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The Winter Olympic Games began to be held from 1924year, the competitions in Lake Placid became the third in their history. The global financial crisis has left a noticeable imprint on their conduct, the number of athletes and participating countries in comparison with the games of 1928 markedly decreased. A total of 252 athletes from 17 countries took part in the games, with 150 athletes representing two countries - the USA and Canada. At the third Winter Olympics, such sports disciplines as bobsled, speed skating, cross-country skiing, cross-country skiing, jumping, hockey, figure skating were presented. As demonstration sports were shown curling and dog sledding. On these games there were no representatives of the Soviet Union, they began to participate in the Winter Olympic Games only in 1956. The first place in the team competition was won by athletes from the USA with 6 gold, 4 silver and 2 bronze medals. The second place went to the Olympians from Norway: 3 gold, 4 silver and 3 bronze medals. The third place was won by the Swedes with one gold and two silver medals. All Olympic medals were won by representatives of ten countries. Only four teams participated in the hockey tournament - teams from the USA, Canada, Germany and Poland. The matches were held for the first time in the covered ice palace, the Canadian team became the Olympic champions, the second place went to athletes from the USA, the third was Germany. The bobsleigh track was not equal to the Americans, they took all the gold, one silver and one bronze from two medals. Equally impressive were athletes from the United States and in speed skating, taking gold at all four distances. In the ski races the main struggle for medals has developed between Swedes, Finns and Norwegians. In a short race for 15 kilometers, gold and silver were taken by the Swedes, bronze went to the Finns. In the marathon for 50 kilometers gold and silver were won by skiers from Finland, the Norwegians received bronze. Finally, in the Nordic combined, the entire pedestal was given to athletes from Norway. They also reigned and jumped from the springboard, winning all three medals. Skaters in men's skating were won by Carl Scheffer from Austria, women were beaten by Sonya Heni from Norway. In the sporting pairs, André Brunet and Pierre Brunet got gold.

The opening ceremony of games with the participation of the thenVice-President of the United States Walter Mondale was held on February 14, 1980 at the city racetrack, seating 30 thousand spectators. And the closing ceremony 11 days later was held on a specially built for the Olympic ice rink Herb Brooks Arena. One and a half weeks between these two events took place under the sign of the dominance of the athletes of the two countries - the GDR and the USSR. The German Olympians won the largest number of medals - 23. In the biathlon they received five awards, and the remaining four went to Soviet athletes. In the bobsleigh, two teams of the GDR won four awards out of six, in luge sport - three out of nine. Representatives of the USSR received seven awards in ski races and four of them were gold. According to the tradition already established, there were also Soviet figure skaters who brought to the common treasury two gold, silver and bronze medals. But the hockey players, who had become Olympic champions five times in a row, sensationally lost the US team made up of students and students of colleges. In total, the athletes of the Soviet Union won one award less than the GDR team, but the gold medals turned out to be more in the USSR's asset. The Americans were the third in number of awards. In addition to unexpected gold hockey players, all other medals of the highest test of the US Olympians at the XIII Winter Olympics belonged to skater Eric Heiden. At these games, he went to the start five times and each time proved faster than his rivals. With this achievement, a 21-year-old American could single-handedly lead the United States to the third place in the medal standings. In addition to him on the skating track, Hayden's family was represented also by Eric's younger sister, who also did not remain without a prize - she received bronze in a skating race for three kilometers. All in all, at the 1980 Winter Olympics, 38 sets of awards were wrestled, for which almost 1100 athletes from 37 countries of the world.

Shortly before the start of the 1936 Winter OlympicsThe sports community demanded to transfer them from the country with the fascist regime to a more peaceful place, but the IOC was adamant. As a result, part of the athletes, including Olympic champions Lake Placid French Pierre Brunet and Andre Jolie-Brunet, as well as American John Shi, refused to participate. Preparations for the Olympics were personally monitored by Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler. It is worth noting that in the cities where IV ZROs were held, signs could be seen near the toilets with the inscription "Dogs and Jews are not allowed to enter". Henri de Bayeux-Latour demanded to remove the plates, motivating the decision by the fact that it contradicts the Olympic traditions. Hitler asked: "Mr. President, when you are invited to visit, you do not teach the hosts how to look behind the house, do you?". However, Latour said: "Excuse me, Chancellor, but when the flag with five rings is hung in the stadium - it's no longer Germany. This is Olympia, and we are its masters. " Tablets soon removed. In Germany, athletes from 28 countries gathered. For the first time, Australians, Greeks, Spaniards, Bulgarians, Turks and athletes from Liechtenstein performed on the Olympic Games. In addition to the usual ski jumping, individual ski races and biathlon, figure skating, speed skating, hockey and bobsled, the Games program included an elusive relay race and competitions in skiing combination "speed descent + slalom", where not only men but also women took part. MOU decided not to allow instructors to ski races, because they were professionals. In this regard, the representatives of Switzerland and Austria decided to boycott the OI. However, part of the Austrians still took part in them, but as part of the German national team. Also, two demonstration sports were declared: the prototype of the modern biathlon - military patrols competitions, as well as the ice. In Garmisch-Partenkirchen had a powerful influence on the development of the Winter Olympic Games, as well as the Olympic movement as a whole. So, at the opening ceremony of the OI-1936 for the first time solemnly lit the Olympic flame, and at the closing ceremony - extinguished. This tradition is still observed today. The idea of ​​the torch relay was also born in Germany. Traditionally, the opening ceremony of the Games began with a parade of participating countries. The background was played by music, including hymns from countries whose athletes took part in the Games. Then officially announced the opening of the Olympics Adolf Hitler, followed by a salute, the Olympic flame was lit and the Olympic flag was raised. Olympic oath was pronounced by the German skier Wilhelm Bogner. On February 16, at 17.00, at the closing ceremony of the Games, Henri de Baie-Latour proceeded to award medals and diplomas to the prize winners. The orchestra played hymns of countries whose representatives were awarded by the president of the IOC, a flag was raised on the flagpole at the awarding of each champion at the flagpole. The hymn of Norway sounded 7 times - this was the best achievement at the Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The hymn of Germany was played 3 times, Sweden - 2. Also it is worth noting the performance of athletes from Finland and Austria.