Winter Olympic Games (Alternity)

The Winter Olympic Games are an international multi-sport event held quadrennially (every four years) in a nation and city decided by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) (the city of choice is selected by a popular vote within the IOC seven years prior to each Olympics). They are typically held in either January or February. The exception to this rule was the recent 1996 Winter Games in Santiago, Chile, which were held from July 2 to 17 (the Southern Hemisphere's winter). The next games to be held will be the 2000 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, from February 7 to 22.

The IOC recently selected Anchorage, Alaska, USA, as the host city for the 2004 Winter Games, to be held February 6 to 21.

The Games

 * As with the Summer Games, the 1940 and 1944 Winter Games, which had been awarded to Sapporo, Japan, and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, respectively, were cancelled as a result of World War II.


 * The 1976 and 1980 Winter Games were the only time a nation has hosted two successive Olympic Games.