YO, CANADAWestern Canada welcomes a record 1,750 athletes from 57 countries for the Calgary Olympics. Despite a pall cast over Calgary by the gruesome death of an Austrian team doctor on the alpine slopes, the 1988 Games are deemed popular among athletes and spectators alike.
CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT
Competition venues undergo more changes, as alpine events are held on artificial snow for the first time and speedskating comes in from the outdoors to an indoor oval. Still, weather wreaks havoc in Calgary, thanks to frequent chinook winds and unseasonable 70-degree temperatures.
I WANT MY OLY TV
The 1998 Games feature a dramatic increase in TV revenue, as ABC pays $309 million for the broadcasting rights p accommodate more television advertising, the Winter Olympics are expanded from 12 to 16 days.
SO LONG, STATE-CONTROLLED SUPERPOWERS
The long-standing rivalry between Communist superpowers the Soviet Union and East Germany is featured for the final time in the Winter Olympics, with the USSR edging GDR in both gold-medal and overall-medal totals.
SOARING NICE AND THRICE
By winning the individual small-hill (70 meter) and large-hill (90 meter) ski jumping events and adding a third gold medal in the debuting team-jumping competition, Finlandee crowns.
A NOT-SO-SOARING EAGLE
Earning more attention and TV time than triple-even winner Matti Nykanen is Britainhrow Airport.
CONSECUTIVE FOR KATARINA
East Germany/img/point.gif" WIDTH="13" HEIGHT="9" VALIGN="MIDDLE">EXTENDED ALPINE EVENTS
Alpine skiing goes from three events cipated North American "Battle of the Brians" rivalry in menme in two decades, the Winter Olympics feature demonstration sports. Getting a look-see at Calgary are freestyle skiing, short-track speedskating and curling.
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