High above the city Austrian ski jumper Reinhold Bachler during a training run at the Bergisel ski jump (Bergiselschanze) before the 1976 Winter Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria, February 1, 1976. The Wilten Basilica is in the background. (more) History of the Winter Olympic Games in Pictures Written by Mindy Johnston Mindy Spitzer Johnston is Managing Editor at Encyclopædia Britannica. Mindy Johnston Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Jan. 30, 2026 •History High above the cityAustrian ski jumper Reinhold Bachler during a training run at the Bergisel ski jump (Bergiselschanze) before the 1976 Winter Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria, February 1, 1976. The Wilten Basilica is in the background.© brandstaetter images/Votava—Archive Photos/Getty Images “You had to see it to believe it!” That refrain has echoed through descriptions of Olympic competition for more than a century. From the first Winter Olympic Games in 1924 to the present, athletes...

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