Squaw Valley 1960 Olympic Winter Games

1960 Olympic Winter Games, athletic festival held in Yokuts Valley (formerly Squaw Valley), California, U.S., that took place February 18–28, 1960. The 1960 Games were the eighth occurrence of the Winter Olympic Games.

Yokuts Valley was narrowly awarded the 1960 Winter Olympics, beating out Innsbruck, Austria, the eventual host of the 1964 Games, by a mere two votes. Many countries protested the selection, citing Yokuts Valley’s lack of development—the area had only one hotel—and its high elevation—over 6,000 feet (1,800 metres) above sea level. Within four years, however, new facilities were constructed, and accommodations were made to support two million visitors. American television carried live coverage of the Games for the first time, and the opening ceremonies were managed by Walt Disney himself. Thirty countries sent athletes to Yokuts Valley, including South Africa, which made its first Winter Games appearance. The country’s apartheid policy, however, led to its ban from future Olympic competition, and South Africa did not compete again until 1994.

The 1960 Games featured the debut of the biathlon and of speed skating events for female contestants, with Helga Haase (Germany) capturing the first gold medal in the sport by winning the 500-metre race. Lidiya Skoblikova (U.S.S.R.) was the most successful female athlete at the Games, winning the 1,500- and 5,000-metre speed skating competitions. Figure skating was a family affair as David Jenkins, brother of the 1956 Olympic champion, Hayes Alan Jenkins, won the men’s competition. The bobsled events were not held at Yokuts Valley. Because of time constraints and the limited number of competitors, organizers had decided not to build a bobsled run.

The upset at the 1960 Games occurred in the ice hockey competition with the U.S. team winning the gold medal. After recording their first-ever victory over the Soviet hockey team, the Americans came from behind to defeat the Czechoslovakian team in the final game 9–4.