordi Eaton |
|
2:14.0 |
17 |
Dave Gorsuch |
|
2:11.0 |
14 |
Max Marolt |
Giant Slalom |
|
1:54.9 |
21 |
Jim Barrier |
|
1:52.7 |
16 |
Dave Gorsuch |
|
1:52.3 |
14 |
Tom Corcoran |
|
1:49.7 |
4 |
Jim Barrier |
Slalom |
DNF |
– |
– |
– |
DNF |
– |
Frank Brown |
1:58.2 |
52 |
1:03.1 |
12 |
3:01.3 |
37 |
Chuck Ferries |
1:16.1 |
16 |
DSQ |
– |
DSQ |
– |
Tom Corcoran |
1:12.5 |
13 |
1:02.2 |
9 |
2:14.7 |
9 |
- Women
Athlete |
Event |
Race 1 |
Race 2 |
Total |
Time |
Rank |
Time |
Rank |
Time |
Rank |
Betsy Snite |
Downhill |
|
DSQ |
– |
Linda Meyers |
|
1:53.4 |
33 |
Joan Hannah |
|
1:47.9 |
21 |
Penny Pitou |
|
1:38.6 |
02 ! |
Linda Meyers |
Giant Slalom |
|
DSQ |
– |
Beverley Anderson |
|
1:57.4 |
36 |
Betsy Snite |
|
1:40.4 |
4 |
Penny Pitou |
|
1:40.0 |
02 ! |
Bevery Anderson |
Slalom |
1:13.1 |
38 |
1:00.0 |
14 |
2:13.1 |
26 |
Renie Cox |
59.4 |
18 |
59.8 |
10 |
1:59.2 |
9 |
Penny Pitou |
58.5 |
9 |
1:21.3 |
34 |
2:19.8 |
33 |
Betsy Snite |
57.4 |
4 |
55.5 |
1 |
1:52.9 |
02 ! |
Biathlon
- Men
Event |
Athlete |
Time |
Missed targets |
Adjusted time 1 |
Rank |
20 km |
Larry Damon |
1'33:38.2 |
13 |
1'59:38.2 |
24 |
Gustav Hanson |
1'40:06.2 |
9 |
1'58:06.2 |
23 |
Dick Mize |
1'33:56.2 |
11 |
1'55:56.2 |
21 |
John Burritt |
1'36:36.8 |
5 |
1'46:36.8 |
14 |
- 1 Two minutes added per missed target.
Cross-country skiing
The United States had a large squad of male cross-country skiers at the 1960 Winter Olympics. Charlie Akers, Karl Bohlin, John Dendahl, Theodore Farwell, Olavi Hirvonen, Sven Johanson, Peter Lahdenpera, Leo Massa, Mack Miller, and Joseph Wilson represented the US. None of them ended in the individual top ten rankings. The Men's 4×10 Kilometer Relay, with Bohlin, Dendahl, Lahdenpera, and Miller ended 11th,[4] but this was the last place among the national teams.[5]
- Men
Event |
Athlete |
Race |
Time |
Rank |
15 km |
Charlie Akers |
1'02:35.7 |
50 |
Olavi Hirvonen |
1'00:38.6 |
48 |
Peter Lahdenpera |
59:13.0 |
46 |
Mack Miller |
54:49.0 |
22 |
30 km |
Sven Johanson |
DNF |
– |
Joe Pete Wilson |
2'22:16.2 |
43 |
Leo Massa |
2'16:47.0 |
42 |
Mack Miller |
2'03:05.4 |
27 |
50 km |
Theodore Farwell |
3'49:56.6 |
31 |
Leo Massa |
3'41:08.2 |
29 |
Olavi Hirvonen |
3'36:37.8 |
26 |
Mack Miller |
3'17:23.2 |
17 |
- Men's 4 x 10 km relay
Figure skating
- Men
- Women
- Pairs
Ice hockey
Group C
Top two teams (shaded ones) from each group advanced to the final round and played for 1st-6th places, other teams played in the consolation round.
- USA 7-5 Czechoslovakia
- USA 12-1 Australia
Final round
First place team wins gold, second silver and third bronze.
- USA 6-3 Sweden
- USA 9-1 Germany (UTG)
- USA 2-1 Canada
- USA 3-2 USSR
- USA 9-4 Czechoslovakia
Leading scorers
Nordic combined
Events:
- normal hill ski jumping (Three jumps, best two counted and shown here.)
- 15 km cross-country skiing
Athlete |
Event |
Ski Jumping |
Cross-country |
Total |
Distance 1 |
Distance 2 |
Points |
Rank |
Time |
Points |
Rank |
Points |
Rank |
Craig Lussi |
Individual |
52.5 |
51.5 |
158.5 |
31 |
1'07:55.7 |
203.419 |
28 |
361.919 |
30 |
Alfred Vincelette |
58.0 |
56.5 |
190.5 |
28 |
1'07:35.4 |
204.774 |
26 |
395.274 |
26 |
Theodore Farwell |
55.5 |
55.0 |
172.5 |
30 |
1'05:09.4 |
214.194 |
21 |
386.694 |
27 |
John Cress |
58.0 |
62.0 |
191.5 |
27 |
1'12:59.7 |
183.806 |
31 |
375.919 |
30 |
Ski jumping
Athlete |
Event |
Jump 1 |
Jump 2 |
Total |
Distance |
Points |
Rank |
Distance |
Points |
Rank |
Points |
Rank |
Jon St. Andre |
Normal hill |
81.5 |
92.5 |
34 |
78.5 |
99.8 |
25 |
192.3 |
28 |
Butch Wedin |
79.0 |
93.5 |
32 |
72.0 |
93.6 |
36 |
187.1 |
32 |
Gene Kotlarek |
84.0 |
96.5 |
27 |
77.0 fall |
68.6 |
44 |
165.1 |
42 |
Ansten Samuelstuen |
90.0 |
107.8 |
5 |
79.0 |
103.7 |
13 |
211.5 |
7 |
Speed skating
- Men
- Women
Event |
Athlete |
Race |
Time |
Rank |
500 m |
Jeanne Omelenchuk |
49.3 |
16 |
Kathy Mulholland |
47.9 |
10 |
Jeanne Ashworth |
46.1 |
03 ! |
1000 m |
Jeanne Omelenchuk |
1:39.8 |
15 |
Jeanne Ashworth |
1:36.5 |
8 |
1500 m |
Barb Lockhart |
2:37.0 |
18 |
Jeanne Omelenchuk |
2:36.4 |
15 |
Jeanne Ashworth |
2:33.7 |
11 |
3000 m |
Beverly Buhr |
6:03.1 |
19 |
Cornelia Harrington |
5:57.5 |
18 |
Jeanne Ashworth |
5:28.5 |
8 |
References
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