100 years of Olympic Winter Games: Legacies of Chamonix 1924 as the first Olympic Winter Games

16 January 2024 – Next week marks 100 years since the first Olympic Winter Games took place in Chamonix, France. Ahead of the 100th anniversary, we look into the legacies created by Chamonix 1924 for the host communities and winter sport globally.

Impact on the city and region

• The Games boosted Chamonix’s national and international reputation as a tourism destination, which today has over eight million overnight visitors each year spread equally between the winter and summer seasons.
  
  
• The Games also launched Chamonix’s role as a host of major winter and summer sports events, including downhill and slalom world championships, marathons, climbing and more. This includes the World Ski Championships in 1937 and 1962, plus around 20 editions of the Kandahar (Alpine Skiing World Cup) since 1948, with the next one taking place in February 2024.
  

Impact on winter sports

• Chamonix 1924 helped make winter sports - previously considered elitist – more popular and more accessible. The competition proved a great success, attracting 10,004 paying spectators in all, many of them travelling to the resort from across France as news of the event began to spread.
  
  
• The Games coincided with the creation of the International Ski Federation (FIS) and the establishment of the French Ski Federation (FFS). Today, the FIS has 135 member nations, hosting more than 7,000 FIS ski and snowboard competitions annually. The FFS helped to create a skiing culture in France and produce champion athletes.

Venue legacy

• Both of Chamonix 1924’s permanent venues are still in use today:
  
  
  • The Stade Olympique de Chamonix/Patinoire du Bouchet, including two speed skating rinks, plus a swimming pool, squash court, climbing wall, gym, ice rink and athletics track.
    
    
  • The Tremplin Olympique du Mont ski jumping venue is still used for training, youth events, and national and regional competitions.