During the Closing Ceremony of the inaugural Winter Olympic Games on February 5, 1924, IOC President Pierre de Coubertin acknowledged their success. The Games in 1924 were a culmination of decades of efforts to integrate winter sports into the Olympics. While early attempts, such as the Nordic Games and proposals to include winter events in the Summer Olympics, faced resistance, the growing popularity of sports like figure skating and ice hockey fueled momentum for a dedicated winter competition. The interruption of World War I delayed progress, but by 1924, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) embraced the idea, and hosted the first “International Winter Sports Week.” Though originally a trial event, its overwhelming success—drawing over 250 athletes from 16 nations—cemented its place in Olympic history, and the IOC retroactively recognized it as the first official Winter Olympic Games.

The timing of the 1924 Winter Olympics was both challenging and opportune. The world was still recovering from the devastation of World War I, with several nations barred from competing due to lingering political tensions. Despite this, the Games served as a unifying force, bringing athletes together in the spirit of competition and showcasing the global appeal of winter sports. The event’s success gave winter sports their rightful place on the Olympic stage, leading to the creation of a permanent Winter Olympics every four years.