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Lake Placid 1980 - Emblem/Logo Image

Lake Placid 1980

Host Nation

United States of America (USA)

Sports

6

Duration

13 Feb - 24 Feb 1980

Events

38

Competing Nations

37

Competing Athletes

10

 

The 1980 Olympic Winter Games, held in Lake Placid, New York, were anything but placid. The Games produced a series of remarkable performances and not even a bus strike could deter crowds from getting to events in the freezing weather. Lake Placid also welcomed the first team from the People’s Republic of China to participate in a Winter Olympics.

The Soviet Union again topped the medal table, winning 10 gold. Pairs skater Irina Rodnina won her third gold medal for the USSR, this time with Alexander Zaitsev. Matching Rodnina’s marvellous hat-trick was East Germany’s Ulrich Wehling, who won the Nordic combined individual event for the third time.

Ingemar Stenmark, the great Swedish alpine skier, rocketed to gold in both the men’s giant slalom and slalom. Hanni Wenzel entered all three women's alpine skiing events and won three medals for tiny Liechtenstein (population: 25,000). In the downhill she earned a silver medal. In the giant slalom she won the gold. Two days later she breezed through the slalom, registering the best time in each of the two runs to win her second gold.

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Australia at these Games

Australia sent 10 athletes to the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. Among the four women that attended was Colleen Bolton, the only female cross-country competitor. She competed in both the 5km classic and the 10km classic, placing 36th and 35th respectively.

The Winter Games were the fourth consecutive Games for Colin Coates. He competed in four events, with his best result being 18th in the 10,000m. Australia’s other speed skater, Michael Richmond, also raced in three events, placing 32nd in both the 500m and 1500m, and 34th in the 1000m.

Antony Guss represented Australia in alpine skiing, competing in all three events: downhill, slalom and giant slalom. He progressed to the final in each discipline and achieved his best result in the downhill, placing 22nd with a time of 1 minute, 50.22 seconds. Australia’s other alpine skiers were Kim Clifford and Robert McIntyre, both competing at their second Olympics, and newcomers Jenny Altermatt and Jacqui Cowderoy. McIntyre carried the Australian flag in the Opening Ceremony.

The other members of the team were brother and sister figure skaters Peter and Elizabeth Cain, who competed together in the pairs event.

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