Cyprus at the 2002 Winter Olympics Cyprus at the 2002 Winter Olympics Cyprus sent a delegation to compete at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, United States from 8–24 February 2002. This was Cyprus' seventh consecutive appearance at a Winter Olympic Games after their debut at the 1980 Winter Olympics. The delegation consisted of one athlete, Theodoros Christodoulou, an alpine skier. He finished 54th in the giant slalom and failed to complete the slalom. The Cyprus Olympic Committee was first recognised by the International Olympic Committee in 1978, and the nation has participated in every Summer Olympics and Winter Olympic Games since their debut
Winter Olympic Games City, previously a candidate for the 1972 Winter Olympics, then put itself forward, but the IOC opted instead to invite Innsbruck to host the 1976 Games, as most of the infrastructure from the 1964 Games had been maintained. Despite only having half the usual time to prepare for the Games, Innsbruck accepted the invitation to replace Denver in February 1973. Two Olympic flames were lit because it was the second time that the Austrian town had hosted the Winter Games. The 1976 Games featured the first combination bobsleigh and luge track, in neighbouring Igls. The Soviet Union won its fourth