Squaw Valley, USA VIIIth WINTER GAMES
	February 18 - 28, 1960
	Mascot - none
	30 countries, 665 athletes (143 women)
	4 sports, 27 events
	Opening - Vice President Richard Nixon
	Torch lit by - Kenneth Charles Henry (speed skating)
	Candidates: Garmisch-Partenkirchen, St Moritz, Innsbruck

The Winter Games went to the United States for the second time, certainly for economic reasons but hardly practical. The site of the eighth edition was Squaw Valley in the State of California. The Americans outdid themselves for the feast of all the participants. They organized an unforgettable event under the direction of Walt Disney. The little village of Squaw Valley, at a height of over 2000 metres, in North California, was a surprise choice by the IOC in preference to the better known Innsbruck. This was the second time the Games left Europe, their natural site. The choice did not seem too happy for a series of reasons related to considerations on the altitude and the distance while the facilities available did not appear adequate. These concerns were shown to be only partly justified when the contests were over.

South Africa made its first appearance at the Winter Games in 1960. It also turned out to be its last for many years, as the policy of apartheid prevented further South African participation in the Olympic Winter Games until 1994. Women's speedskating was added to the program. Biathlon also made its debut. Bobsledding went on a forced hiatus, as the Squaw Valley bobsled course was deemed unsuitable for competition by the International Olympic Committee.

There was controversy surrounding the Games due to the difficulty of the alpine and cross-country courses and the exclusion of bobsledding because it was too costly to build a run. But once the Games began, all the talk was of the U. S. hockey team. In what can be noted as one of America's greatest Olympic moments, the lightly-regarded American team beat both Canada and the Soviet Union to clinch a tie for the gold medal. In order to win it outright, the U.S. team needed to beat Czechoslovakia. Trailing 4-3 at the end of the second period, the Americans got some unlikely help. Soviet team captain Nikolai Sologubov visited their locker room and suggested that they inhale concentrated oxygen to regain some of their zip. The Americans scored six goals in the third period to win the gold.

Americans had continued success in alpine skiing, with three silver medal finishes. The Soviets continued their domination of speed skating, while the Norwegians' lack of success in Nordic events continued. In another surprise, the men's figure skating medal went to David Jenkins, younger brother of Hayes, who had won gold in Cortina. The ladies' gold was won by Carol Heiss, who soon afterward married Hayes Jenkins.

In the inaugural biathlon, Sweden's Klas Lestander's net running time placed him 15th, yet he finished first due to his perfect shooting. All his other competitors suffered time penalties due to their inaccuracies.

Continuing the dynasty started in Cortina, the Soviet Union topped the medals table with 21.

1924 
1928 
1932 
1936 
1948 
1952 
1956 
1960 
1964 
1968 
1972 
1976 
1980 
1984 
1988 
1992 
1994 
1998 
2002 
2006 
2010 

Country

G

S

B

TTL

USSR 

7

5

9

21

Germany

4

3

1

8

United States

3

4

3

10

Norway

3

3

0

6

Sweden

3

2

2

7

Finland

2

3

3

8

Canada

2

1

1

4

Switzerland

2

0

0

2

Austria

1

2

3

6

France

1

0

2

3

Netherlands

0

1

1

2

Poland

0

1

1

2

Czechoslovakia

0

1

0

1

Italy

0

0

1

1

TOTAL

28

26

27

81