The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and opened by Governor General Jeanne Sauvé. The Olympics were highly successful financially as they brought in million-dollar profits. The games left a lasting impression on the host city and gave it a new identity from a cowtown to a large commercial sector of the country.
1988 was also the last year that the Paralympic Games and the Winter Olympics were held in separate cities. All Games after the 1988 Winter Olympics have been hosted by the same city or a city nearby.
The Canadian team did not win a gold medal during the 1988 Winter Olympics, similar to how the Canadian team did not win one during the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. At the time, Canada and Yugoslavia were the only countries that had not won a gold medal when their country hosted the Olympics. (However, Canada would later win a gold medal when the 2010 Winter Olympics were hosted in Vancouver.)
History
Background
Calgary first tried for the Olympics in 1964, and again in 1968.