Winter Olympic Highlights for Boomers

 A Boomer’s History of the Winter Olympics

“February brings the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, with 98 events in 15 sports. It’s the first time that Russia has played host to the winter games, and the first time—thanks to Russian cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station—that the Olympic torch has been carried on a space walk. In preparation for the 22nd Winter Olympics, here are some highlights from past games.” —Bill Hogan

1960: Walt Disney produces the opening and closing ceremonies in Squaw Valley, Calif.

1968: In his native France, heartthrob Jean-Claude Killy wins the triple crown of alpine skiing (downhill, giant slalom and slalom), making him the most recognized skier of his generation.

1972: Colorado voters reject public funding of the 1976 games, forcing them to be moved from Denver to Innsbruck, Austria, which has maintained infrastructure since hosting the 1964 competition.

1976: American figure skater Dorothy Hamill, 19, sports a perky bobbed hairstyle on her way to winning the gold medal, inspiring throngs of American women to imitate it — and landing her a lucrative contract with Clairol.

1980: In a game that will become known as the “Miracle on Ice,” the U.S. men’s hockey team, made up of amateur and collegiate players, defeats the supposedly invincible Soviet team, which has won nearly every world championship and Olympic tournament since 1954.

1984: Ice dancers Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean receive 12 perfect 6.0s for their interpretation of Boléro in Sarajevo.

1988: In its Olympic debut, the Jamaican bobsled team is disqualified after crashing and finishes last. It later becomes the subject of the 1993 Disney comedy Cool Runnings. A two-man team will compete in Sochi.

1994: More than 120 million people tune in to watch U.S. figure skating teammates Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding face off. Kerrigan, who seven weeks earlier had been clubbed in her knee, wins the silver medal; Harding, who later pleads guilty to hindering the investigation of the attack, finishes eighth.

To Watch The Slideshow Online At AARP, Visit This Link http://www.aarp.org/entertainment/style-trends/info-2014/winter-olympics-history-photo.html#slide1

To Read The Article In AARP Bulletin, Click Here or Go To: http://pubs.aarp.org/aarpbulletin/20140102_VA?pg=8#pg8

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